Mind of Steel
Changing Arousal Levels
Dr. Christopher Stankovich
www.drstankovich.com
Arousal is defined as your response to stimuli, and can go from very low (when you are relaxed and daydreaming, for example) to very high (when you are in a panic-state). Psychologists believe “the zone” for athletes is actually the mid-point between these two states, and while this is not an exact science (its more theory than anything), there does appear to be strong evidence that suggests when our arousal is too low, our focus becomes too wide, and the result is less-than-desirable results. Conversely, when we are overly-aroused, it appears that we often become to “perfectionstic” and we ended up dealing with increased anxiety. Since our arousal level changes all the time, the key, then, is to learn how to change, or moderate, your arousal level for peak performances to occur.
When practicing pool the challenge is usually trying to “pump up” your arousal level as often practice can be boring and mundane (ask yourself how many times you have just ‘hit balls around’ and lost your focus). On the other hand, in pressure situations it is imperative that you learn ways to decrease your arousal level so that your mind and body can work in synchrony. As you become more skilled at doing these arousal changes, you will improve your focus, motivation, resiliency, and mood state – all leading to better pool playing!
When adjusting your arousal upward (when you are under-aroused), just about anything that gets your blood moving will work (i.e. a quick stretch, a few rapid breaths, and even using imagery to think about exciting thoughts will help). You do not need drugs to do this, or even a cup of coffee, but instead simply a dedicated focus to “getting your head in the game” will usually suffice.
When looking to calm down, deep belly breathing is the best way to go in my opinion. What this means is that you take 2-3 very deep breaths all the way in to your stomach and exhale slowly. Deep breathing is really effective and will automatically calm your muscles, allowing you to play precision pool without choking.
Arousal regulation is a tremendous skill for all athletes, but can be especially helpful to pool players when you think of all the precision involved in making shots. Keep a running journal of your daily pool experiences to look for trends and habits you may be developing, as well as things that usually lead to various arousal states (for example, do you always get overly-nervous playing against a particular player? Or do you always have to work hard to keep your head in the game against other, weaker players?). The more you learn about yourself, the better player you will become!
Dr. Christopher Stankovich is a nationally acclaimed expert in Sport Psychology and the Founder of Advanced Human Performance Systems. For more information on performance-enhancement products, including the exclusive “Mind of Steel for Pool Success” and the world’s first Sport Performance Assessment for Pool, please visit www.drstankovich.com
Changing Arousal Levels
Dr. Christopher Stankovich
www.drstankovich.com
Arousal is defined as your response to stimuli, and can go from very low (when you are relaxed and daydreaming, for example) to very high (when you are in a panic-state). Psychologists believe “the zone” for athletes is actually the mid-point between these two states, and while this is not an exact science (its more theory than anything), there does appear to be strong evidence that suggests when our arousal is too low, our focus becomes too wide, and the result is less-than-desirable results. Conversely, when we are overly-aroused, it appears that we often become to “perfectionstic” and we ended up dealing with increased anxiety. Since our arousal level changes all the time, the key, then, is to learn how to change, or moderate, your arousal level for peak performances to occur.
When practicing pool the challenge is usually trying to “pump up” your arousal level as often practice can be boring and mundane (ask yourself how many times you have just ‘hit balls around’ and lost your focus). On the other hand, in pressure situations it is imperative that you learn ways to decrease your arousal level so that your mind and body can work in synchrony. As you become more skilled at doing these arousal changes, you will improve your focus, motivation, resiliency, and mood state – all leading to better pool playing!
When adjusting your arousal upward (when you are under-aroused), just about anything that gets your blood moving will work (i.e. a quick stretch, a few rapid breaths, and even using imagery to think about exciting thoughts will help). You do not need drugs to do this, or even a cup of coffee, but instead simply a dedicated focus to “getting your head in the game” will usually suffice.
When looking to calm down, deep belly breathing is the best way to go in my opinion. What this means is that you take 2-3 very deep breaths all the way in to your stomach and exhale slowly. Deep breathing is really effective and will automatically calm your muscles, allowing you to play precision pool without choking.
Arousal regulation is a tremendous skill for all athletes, but can be especially helpful to pool players when you think of all the precision involved in making shots. Keep a running journal of your daily pool experiences to look for trends and habits you may be developing, as well as things that usually lead to various arousal states (for example, do you always get overly-nervous playing against a particular player? Or do you always have to work hard to keep your head in the game against other, weaker players?). The more you learn about yourself, the better player you will become!
Dr. Christopher Stankovich is a nationally acclaimed expert in Sport Psychology and the Founder of Advanced Human Performance Systems. For more information on performance-enhancement products, including the exclusive “Mind of Steel for Pool Success” and the world’s first Sport Performance Assessment for Pool, please visit www.drstankovich.com
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