The least exciting, the simplest, yet the hardest…and most effective tool to be present and ignite peak performance. 

Meditation caught fire in the sports world this past fall when University of Michigan Quarterback J.J. McCarthy was noticed practicing the mindfulness tool beneath the goal posts prior to Wolverine football games. 

Quoted in the Wall Street Journal about how he meditates each day to find focus and be in the present, McCarthy’s story shines light on a tool that is often overlooked and underutilized by athletes. 

Athletes know that peak performance comes from being in the present and meditation is perhaps the greatest way to achieve that. 

A Glass Lake Amidst a Storm 

It’s no secret that athletes live in a world that is busier than ever before. With the mind going in different directions constantly throughout the course of one day, a constant game of ping pong clouds the brain and oftentimes makes it difficult to be present moments of desired excellence. 

Insert the benefits of meditation. 

“I would say meditation is the number one tool to help with performance. It is the least exciting, the simplest, and probably most difficult,” Premier’s Dr. Chrissy Holm Haider says. “Why is that? Because we live in a society where it is very difficult to sit still and not do anything.”

A mind that fosters peak performance can be personified by the phrase where your attention goes your energy flows. When the mind is going in 1,000 different directions, it parsons off one’s attention and energy into different places. 

“Meditation is a way to bring your energy and attention back within your control and then you can put it towards whatever is meaningful to you,” Holm Haider says. 

Meditation is a form of mindfulness that allows a person to be in the present moment without judgment. In a world of black and white and good vs. bad, meditation allows athletes to observe situations without tagging them as good or bad. That neutrality channels focus and propels more intentional and purposeful experiences. 

If you can keep your energy and attention in a neutral way to that thing, you’re able to see things unfold (in a healthier way), connect different ideas, and make quality adjustments,” Holm Haider says. “That’s very hard to do when we judge or analyze situations as good vs. bad. We either move toward or move away from something, when we might not have all the data yet to execute.”

Just as humans have relationships with other humans, internal relationships also exist in our mind with the experiences that we have. It’s well known that much of sport is outside of an athlete’s control and meditation can help strengthen an athlete’s relationship with experiences out of their control that may have previously been regarded as negative. 

“Meditation allows us to observe the quality of relationship that we have with what’s right in front of us,” Holm Haider says. “We’re not always able to change all the things that come up in life, but if we can change our relationship with them to a more open, neutral perspective, that allows us to be more intentional.”

One Thing at a Time, Present Moment

It’s often perceived that meditation is grounded in clearing the mind’ yet that couldn’t be less true. 

“If you’re going to practice meditation and expect your mind to be completely clear, then good luck. Our minds are naturally active and are conditioned to be active,” Holm Haider says. “It’s not about clearing things out, it’s about understanding what we feel about things, how they dictate our feelings, and assessing what thinking patterns are helpful.” 

Discovering those thinking patterns comes as a result of focusing on one thing at a time. That one thing could be focusing on breathing sensations, or perhaps tuning into your five senses (five things you see, four things you feel, three things you smell, etc). Regardless of what that thing is, the concept gears one to focus on what is taking place in the moment and develop a cognitive ability to learn the patterns of their mind. 

That practice of focusing on one thing during mediations will blossom into the ultimate goal of any athlete; the confidence, discipline, and ability to stay present during practice, competition, and life. 

“While our thinking often wanders to the past and future, the only space that we can control things is in the present moment,” Holm Haider says. “If you can be focused on the present moment and train your ability to focus on one thing at a time, you’ll be able to not only maintain your focus on the controllables for longer, but you can fundamentally change your relationship with the happenings around you to be more curious and open so that you can stay engaged with your craft for longer and be more purposeful with how you execute that craft in the present moment. That’s what it’s all about.”

Mindfulness Tips

Rome wasn’t built in one day and meditation can seem daunting to a first-timer. Here are a few tips to getting started. 

• Use the Five Senses exercise. In any order, identify five things you notice from one sense, four from the next and so on. For example, five things you feel, four things you smell, three things you taste, two things you hear, and one thing you see. 
• Set a timer for 3-5 minutes, begin seated or standing, close your eyes, take a few deep breaths, and begin to observe the sensations of your breathing. Any time you notice your mind wandering off to something other than your breath, recognize that it is normal, and gently refocus on your breathing. It is the refocusing that makes your focus muscle grow stronger. Overtime you can extend this amount of time to 10, 15, 20 min and so on. Many successful athletes will meditate for 45 min per day and do a quick 5-10min tuneup before competition. 
• If your mind goes astray (both in meditation and in competition), ask yourself W.I.N.; What’s Important Now? This will allow you to reallocate your attention to what is important and within your control.

Mindfulness is all about paying attention. Mindful eating is another strategy to help you pay attention in the present moment by focusing on the sensations that arise from eating. Chew or sip slowly and notice the tastes, textures, temperatures, and smells of your food to create a more mindful experience and practice paying attention with intention.

Setting goals for healthy habits in the New Year is one thing, sticking to them is an entirely different ball game. Whether it be getting more exercise, eating better, or trying something new to live a more purposeful life, we’ve all set out for goals that haven’t come to fruition because, well…we stopped doing what was needed to achieve them.

The buck stops in 2023. Here’s what our team of sport psychologists had to say about how to maintain those goals and habits that you know will help you reach the best version of yourself.

Stay Socially Accountable
Having an ally in your corner of the ring is a game-changer when it comes to staying true to your goals. When trying to establish new healthy habits, one of the best strategies is to come up with ways to stay “socially accountable.” That might be reaching out to a friend to go to the gym with you at a certain time of the day, or telling your partner/spouse you’ll make dinner over the weekend. When we commit to more than the behavior itself, we’re more likely to follow through because it involves people we care about.

Maximize your Chances by Setting Process Goals
One of the best ways to give yourself an edge before even starting the journey? Utilize process goals to work towards your big goals. Set an outcome goal, such as “gain 25 pound on my bench press before summer” and then work backwards to identify the things that need to be accomplished on a weekly or even daily basis. Then set goals around those things. Some examples for the situation above might be getting eight hours of sleep per night, eating three healthy meals per day, exercise three days per week, and push yourself to failure each training session. Focus on the process goals and trust the outcome will be reached.

Take it Easy
There’s no shame in selecting habits or goals that are perceived as ‘easy.’ In fact, setting and achieving easy goals will give you the confidence and consistency to go forth and achieve greater goals. Simply put, if it’s a stretch or challenging, it’s not going to get done. For example, rather than saying “I’m going to meditate every day for 10 minutes,” try to commit to one or two minutes each day.

Don’t Beat Yourself Up for a Missed Day
Consistency means doing something for an extended period of time and is everything for living out goals and healthy habits…yet missing a day or two doesn’t mean that you’ve lost your consistency or the habit. We’re humans, nobody is perfect. If you miss a day or two, don’t view it as a failure. Simply acknowledge it, turn the page, and complete the habit the next day.

We Are Our Actions
Our actions and aspirations mold who we are as humans. Tie your habits to your identity. Finish the sentence “I want to be the type of person who….” and then go from there. It’s important for your habits to be meaningful and important to you and associating them with your core identity is a great way to build that bridge.

Stack Your Habits
Place the new with the old. Stack the new habits you’re aspiring towards on top of existing habits or behaviors in your life. For example, try combining foam rolling with watching Netflix. If you’re hanging out and watching TV, you might as well do some stretching or mobility work while you’re at it. Combining the new behavior with an old one that you enjoy will help the new habit become more synchronous with your brain.

Physical Reminders = Mental Habits
If you’re trying to work on your footwork and your jump rope lives in the back of your closet, you’re setting yourself up for a losing equation. Set the tools necessary to practice your goals and habits in a clearly visible space so it’s near impossible to forget about. Trying to drink more water? Put your water bottle in front of the door so you can’t miss if before leaving for work or school. Trying to stretch more after practice? Put that foam roller in your living room where you wind down at the end of the day.

Track Progress for Self-Gratification
It can be tough to feel as if you’ve made progress in an ever-changing and fast-paced world…even when you’ve significantly moved the needle. Utilizing visual indicators for tracking your progress is not only satisfying, but can give you the motivation to keep churning full speed ahead. There are plenty of habit trackers that you can purchase hard copies of online, as well as virtual options and apps for your phone.

Focus on Turning the Ignition, Not Driving the Car
The hardest part of maintaining a habit is getting started. It can feel overwhelming to look at the task as a giant mountain to climb such as getting your daily workout in, cooking a meal at home, completing a homework assignment, or training an aspect of your sport that you are not proficient in yet. If you can say to yourself,  I will do the first step (i.e. put your workout clothes on, pull the ingredients out of the fridge, go to a coffee shop with your laptop or pull out your homework assignment, text coach to set up a time to get some extra training in) while giving yourself permission to step out if necessary, typically that doesn’t happen. Commit to doing the easiest first step and watch as your motivation builds through taking that initial action.