Mental Athlete

Not everyone plays sports growing up and anyone that ever plays sports ultimately retires from competitive competition. Competitive sports run their course through your life but your days of being an athlete are never over. Even if you have never played organized sports before, you are still an athlete. Even if your playing days are far behind you, you are still an athlete. Beyond sports and the playing field, you are all mental athletes. Everything you do with your brain has parallels to how you would train and compete as an athlete playing sports on the field. By understanding that you are just a different type of athlete, you can reach your maximum potential through the “training” and “recovery” you do for your mental capabilities.

Your brain, just like your physical body needs to be trained. If you struggle to focus, use sets of time and gradually increase the amount of time you can sit and work with no distractions. You can start with 5 or 10-minute sets and gradually increase. You may feel antsy towards the end of the sets but you must push to finish. This practice is equivalent to gradually adding more weight to the bar you are lifting and making sure you finish a workout without cutting it short. Over time, your mental fortitude and strength will become bulletproof and you’ll be able to hone in on working at a high level with a meticulous amount of focus. Nothing you initially start practicing with your mental training will create an instantaneous solution. Like training your body as an athlete, you will need to gradually build up your training methods as you compound your practice. The training of your mind will make you into the mental athlete you want to be.

After a hard workout, you need to fuel your body with fluids, protein, and quality nutrition. You need to use a foam roller and massage tender areas to stimulate recovery for your body. Your brain also needs to recover, just like your physical body. If you’re operating on a constantly fluctuating sleep schedule and find yourself not sleeping enough, your work and your ability to use your mind will reflect that. You will suffer through your days until you prioritize recovery of the mind. Just like sleep, you need to fuel your mind just like you would want to fuel your body as an athlete. You need to be hydrated and eat nutritious food so that your brain can utilize the highest quality fuel. Your brain is like a Ferrari, not just a normal sedan. Treat it as such.

Your mind is your greatest asset. You are doing yourself a disservice by not working to train and recover it. Every day is a chance to continue honing and creating your mental ability. Your days of playing on a field may be over but your days of being a mental athlete have only just begun.