What is mindfulness?
Mindfulness has become something of a buzzword lately, but don’t let that put you off seeing what all the fuss is about. We’re big supporters of the idea, here’s what the Oxford Dictionary says about it:
Mindfulness: A state of mind achieved by focusing attention on the present moment, while calmly acknowledging and accepting one’s own feelings, thoughts, and bodily sensations.
Well, does it sound like meditation? More or less, but not quite. Whereas meditation aims to empty your mind of all thoughts for a period of time so that you feel completely relaxed, mindfulness is more about allowing your mind to do what it wants while really focusing on your current physiological state. , whatever it is at the time. . While it is undoubtedly relaxing, it also increases concentration and self-awareness. Ideally, you should spend time practicing mindfulness every day – even just 10 short minutes can go a long way.
What does mindfulness have to do with squash?
Used in the right way at the right times, practicing mindfulness can have huge benefits on your overall performance and mood levels, which can certainly be applied to your game of squash, or indeed any sport. . Here are some of the benefits you can expect to enjoy:
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Focus – Perhaps the greatest benefit in sports comes from an increased sense of focus, as distracting thoughts are left behind during the mindfulness process. This may take a few sessions to feel stronger, but trust us when we say it works.
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Stress relief: Taking a short break each day, allowing your mind to stop and “wander” a bit while you focus on how you feel, has been shown to reduce stress levels. Less stress means your performance can reach its potential more successfully and hopefully break a few fewer rackets!
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Positive Thinking – Quite related to the stress relief benefit, through mindfulness you will naturally have a more positive outlook on situations, probably due to the fact that you have taken the time to process them and calm your body. A positive approach is crucial to success on the squash court.
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Body Awareness – Sometimes little aches and pains can become so familiar that we almost forget they are there, but if you have them, they are certainly hampering your squash performance. Through mindfulness you learn to “scan” your body and notice everything you feel, just make sure you deal with any lingering pain.
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Post-match mental relaxation – Mindfulness can also be used as a post-match relaxation technique, to help process what happened and reflect on your performance, while giving your body time to slow down for a few minutes .
Sounds great! Where do I start?
One big advantage of mindfulness is that you don’t really need any equipment or anything to get started, just you, yourself, and a quiet space. To get used to the basics, sit in a comfortable place in a quiet space with no discomfort, close your eyes, take slow, deep breaths, and imagine scanning your body from the inside out from head to toe. Really notice how each part of your body feels and allow any sound to be as it is. Give yourself 10 minutes for this at first, and try it every day for 1 week. Then see how you feel and see if you feel a difference in the rest of your daily life as well as on the squash court.
We also highly recommend getting your hands on an app called “Headspace”. Headspace is a great app that guides you through the mindfulness process in a simple way with daily reminders and topics to focus on. There is a lot of free content, as well as premium content that is well worth it if you enjoy the free stuff. They have included a program focused on improving sports performance that we highly recommend.
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