18 Sep Exercises To Increase Focus During Competition

We all know that your current state of mind will decide the difference between winning or losing. If we are too eager, to anxious about what’s to come, or if we are stuck in the past, thinking of wrong plays or moves, we will never be able to be perform to our best.

Why does being in the present moment matter so much?

We always perform our best when have no one around. The phrase “dance like no one is watching” should translate to the field of sports, we should all be “training like no one is watching” and ” perform like no one is watching”. However, this is NOT the true way to achieve heights of prowess. Mindfulness teaches us that it is within the environment of noise, where we truly succeed in staying calm. It is in a rich, competitive, noisy, fan going crazy, loud energy type situation where we can come face to face with the reality of sports. Training in a vacuum-pristine environment does not push you to focus in a thriving environment.

Here are 2 exercises on how mindfulness can help you to focus:

1. Bring your attention to the things around you: This exercise requires you to look at any object, with eyes open, for 20 seconds. Choosing a neutral object like a cloud, or a bottle, is ideal. As you do this, you may get distracted, but whenever you mind wanders away and if you get caught up in any emotions, gently come back to that object of focus. The key importance here is to let the sounds and smells around feel welcomed. Don’t block anything, but at the same time, you maintain a soft focus only on that object. This is how you will train your mind to be more aware of the things happen around you. Striving to be the best is never in exclusion to your surroundings.
2.  Feel your feet pressing on the ground beneath you: This exercise is excellent to bring you back to the present moment, instead of getting caught up with your inner dialogue. If you have any doubts or anxiety, just gently close your eyes and feel the sensation of your body pressing on the ground, for a few seconds. Whenever you get distracted by something, or someone, just recall this sensation and carry on with the game, or match or event.

For more tips, check out the Competition Course on our app:

Nehita Abraham

Nehita is a mindfulness expert who writes extensively on lifestyle management, wellness and ways to lead a healthier and a happier life. She is a part of Aware’s expert team on meditation. She is also an avid artist who spends most her time dribbling amazing stories through art.