On Monday, three hours before the Michigan Wolverines faced the Washington Huskies in the College Football National Championship game, starting quarterback JJ McCarthy sat on the field with his back to the goalposts and crossed his legs. , you may have seen him without his shoes and wearing a hoodie with the number 9 on his back. He got up and closed his eyes.
According to MLive, McCarthy meditates for about 10 minutes each day before the Michigan game, as well as 30 to 40 minutes each morning. He also relies on Bob Marley songs before games.
“I meditate before a game to really get my mindset into a state of stillness, emptiness, where I can allow things to happen and react from a higher perspective rather than just reacting out of impulse.” mccarthy He previously spoke about his daily meditation practice. The 20-year-old was named the Wolverines’ best QB in history by the head coach. jim harbaughleading the team to its first winning finish since 1997.
McCarthy turned to high school practice when he started feeling depressed during his senior year at IMG Academy, a boarding school in Florida.
“I was getting further and further away from myself and my true nature. I felt like I was stuck in a deep rut for about a month or two and I knew something had to change. This is not me. ” McCarthy said at a press conference about how he started meditating. “I started researching different habits to improve my mental health and the first thing that came to mind was meditation. I just tried it and the rest was history.”
As countless local and national media outlets have reported, it’s not a common sight to see a team’s star quarterback intensely focused on something other than football during warmups. But there must be magic in McCarthy’s meditation habits, which he believes have kept him centered and set him up for success.
“I was always studying all of my athletes, studying their mindset, and trying to incorporate that in any way I could to develop the ultimate mindset as a competitor,” McCarthy previously said in a statement on how to overcome this situation and improve his mental health. He talked about finding new ways to prioritize.
What are the benefits of meditation?
Mental health experts and scientists alike tout meditation as helping to calm the nervous system and reduce feelings of stress and anxiety. Think of it as taking a moment to breathe, be conscious, and let passing thoughts come and go, like clouds in the sky or a train heading to its next stop.
Meditation helps people regulate their emotions and gain a deeper perspective. Taking time to breathe slowly and limit distractions will slow your heart rate and give you a sense of calm. Especially under pressure, meditation is the key to getting into the zone, or what McCarthy calls “adjustment” time.
“You’re teaching yourself to be non-judgmental and aware of the present moment,” Elizabeth Sen, associate professor of psychology at Yeshiva University’s Ferkauf School of Psychology, previously said. luck. “We want them to focus more on what’s happening now, rather than regretting what happened in the past or worrying about what will happen in the future.”
Stacy Revere, via Getty
It’s easy to forget mental fitness habits in the heat of the moment, but McCarthy’s dedication shows that the practice serves a greater purpose than those 10 minutes of focus, and perhaps that’s why. It probably helped lead him to an undefeated season in college football. That’s why sports teams are investing more in mental health coaches and competitive psychology instruction, and why there’s an increased focus on the mental fortitude it takes to get to the top.
“I want to spread this custom around the world. I want to raise kids who look up to me and look up to me and think, ‘Let’s try this,’ and I want to see it with my own eyes.” McCarthy said of the Michigan State football team. video.
