Improving Focus

Distraction Control

Mood Control

Bad moods damage your motivation to succeed in training or competition. They make you more prone to negative thinking, and cause distraction, often as you trigger bad moods in other people. Bad moods emerge as bad temper, unhappiness, lethargy and sluggishness.

If you are in a good mood, then even dull training can be enjoyable.

Your mood is completely under your control - bad moods are an indulgence you cannot afford. You can improve your mood in the following ways:

• Through positive thinking and suggestion - say to yourself 'I feel good' or 'I am going to move faster' or 'I can feel energy pouring into my limbs'. This really does help.
• By treating each element of a performance individually - when you make a mistake, refocus and concentrate on the next separate element of the performance. Treating a performance in this way ensures that a bad move or a missed shot does not effect following moves or shots.
• By using imagery - imagine a beautiful scene or a time when you were performing very well and feeling good. Alternatively, imagine feeling good directly.
• By reviewing your goals to remotivate yourself.
• By smiling! - Forcing a smile onto your face for more than just a few seconds always seems to lift a bad mood. Try it - it really does work!

Links

References

Improving Focus Distraction Control

Return to Sports Psychology page

Return to Mind Tools home page

Hits on this page since 10 January 1998:

Hits on Mind Tools site since 10 January 1998:

© Mind Tools Ltd., 1995-8