Yesterday I had a conversation with one of my clients about pushing past mental blocks and getting better at truly giving hard efforts your all, overcoming mental weakness, and digging deeper.
She really wants to make sure she’s performing close to her potential (don’t we all).
The great news is that although you may think mental fortitude/pain tolerance is some innate gift, it’s actually pretty trainable.Neuroplasticity for the win!
So, here are some tips to strengthen your ability to dig deep, & not knocked on your ass by the first negative thought or wave of fatigue that washes over you:
- Utilize sessions that are exceptionally tough as an opportunity to gain awareness of your thought patterns (in a low-risk context): Do you start to negotiate with yourself? Do you anchor to your breath? Do you have mantras that motivate you? Do you try to tune out the discomfort of fatigue or let it consume you? The first step is awareness that there exists a deep well within you to draw from. Set an intention prior: “Today I will be curious about my depth & strength, and my intention is to unlock even just 1% more of myself”.
- Visualization! Close your eyes and picture yourself in moments of extreme fatigue. Be very specific in envisioning how you’ll respond. What does your breathing feel like, sound like? What thoughts will be in your mind and how will you allow them to pass through you? What will your body be doing? Will you grimace or smile? How exactly would it look and feel for you to reveal a new layer of strength?
- Leverage less-than-ideal conditions: especially if you’re an athlete who will, at some point, be expected to perform in extreme heat or cold, rain, snow, darkness, while sleep-deprived, etc. These are all phenomenal excuses to put off a session, but what if you viewed some occasional “intentional misery” as mental resilience training? Training is a lower-stakes context to experiment with strategies to get over yourself. This will also build you a handy dandy library of evidence that you’re tougher than you might feel in that moment. Remember that one time when things really sucked, just like they do right now, and you got through it?
- Anchor to your breath and be patient. Try to ground yourself to something in the physical reality, not in your looping thoughts. What do you see? What do you hear? How does it feel to fill your body with oxygen, and how can you manipulate your breathing to serve you best?
- Break the task at hand into segments. Build a brick wall around each individual 10 minute chunk. Nothing exists outside of that, and then the next, and then the next.
- Find a mantra that motivates you. My favorite simple phrase when I really want to give up is “I love this shit”. It sounds silly, but this has gotten me through a lot. I try to be grateful for my body & the opportunity to train it & put it to the test.
After all, odds are you’re voluntarily training, competing, working this job, etc…
Keep perspective: you could quit tomorrow and the world will in fact, continue to spin 🙂
P.S. if you want personalized help with your mindset, programming & nutrition (along with education, community, & more), click the link below for my 1:1 coaching application.
Peace & Love,
Sofia Huston