Playing with the Handbrake On: Overcoming Mental Barriers

The Mental Handbrake: Understanding Stress, Tension, and Anxiety

Pressure in Sport

Most squash players are used to playing under some kind of pressure. Left unchecked however, the demands of competition, the drive for excellence, and the fear of failure can all contribute to an oppressive mental state fraught with stress, tension, and anxiety.

The mental barriers we encounter can arise from various sources:

Performance Anxiety: Fear of underperforming or making mistakes can create a persistent sense of anxiety.

External Expectations: Pressure from coaches, teammates, fans, and even oneself to meet certain standards can be overwhelming.

Internal Criticism: Negative self-talk and perfectionism can erode confidence and increase stress.

Past Failures: Previous experiences of failure or injury can lead to a fear of recurrence, limiting current performance.

Playing with the ‘mental handbrake’ on due to these barriers, can have profound effects on an athlete’s performance including:

Inhibited Focus: Anxiety and stress can scatter attention, making it difficult to concentrate on the task at hand.

Physical Tension: Mental stress often manifests physically, leading to muscle tightness and reduced fluidity of movement.

Poor Decision-Making: High levels of stress can impair judgment and decision-making, leading to errors and hesitation.

Energy Drain: Mental tension consumes a significant amount of energy, leaving less available for physical performance.

Strategies to Release the Mental Handbrake

Overcoming these negative effects requires a multifaceted approach, addressing both psychological and physical aspects. Here are several strategies to help squash players relax, reduce stress, and play with more freedom:

1. Mindfulness and Meditation

Mindfulness practices involve focusing on the present moment without judgment. Regular mindfulness meditation can help athletes develop greater awareness of their thoughts and emotions, reducing the impact of anxiety and stress.

How to Practice:

• Mindful Breathing: Spend a few minutes each day focusing on your breath. Notice the sensation of air entering and leaving your body.
• Body Scan Meditation: Lie down in a comfortable position and mentally scan your body from head to toe, noting any areas of tension and consciously relaxing them.

Benefits:

• Improved Focus: Enhances concentration by training the mind to stay in the present moment.
• Reduced Anxiety: Helps to manage anxiety by creating a space between stimulus and response, allowing for more measured reactions.

2. Positive Self-Talk

Negative self-talk can be a significant source of stress and anxiety. Replacing negative thoughts with positive affirmations can boost confidence and reduce mental barriers.

How to Practice:

• Identify Negative Thoughts: Pay attention to the negative things you say to yourself during practice and competition.
• Replace with Positives: Develop a list of positive affirmations that counteract these negative thoughts. For example, replace “I always freeze up” with “I will play each rally with flow and freedom”.

Benefits:

• Enhanced Confidence: Positive affirmations can build self-belief and resilience.
• Reduced Stress: Shifting focus from negative to positive thoughts can lower stress levels.

3. Visualization Techniques

Visualization involves mentally rehearsing your play, imagining a successful performance, and visualizing the steps to achieve it. This technique can help reduce anxiety and improve performance.

How to Practice:

• Create a Vivid Image: Close your eyes and imagine yourself playing a match performing at your very best. Include as much detail as possible—what you see, hear, and feel.
• Practice Regularly: Spend a few minutes each day visualizing successful outcomes in your sport.

Benefits:

• Mental Rehearsal: Prepares the mind and body for actual performance.
• Stress Reduction: Visualizing success can build confidence and reduce pre-competition anxiety.

4. Deep Breathing Exercises

Deep breathing exercises can activate the body’s relaxation response, reducing physical tension and calming the mind.

How to Practice:

• Box Breathing: Inhale for a count of four, hold for a count of four, exhale for a count of four, and hold again for a count of four. Repeat several times.
• Diaphragmatic Breathing: Breathe deeply into your diaphragm rather than shallowly into your chest. Place one hand on your abdomen and feel it rise and fall with each breath.

Benefits:

• Calming Effect: Helps to reduce immediate feelings of anxiety.
• Improved Oxygenation: Enhances oxygen delivery to muscles, improving performance.

5. Progressive Muscle Relaxation

Progressive muscle relaxation involves tensing and then slowly relaxing different muscle groups. This technique can help release physical tension associated with stress.

How to Practice:

• Focus on Muscle Groups: Start with your toes and work your way up to your head, tensing each muscle group for a few seconds before relaxing.
• Notice the Difference: Pay attention to the contrast between the tension and relaxation phases.

Benefits:

• Physical Relaxation: Reduces muscle tension and promotes relaxation.
• Mental Calmness: The process of focusing on muscle groups can also calm the mind.

6. Setting Realistic Goals

Setting realistic, achievable goals can help manage expectations and reduce the pressure that leads to anxiety and stress.

How to Practice:

• Short-Term Goals: Set small, immediate goals that lead to larger objectives. This makes progress feel more manageable and less overwhelming.
• Process-Oriented Goals: Focus on the process rather than the outcome. For example, aim to improve your consistency with a specific skill or shot, rather than just jumping straight to ‘winning a tournament’.

Benefits:

• Motivation: Achieving smaller goals provides motivation and a sense of accomplishment.
• Reduced Pressure: Process-oriented goals reduce the pressure associated with outcome-based expectations.

Integrating Strategies into Routine

Successfully releasing the mental handbrake requires integrating the above strategies into your daily routine. Here’s how to make them a regular part of your training and competition preparation:

1. Daily Practice: Incorporate mindfulness, deep breathing, and visualization into your daily routine, even if just for a few minutes.
2. Pre-Competition Rituals: Develop a pre-competition routine that includes relaxation techniques like the deep breathing and progressive muscle relaxation tools.
3. Post-Competition Reflection: After competitions, reflect on your mental state and how well you managed stress and anxiety. Adjust your strategies as needed.

Conclusion: Embracing Freedom

Playing squash with the mental handbrake on can be a frustrating and limiting experience. However, by understanding the nature of stress, tension, and anxiety, and by implementing practical strategies to manage these mental barriers, you can learn to play with greater freedom and enjoyment.

The journey to overcoming these mental obstacles is ongoing and requires patience and commitment. By integrating mindfulness, positive self-talk, visualization, deep breathing, progressive muscle relaxation, and realistic goal-setting into your routine however, you can unlock your full potential and experience the true joy and liberation that a free-flowing performance on the squash court can award.

Gary Nisbet

B.Sc.(Hons), CSCS, NSCA-CPT, Dip. FTST
SquashSkills Fitness & Performance Director