Many of us have heard the term “being in the zone.” In sports, this is a natural trance state, where all movements on the field or court slow down, allowing players to easily understand the game. How do athletes get there?
“Mental focus, concentration, and visualization are essential to success in any endeavor, including sports,” says health and sports performance psychologist Matthew Sacco, Ph.D. “Adding mental training to your physical and sport-specific training will greatly improve your confidence, consistency, and ability.”
One such therapy that has been used successfully in sports is clinical hypnotherapy. “This type of approach sharpens athletes and allows them to get their mind, body, and spirit in the zone,” says Dr. Sacco.
Below, he helps you understand this process and how it can help improve an athlete’s overall performance.
Sports and mindset
According to Dr. Sacco, harnessing brain power is just as important as physical ability for athletic performance. “Mental performance in sports has always received a lot of attention and attention,” he says. “Many professional athletes talk about how they rehearse their routines as part of their preparation, which greatly improves their performance.”
However, he added that research has given us a better understanding of how much psychological well-being can influence overall athletic performance. “Better treatment and management of mental health issues can have a bigger impact and lead to improved performance than we realized,” he says. Added psychological stress can also affect the body’s ability to rest and repair after a performance.
That’s where hypnotherapy comes in. Hypnotherapy adds an element to your training that improves concentration and reduces stress, allowing you to focus more specifically on your performance. “Processing ‘other stuff’ more effectively ultimately helps improve performance,” says Dr. Sacco.
What is hypnotherapy?
The broad definition of hypnotherapy is an altered state of consciousness characterized by certain physiological characteristics, such as relaxation, slowed breathing, and increased receptivity to suggestion. It can also increase access to unconscious thoughts, memories, and emotions.
Hypnosis can also help increase awareness of what a person is feeling in the moment. This allows you to focus at a higher level on what is important for performance, what is redundant, static, or noise.
“By using hypnotherapy in conjunction with other treatment models such as mindfulness and cognitive therapy, hypnotherapy is considered an interactive therapeutic process,” Sacco says.
This is because while the patient is in a relaxed state, consciousness during the session and memory after the session is maintained. “It’s different from what’s been popularized in the media and pop culture,” he added. “You won’t be ‘hypnotized’ and start barking like a dog or crowing like a rooster. It’s a valuable and highly regarded tool, and for some patients it can be very It’s helpful.”
holistic approach
The use of hypnotherapy in conjunction with training plans typically focuses on improving performance through concentration and stress reduction. Although performance is a primary concern for athletes, the hypnotherapy process has expanded to focus on growth, healing, and transformation. It can be a way to focus not only on the body but also on the mind and spirit.
At any given time, a variety of issues can impact an athlete’s mental health and functioning. This includes issues of identity, personal capabilities, and career planning.
Athletes should also consider issues related to their level of participation and achievement. For athletes who are solely focused on their sport, their identity and social connections may depend entirely on competitive participation and success.
How athletes can benefit from hypnotherapy
Most athletes who are open to the idea of reducing stress and increasing focus can benefit from hypnotherapy. When used as a regular part of psychological training, it is exponentially more effective.
This is especially true when athletes are going through stressful times or recovering from injuries. This may be the first time an athlete faces physical limitations and wonders how they can perform in the future. This is useful for athletes of all levels, from professionals to student-athletes to “weekend warriors” as they grapple with recovery issues.
Most professional sports teams now employ sports psychologists to help athletes develop the mental focus they need to succeed. When you study the best athletes and sports stars, it becomes clear that the common strength they all have in achieving a state of being “in the zone” actually begins mentally.
This is often a multifaceted approach that addresses both managing mental health issues and enhancing mental skills training, ultimately leading to improved sports performance.
If you think your performance could benefit from hypnotherapy, talk to your health care provider about exploring your options. Just remember to be patient. It may take several sessions, as well as additional time and preparation, before you really start seeing results.
