Consideration
Athletes are encouraged to recognize that they are not in control of their feelings, but also that their feelings do not have to dictate their actions. The approach is just as applicable to improving training as it is to event-day performance. For example, an athlete might plan how they want to respond when their alarm goes off at 5 a.m. and their overriding feeling is, “I can’t be bothered today.” Similarly, they learn to expect to be nervous before a big event and to interpret the feeling as perked up and ready rather than a sign of impending doom.
“You may not be on the 100m start line at the Olympics, but your brain is your brain,” says Team GB’s Jess Thom. “If you’re going to give a presentation to the boardroom or something like that, it’s equally appropriate and important.”
Contingency planning
Athletes are encouraged to come up with a “what if” list to minimize the chance of being thrown off by something unexpected on the day, from forgetting a piece of gear to a competitor trying to wind them up. The goal is to have simple actions they can fall back on to stay focused on executing the game plan. “Notice the impact it had on you, and if it pulled you away from your set process…refocus, come back to the here and now, and engage in your strategies for best performance,” says Thom.
Visualization
Gabby Thomas, the American sprinter and 200-meter sprint favorite, describes depicts her race from start to finish, complete with celebration, and evidence suggests it can be a powerful way to improve performance. Neuroscience studies show that visualizing a skill fires the same pathways in the brain as while performing physically.
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Thom says: “It is very useful to do [visualisation] before things like penalties, as it acts as a free practice run. I always remember this with the fact that it is a skill that takes time to build, and it is important that athletes visualize in the right way. Otherwise, they increase the chance of performing the skill incorrectly.”
Manage the post-Olympic descent
Athletes like Michael Phelps and Simone Biles shared their mental health struggles after the highs of Olympic gold medal success. To navigate the emotional rollercoaster, Team GB psychologists help athletes manage expectations about what medal success or disappointment will mean. According to Thom, athletes are increasingly encouraged to have interests outside of their sport so they don’t feel like they’ve lost their only sense of purpose after the games. The goal is to “go through the plunge and come back out on top,” ideally stronger and wiser for the experience.
