This blog reveals some basic tips for Athletes who are in a Form Slump.
Over a career, whether it be in an individual or team setting, form slumps will occur. They can creep up on you, come out of know where or you can see it coming.
You can play yourself in or out of a form slump too! But know that getting out of a slump is a mentally draining task for most athletes.
If you find yourself in a form slump. Be kind to yourself first and foremost.
If your team is in a form slump – do not go around blaming everyone and everything for the slump. Be the solution, not the problem.
Slumps are frustrating. Plain and simple. They can leave some athletes at a complete loss for how to break out of their period of non-performance and lul of results.
Athletes commonly say to me ‘It feels like no matter what you/I do, nothing improves. I can’t get out of this. You feel trapped, frustrated and you go around in circles, desperately try to change this or fix that.
The thing is, when a slump takes over your mind and you give it more oxygen or make it bigger than what it actually is, its mystique and depth grows. The slump gains importance. Its like giving oxygen to a fire.
At this point, the slump can become overwhelming, deplete your motivation and lessen the very effort needed to break out of that slump.
There are a few things that need to be realised.
Slumps happen in all sports…to all people, at all levels.
If you find yourself in a slump or are part of a team that’s struggling right now, understand that the right mindset can get you back on track quickly.
You probably know by now if your read my blogs that your mindset affects both your quality of focus and your response to events.
Understand that when you are in a slump, it is so tempting to focus on the results. By focusing on the results or an outcome, it only compounds the problem and keeps you fixed within the slump. You need to take the first step to see it from another perspective or angle.
For a team or an individual, understand that if;
nothing changes, nothing changes. It’s one of my favourite sayings and you can apply it any and every situation when things aren’t going your way.
Therefore, breaking out of a slump requires a fresh or change in approach. Try a new warm up routine, just do something different… attack and see the issue from a different angle… try and approach competitions from a different mindset. Get some feedback on what other people see.
Note that this is a far more complex situation for a team sport. Sometimes a form slump really says you are just not good enough yet, the team is not at the required level. It doesn’t have the consistency in performance yet. The key word is yet. They may just be a young team or be ravaged by injury.
However, if you feel or find yourself in a form slump, then you need to internally and externally through key people examine the following;
1. Warm up
2. Training and recovery methodology
3. Pre competition and training mindset
4. Review team or training culture and environment
5. Levels of accountability
6. Quality of coaching
Find answers to see if these areas can be improved. However, as an individual athlete competing for yourself or your team, ultimately your mindset is your responsibility and how you stay stuck or how to get back on track quickly really depends on you.
Being mentally strong is key to getting out of a form slump.
The fundamental tips for having the right mindset if you are in the midst of a form slump.
1. Avoid generalizing and over analysing the past results. Over thinking based on the past few games don’t help that much. It doesn’t matter what happened in the last 10 competitions or games, or even the last one. Try and Focus on what’s ahead and on how to get better regarding the next opportunity for success.
2. Don’t wait for your performance to suddenly or magically re appear. You have to improve your thinking to improve performance.
3. Review your preparation
Everything is temporary, so don’t make huge decision or temporary emotions and frustrations. Remember that these slumps are always temporary and part of life and sport. You will eventually come out of the slump; it just takes acceptance and time. However, how long it takes you to get out of the slump is up to you, how hard you review your current situation of what you can improve or change.
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