What are Mental Skills?

I’m sure you have heard a coach or athlete say that sports are 50% physical and 50% mental, or some other percentage, but what have you done to train the mental side? At Alpha Sport Performance, our motto is Strong Body, Strong Mind. This means we believe that an athlete needs both to be physically strong and mentally prepared to compete. That’s where Mental Skills Training (MST) comes into play. To understand what MST is, we need to dive into what exactly Mental Skills are. Mental Skills can range from any skills that your mind uses to help you succeed, or if untrained cause you to fail. These skills can range from being able to properly stick to and achieve goals, use visualization, maintain a positive mindset through self-talk, and even your ability to focus during a performance, competition, or work. Mental Skills are used in sport, art, work, everyday life and absolutely anyone can benefit from training them. 

What is Mental Skills Training?

MST is no different from any sort of physical training or conditioning in the fact that it requires practice and repetition to master. You probably have run into teammates or coworkers, even friends, who are always positive, have amazing concentration, or crush their goals, and that’s because they have made it a habit to practice those skills, whether they realize it or not. Working with a Mental Performance Consultant can help you improve and master techniques to train your mental skills. MST could look like teaching you how to properly set goals and giving you creative ways to stay on course to completing them, or it could be learning mindfulness techniques to keep you present and engaged in the moment instead of letting your mind wander in the midst of a game. Mental Skills Training can even be used for injury rehab and prevention through the use of imagery and positive self-talk, as well as, learning proper coping techniques to help manage the stress of being injured or prevent stress from causing an injury. A session to learn about and practice some of the mental skills mentioned can be done in under an hour and be applied in just a couple of minutes to your everyday routine. 

Why Should You Train Your Mental Skills?

Have you ever thought you were so close to hitting the next level of performance but couldn’t figure out why you weren’t? Do you see people being more productive than you and wonder what their secret it? Or are you wanting to get an edge over your opponent so you can get that sought-after win?  If you answered yes to any of those questions or if you would answer yes to any variations, then Mental Skills Training is for you. We all want to be our best possible self and the best way to do that is to start focusing on the most important part of you, your mind. Your mind dictates your reality, so if you want your reality to be successful, you need to train your mind to set yourself up for success. Whether you want to improve focus, be more positive, recover from an injury, or just elevate your daily habits, you should be training your mental skills. Your journey to being at the front of the pack begins with your drive to become the best. Sharpening your Mental Skills can help set you apart from your competitors, so what are you waiting for? Let’s get to work.