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Concentration, attention and focus all fall into the same category when we are dealing with the mind being able to work with one thought instead of many. Sounds easy right? How many different thoughts have you already had whilst reading this post and this is only the second sentence. Now imagine yourself in the last minute of a presentation or the last minute of a game. It is all on you, you have all the pressure of your future riding on the next 60 seconds. Depending on your performance in the next 60 seconds will determine the outcome of your future for the next timeframe. That’s a lot of pressure, it is also a lot of thoughts impeding the way you think about the task in hand. Not to worry… this is where mental preparation comes in handy, training the brain to focus all thoughts and senses into one exclusive object or activity while excluding everything else. When you train the mind to perform this way, you are gaining an edge that could mean all the difference. Remember that last 60 seconds of your presentation… boom, you smashed it and just landed your biggest client. Remember the last 60 seconds of your game, yeah, you smashed that too and now endorsements, sponsors and contracts are flying in. Being able to focus on the task in hand is not as simple as one may think, but it is detrimental in performance as we look for the edge in every way we can - to better ourselves and better our opportunities.
In relation to sport and exercise, concentration falls into four categories:
· Focusing on relevant environmental cues
· Maintaining situational awareness
· Maintaining attentional focus
· Shifting attentional focus
When we focus on these four areas of concentration we are able to eliminate thoughts and processes that are not necessary and can impede on our performances while in the moment.
It is ever present that while in the moment you are able to maintain emotional control… why? Simple as emotional control can interfere with the hormones in your body, adjusting the way your body reacts and performs. This can go two ways, but it’s like walking on a tightrope. One second your emotional control infers aggression which heightens your responses, however it also allows you to be more aggressive and susceptible to fouls, ejections and poor judgement. It can also go the other way by completely relaxing the body and reducing aggression meaning the body is not ready for action increasing the chances of injury. So, within this text we have already discovered that the mental state of concentration impacts the physical performances both positively and negatively. Working on the four key categories mentioned earlier you will be able to improve your ability to control emotional behaviours when in the moment and when it counts the most to you.
If your looking to improve your concentration in sport, business or general day-to-day life contact me at peaksportpsychology@gmail.com or call 678-902-2545.
Have a great weekend,
Sam