Mental Performance Across the Performance Timeline
By, Dr. Katy Tran Turner, O2X Mental Performance Specialist
Performance demands vary greatly depending on the type of a performance - a football wide receiver has different demands as compared to an ice hockey goalie, a firefighter, a cross country runner, a NASCAR pit crew member, a C-suite executive, or a runner. In my experiences in working with this wide range of performers, I have found that regardless of the performance domain, one thing all performers have in common is the requirement to navigate the performance timeline. This concept, initially introduced to me by long-time Cleveland baseball mental performance coach Charlie Maher (2011), refers to the before - during - after aspect of a performance moment. The performance timeline can serve as a powerful framework for planning and implementing your mental performance strategies to optimize confidence, focus, and growth throughout a competition, a season, and a career.
BEFORE: The “Waiting in the Wings” Moment
Navigating the period of time leading up to a performance moment can present a significant challenge for some performers. In the hours and minutes prior to a competition, performers might experience nervousness, worries, excitement, self-doubt, anticipation, or all of the above as a part of the roller coaster of preparation. Performers are often well-practiced in preparing their bodies and engaging in warm-up routines; however, the mental preparation routine is sometimes left up to chance. When high-level performers are waiting in the wings before their performance, they are intentional about connecting physical preparation routines to meaningful mental preparation. They have a plan for how they will focus, how they will channel their energy and emotions, and how they will use this preparation time to mentally set the stage for success. Elite performers are intentional in transitioning from the outside world into performance mode, or going from “green to gold” (Orlick, 2015). As part of your pre-performance routine, have a plan for how you will talk to yourself, how you will use imagery to engage in mental rehearsal, and how you will self-regulate with breathing or relaxation strategies.
Additionally, reframing your relationship with the “fight or flight” activation that happens prior to a performance event can help to translate nerves into excitement. The physical experience of nervousness is the same physiological process that we experience when we are excited; it comes down to how we think about those indicators. Reminding yourself that the feeling of butterflies in your stomach, jittery hands, or sweaty palms is all part of your body getting ready to perform and can help to build confidence rather than increase nervousness as you are waiting to step onto the ice.
DURING: “Be Where Your Feet Are”
When the performance has started, many performers realize that the nerves suddenly disappear and jumping into the performance allows the nervous energy of the waiting period to be productively channeled into performing athletic skills and movements. During the performance itself is not the time for performers to be overthinking or over-controlling their actions and reactions. This period is a time for automaticity, quiet thinking, and being in the moment; this state is often referred to as being “in the zone” or in a flow state (Csikszentmihalyi, 2008). In the midst of a performance, though, it can be challenging to stay in the moment especially if mistakes happen or distractions occur. Mental performance strategies during competition should be designed to redirect focus and attention to the here and now, so you can “be where your feet are”, which is a signature phrase of the renowned mental performance coach, Ken Ravizza. During a performance, short cue words or phrases that inspire motivation and confidence (e.g., “feel the music”) or instruct specific aspects of skill execution (e.g., “arms tight”) are most effective for staying in the moment.
A key to implementing present-moment cues during a performance is practicing the use of these phrases consistently outside of competition environments. It is unrealistic to expect that we can suddenly stay focused and in the moment during a performance if we have not previously rehearsed the use of these cues. As you are engaging in run-throughs, be sure to use the same short, meaningful, and impactful phrases to quiet busy, mental chatter and train your mind to stay in the present moment.
AFTER: Fight the Negativity Bias with a Reflection Framework
performers can experience high levels of emotions after a performance is over, often depending on the results of the performance. These heightened emotions can create challenges in maintaining an impartial reflection of the performance; in team sports this can look like ignoring mistakes if the team wins or feeling the team can’t do anything right after a loss. In judged sports, it can be particularly challenging to overcome the negativity bias if points have been lost due to mistakes or errors in execution. The negativity bias is our tendency to notice and remember negative or bad events, which can be useful in identifying areas for correction, learning, and improvement (Rozin & Royzman, 2001). However, having a bias toward mistakes inherently means we might miss opportunities to learn from what went well, which is actually the information that we most want to reinforce and replicate in future performances.
In order to overcome the negativity bias (or positivity bias after a strong performance), it is helpful to utilize a framework for reflection that encourages you to identify both what went well that you would like to repeat and what you would like to improve for future performances. Examples of reflection frameworks are 1) Good, Better, How; 2) Start, Stop, Continue; 3) Plus, Minus, Action; or 4) What, So What, Now What. Using one of these frameworks after each performance provides structure to a reflection that might otherwise be biased, or even worse, skipped completely. Using a performance journal to capture this reflection can help you track your progress over time, a practice elite performers use to inform training, build confidence, and create a lasting record of growth and evolution in the performance environment.
Applying the performance timeline approach can help to shape your approach to applying mental performance skills. Recognizing the distinction between mental skills that will be most impactful before, during, or after a performance will allow you to mentally prepare, stay present in the moment, and deliberately reflect. This intentionality in leveraging mental performance strategies will establish routines that set the stage for success, regardless of your competitive level or performance domain.
References:
- Csikszentmihalyi, M. (2008). Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience. Harper Perennial Modern Classics, New York, NY.
- Maher, C. (2011). The Complete Mental Game of Baseball: Taking Charge of the Process, On and Off the Field. AuthorHouse, Bloomington, IN.
- Orlick, T. (2015). In Pursuit of Excellence: How to Win in Sport and Life Through Mental Training. 5th Edition. Human Kinetics, Champaign, IL.
- Rozin, P., & Royzman, E. B. (2001). Negativity bias, negativity dominance, and contagion. Personality and Social Psychology Review, 5(4), 296-320. https://doi.org/10.1207/S15327957PSPR0504_2
About O2X Mental Performance Specialist Dr. Katy Tran Turner:
Dr. Katy Tran Turner has provided individual and team mental performance coaching for executives and professional, collegiate, and tactical athletes in various settings. She has worked with first-responders and professionals in dynamic environments to leverage their personal strengths in order to thrive in challenging moments. Dr. Turner has been a part of integrated high performance teams for National Hockey League and National Football League franchises, as well as providing mental performance consulting for NASCAR pit crews. She also taught as a professor, while serving as a mentor for early professionals in the field of sport and performance psychology. Turner's early career was influenced by her work as a civilian contractor with the United States Army, during which she received extensive training in developing resilience and mental performance strategies for Soldiers and their families.
Dr. Turner is a Certified Mental Performance Consultant through the Association for Applied Sport Psychology, and a member of the American Psychological Association Division 47 (Society for Sport, Exercise, and Performance Psychology). She earned her Ph.D. in Educational Psychology (specialization in Sport and Performance Psychology) from Florida State University, her master's degree in Exercise Physiology from Kent State University, and her undergraduate degrees in Biology and Exercise & Sport Science from UNC-Chapel Hill. She played in goal for the field hockey team at UNC-Chapel Hill and was the starting goalkeeper for three years, while earning All-America honors.