A sports client of mine recently said to me, “Neal, what exactly is mental toughness?”
It’s a great question, as whenever I have conversations with people about the mind and what a vital part it plays - not only in the sports arena but also with life in general - I tend to find that thoughts and reasoning can differ quite greatly.
My own belief as to why these thoughts differ, is that it comes down to personal life experience. If for example you are a top athlete, then your understanding of mental behaviour will be more highly attuned. This doesn’t mean that you have to be an athlete to understand and appreciate the powers of the mind but it does help.
The Mind in Sport
For many years there was always an emphasis on improving physical fitness and technical ability within elite sport but very little focus was placed on one’s mental skills. I’m pleased to say that over the past decade or so this has begun to change although I believe there is still some way to go yet.
Performance comprises of Fitness, Technical Ability and Mental Skills.
Mental Skills comprises of Concentration, Will and Emotional Balance.
If I randomly asked someone to list the three components attributed to Performance, there is a good chance they would guess at least two. If I was to ask the same question about Mental Skills, I would be quite surprised if I was given more than one.
The interesting thing is that the extent to which fitness and technical ability are important will vary from sport to sport. Running, for instance, requires a high level of fitness but a comparatively lower level of technical skill. Snooker, however, requires a higher level of technical skill but a lower level of fitness.
With elite athletes across all sports, the levels of required fitness and technical ability tend to be fairly close. Therefore, it is the athlete with the better mental skills that will most likely win the day.
To view a little more detail on these Mental Skills attributes, click here.
Once an athlete has accepted the importance Mental Skills play in their overall success, the next step is to ensure they have the right knowledge at their fingertips and are utilising the correct tools to improve. Methodologies such as how to get into the zone; anchoring; routines; mental rehearsal and mind-body connection can all be used to outstanding effect.
And, in fact, most of these skills can be employed within many other professions as well.
A Game Changer says…
For me, mental toughness is the ability to perform at your very best when under extreme pressure. It is the ability to remain calm when all around you has broken into chaos. It is the ability to block out all distraction and remain fully focused on the task in hand.
For this month’s blog I am also going to leave you with several top athletes take on what mental toughness means to them. Until next time, keep learning!
Mental toughness…
is when you, your body, the competition, nature, or the environment has the best of you so that you’re physically tapped out and need to figure out how to pull something out of yourself… not in a robotic way, in a way that’s mentally aware and engaged. It’s not just the ability to keep moving but to keep doing it in a way that’s engaged and competitive in the environment you’re in, whether that’s competing against the clock or other human beings. It’s easy when you feel good physically. It’s when that physicality leaves you.
- Andy Scott, Ultra-Endurance Mountain Biker and Ski Mountaineer
for me, is acknowledging that very challenging moments can occur in all sports (and also in life in general) but having the capacity in a quick time frame to turn a negative experience into a positive one.
- Samantha Gash, Ultra-Endurance Runner
means being able to keep on performing whilst in extreme discomfort. It’s the ability to mentally overcome the brain, which is telling you to stop, and keep pushing yourself forward, even if things aren’t going well.
- Mark Pattinson, Endurance Racing Cyclist
is your ability to deal with pain and to process it. It’s your body’s ability and your mind’s ability, mostly your mind’s. Mental toughness could be the ability to get out of your body what your body is capable of that day.
- Jesse Thomas, Long Course Triathlete
basically means being able to overcome outside circumstances, negativity and whatever obstacles you have going on in your life at the moment, to focus on the task at hand. It’s easier said than done.
- Lindsey Valenzuela, Elite CrossFit Athlete