Going via a psychological block is a certain hearth solution to deplete your gymnast’s confidence.
Throughout a psychological block your gymnast sees all the opposite gymnasts round her doing expertise that she needs to do or might do prior to now.
She usually will get left within the nook to work on her personal, dropping the constructive consideration of her coach.
She’s caught attempting to do expertise that she was in a position to do as a a lot youthful gymnast. In reality, she would possibly see all of the youthful gymnasts doing even tougher expertise.
And worst of all, she would possibly simply wish to stop gymnastics as a result of she’s caught on this damaging cycle that significantly depletes any final ounce of confidence she has.
Sarcastically, among the finest methods to maneuver via a psychological block is to construct up confidence. However you may see the irony in all of it. Not doing expertise lowers her confidence. But she wants confidence to do her expertise.
So how does your gymnast construct up confidence whereas going via a psychological block?
1. Deal with what she CAN do and never what she might do.
There’s a huge distinction in these refined phrases. Usually gymnasts going via psychological blocks give attention to what they’re now not in a position to do. They give thought to the previous and the way they used to have the ability to try this ability. In reality, coaches and oldsters would possibly even encourage them to recollect how they might try this ability at one time.
However proper now your gymnast is not in a position to do her expertise as a result of her mind retains placing the brakes on. I coined the time period “placing on the brakes” when referring to psychological blocks as a result of that is precisely what it feels prefer to your gymnast. She needs to do her ability however she will be able to’t, as if one thing is stopping her. And so usually her focus is on what she canNOT do, somewhat than what she will be able to do.
As an alternative, it is necessary to your gymnast to give attention to the issues she CAN do. Whether or not that is asking for a spot or going to a better development/drill of the ability, she must preserve her thoughts on the CAN and never the CAN’T.
2. Construct up belief along with her mind.
The extra her mind trusts her, the upper her confidence degree shall be. Constructing belief along with her mind is doing issues that make her mind know she is listening to it. When a gymnast goes via a psychological block, she’s going to usually push towards what her mind is telling her.
For instance, if she’s attempting to do her again handspring on beam and it isn’t working, she’s going to usually preserve attempting to go for it again and again. However doing so causes her mind to not belief her as a result of her mind is telling her to not go for it.
Psychological blocks are difficult as a result of they do not require pushing towards the mind. They require deep listening to what the mind is asking for so as to really feel secure.
So how does your gymnast construct up belief (and subsequently construct up confidence)?
She provides her mind what it wants.
Is her mind too scared to go for it on excessive beam by herself? However it should go if she has a spot? Then constructing belief means asking for the spot.
Is her mind placing on the brakes when she tries to attach her spherical off to her again handspring? However she’ll join in on the TumblTrak? Then going to the TumblTrak builds belief.
The objective is for her mind to know she is listening to what it wants. The extra belief she builds, the upper her confidence climbs.
3. Keep within the current second.
When your gymnast is coping with psychological blocks, it is doubtless that she is reminiscing in regards to the previous when she might do her expertise or she is worrying about not with the ability to do her expertise in the longer term (i.e. meet season is developing).
What she doubtless is just not doing is remaining within the current second.
When she’s caught in worry-land about what would possibly occur if she does not get her expertise or caught lamenting over misplaced expertise, her confidence takes a giant dip. And that may preserve her in her psychological block for for much longer than she must be there.
The objective is to focus in every second on what she CAN do (as per #2 above) and do a number of numbers of that development. If she’s having a “good” day when she will be able to do a sure development effectively, even when it isn’t the complete ability, then she wants to remain there and do these progressions again and again. This builds confidence. This builds belief. This builds muscle reminiscence.
So your gymnast wants to remain within the current second and profit from every second. It serves her effectively to cease dwelling on the previous or worrying in regards to the future.
4. Deal with her personal path.
Comparability is just not solely the thief of pleasure but additionally a giant contributor of low confidence. It is pure to your gymnast to see what her teammates are doing and use that as a foundation for comparability.
However when she will get caught specializing in what different gymnasts are doing that she will be able to’t do, then her confidence takes one other huge dip.
One analogy I like is for gymnasts to place their “blinders” on. Similar to horses are given headgear to put on to cowl their peripheral view throughout horse races, gymnasts must give attention to their very own journey and cease trying round at others.
One factor I stress within the Stick It Lady Academy in my weekly group trainings is that each gymnast goes via their very own journey, on their very own time, in their very own method. There isn’t a one proper solution to do gymnastics.
However when your gymnast will get caught on evaluating herself and pondering she’s not on the precise path, her confidence goes to take successful.
As an alternative, your gymnast must give attention to her journey and the place it’s main her.
One other huge factor I stress with the gymnasts I work with is that each psychological block is a blessing. There may be at all times one thing that comes from it that your gymnast would not have in any other case – whether or not it is a greater understanding of her mind or studying perseverance or being extra mentally versatile. And that is a vital piece of her journey.
So staying targeted on herself and her journey is the 4th key to build up confidence via a psychological block.
Going via a psychological block is complicated, irritating, exhausting, embarrassing, and scary abruptly. Simply keep in mind, your gymnast has by no means “misplaced” her ability, even when she’s blocked. It’s her mind placing on the brakes and stopping her. There’s a very huge distinction as a result of as soon as gymnasts understand the ability continues to be there, they lean into studying why their mind is stopping them which helps them get to the basis of the psychological block.
Lastly, gymnasts going via psychological blocks must work further exhausting on their confidence due to all of the hits it takes throughout their struggles. Subsequently confidence must be a giant focus of getting a gymnast again to doing her expertise. The 4 methods above are place to start out when serving to your gymnast get via her psychological block.
—–
For those who or your gymnast wants assist, along with the assets beneath I additionally supply one-on-one teaching classes by way of Zoom.
Useful Hyperlinks:
