Sports Performance

Sports performance

Everyone knows that being a successful athlete involves maintaining high levels of physical fitness. However, this is only part of the strategy required for success. According to research, sports performance has more to do with mental abilities than physical abilities. To many people this may sound like a strange concept, but thousands of sports people have recognised the power of their mental state having a positive effect on their sports performance. Hypnosis has been used for many years to help professional athletes enhance their natural ability and even the famous golfer Tiger Woods regularly uses hypnosis.

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Mind control in sport

Successful athletes are often able to control their state of mind so they have a psychological advantage which prevents them from underperforming or giving into their nerves. Hypnotherapy seeks to engage an athletes mind in a positive way to help them focus on their goals and achieve them. Being able to control negative thoughts and emotions is the basis of sports psychology and can often be achieved through hypnosis.Sports people often refer to being in the ‘zone’. This means that they get totally absorbed in what they are doing and barely notice outside distractions when performing at their best. Hypnosis can often help individuals access the ‘zone’ so that they can use this to enhance their performance.

How can hypnotherapy help with sports performance?

Hypnotherapy can help often help with golf, running, football, cricket, boxing, darts, swimming, and most other sports. Every athlete, whether currently successful or not, has internal resources. Accessing these inner resources and putting them to work is often the advantage successful athletes have.Hypnotherapy can improve and enhance an individual’s mental attitude by helping them to relax, removing anxieties and boosting confidence. Each individual is different, so results will vary from athlete to athlete, however in general, individuals can use hypnosis to maintain composure, overcome distractions and fears and gain confidence in their ability.The brain can’t distinguish between doing something or imagining doing something so visualising winning a competition can help tune your mind for success. If the human mind is capable of imagining something, it's capable of making it happen. Hypnosis can help athletes:

improve their confidence and self-belief
remove negative thoughts or beliefs
increase motivation and dedication
use deep relaxation and concentration to imagine success
maintain composure and overcome distractions.

Source: https://www.hypnotherapy-directory.org.uk/articles/sportsperformance.html