You’ve spent countless hours consistently training, logging miles and attending to the minute aspects of training such as regularly stretching, rolling and icing to ensure maximum recovery. You may be fit enough to complete a run or a tough workout, but sometimes that “little voice” in your head says otherwise. Our mental health is just as important as our physical health and we need to train our minds just like we train our bodies. We sat down and spoke with Dr. Michelle Pride, a psychologist embedded within athletics at Ohio University, to talk about ways to develop a positive, healthy mindset not only during training, but during every aspect of everyday life.
1. Why is it important to be just as mentally prepared for training as you are physically?
Dr. Pride stressed that we too often focus on the physical aspect of training and ignore the mental component. She explained that your mentality affects your motivation, confidence, attitude, efficiency of movement, concentration, and your ability to achieve your goals. Practicing a healthy mindset has the ability to reduce anxiety, depression and helps us practice finding enjoyment in everything that we do. During training, Dr. Pride suggests thinking about one thing you appreciated after you’ve completed your workout. This can be anything ranging from the weather to whoever accompanied you on your run to how much closer you are to reaching your goals; the possibilities are endless.
2. Sometimes getting out the door is the hardest part of training. How do we find the motivation to start a run (especially on early mornings or during inclement weather)?
Dr. Pride explained that this relates to how you talk to yourself (referring to our internal voice in our head). Don’t focus on the negatives such as “It’s too early”, “It’s too cold.”, “This workout is going to hurt.”, or “I’m too tired.”. If you are talking in that manner, then you are already setting yourself up for a miserable run. Instead, focus on positive self-talk. You can think about how much the training is helping you reach your goals or how much you are growing as a runner. Pay attention to the language your internal voice is using.
3. How do you practice staying present in the moment? (During training, races, everyday life)
Practicing staying in the moment is just like practicing pacing: you have to practice it all the time in order to reap the benefits. During a workout or race, Dr. Pride said you can try focusing on your breathing, your foot striking pattern, a specific mantra you created for yourself (such as, “You got this”), or a method of identifying 5 things you see, 4 things you hear, 3 things you feel, 2 things you smell and 1 thing you taste; this method allows your mind to not wander off and helps your mind stay mentally present. Find a strategy that works well for you and don’t be afraid to switch it up and try different strategies.
4. How do we practice staying positive when we have an injury?
Of course, there is a lot of pressure to get back to your sport quickly, but you must remember the importance of allowing your body the time to heal. Dr. Pride talked about the importance of positive self-talk and the importance of positively framing the experience. Instead of thinking, “I am going to be behind.” or “I’m missing out.”, you can instead think about “What can I learn from this?” and “What can I do better when I get back to my sport?”. Practice is your ritual and when that gets upset, it’s going to throw you off, so focus on asking yourself what you can be working on.
Dr. Pride encourages everyone to visit a counselor, coping clinic, or group therapy to strengthen your mental health. She stresses that it’s important to know yourself and know if you need extra support. To improve your mental health on your own time, she also recommends utilizing apps such as “Insight Timer” and “Calm” to help you learn mindfulness, to help you learn new breathing exercises, and to help you learn many other strategies to calm your mind. Podcasts also offer a wealth of information and she highly suggests that any athlete listens to “The Only Way is Through” and “The Injured Athlete’s Club”. Just like the many resources available to improve your physical health, there’s a lot of resources available to improve your mental health, which is a huge component of maintaining a healthy, positive lifestyle.