Sports and the Mind

It's More Than Just Game

Working With Disappointment

disappintment2A Disappointment Can Be Handled

We have all been challenged by an athletic disappointment.  Those moments when you wish you could rewind time and do it over: A dropped pass, a missed free throw, a bad start in the 100M, a mental mistake.  The list is endless.  What do you feel when you are disappointed?  An increase in stress, anger, frustration and  irritation.  That is why these disappointing experiences are difficult to let go.  The mental tape in our head keeps coming back to the mistake over and over.  Understanding the brain processes after making a mistake is vital to understanding WHY the tape plays on repeat.  There is a part of the brain called the limbic system, which is our emotional brain.  It is the voice in your head saying, “You should have, you could have, you didn’t…”. The limbic brain activates the emotions, which makes the experience hypersensitive or very real in your mind.  In addition, you develop a narrow tunnel vision in the moment, which heightens your critical voice.  This is a slippery mental slope because if you do not catch this process, a negative mental tape will play long and hard in your mind.

Disappointment and Mindfulness

handsbreatheDr. Arnie Kozak wrote an article called The Anatomy of Letting Go in which he breaks down how to process disappointment.  In a nutshell, handling mistakes are all about perspective.  How do you attain a positive perspective?  Through mindful awareness. Dr. Kozak states, “Mindfulness re-orients us to the present and shifts perspective to a broader frame. While the loss may be real; it’s importance is over exaggerated.  Mindfulness helps us to revise and revalue.”

We like to use the acronym W.I.N. as a means to handle disappointment.

What’s Important Now

Here is the step by step process:

1. Recognize your disappointment and become aware that strong emotions can take over

2. Take a deep breath

3. Ask in your mind W.I.N-What’s Important Now?

4. Redirect your mind to an action step

5. Gain perspective and know this moment will pass.

Avatar

About Colleen Hathaway, DC

Dr. Colleen Hathaway is a licensed chiropractor in the state of Wisconsin. Dr. Colleen is a native of Madison, WI and did her undergraduate work at the University of St. Thomas in Minnesota obtaining a B.S. in Corporate Fitness Science and Athletic Training. She played basketball for St. Thomas for four years and was the starting point guard on their 1991 NCAA Championship team.
Dr. Colleen completed her chiropractic degree at the Northwestern College of Chiropractic from 1993-1997. She has been in private practice for over 20 years and adores working with people of all walks of life. Her philosophy is grounded in the principles of wellness, balance, support and human performance. She utilizes gentle chiropractic and cranio-sacral techniques, including light touch energy work. Essentially, she works with the body’s innate wisdom by helping to remove blockages of the nerve system. Patient education and home exercise routines are an important part of most care plans. Dr. Colleen also refers and coordinate care with multiple practitioners (massage, medical doctors, etc.) in an effort to accommodate individual needs.
Dr. Colleen is active in numerous chiropractic ventures and her most notable experience was a humanitarian mission trip to Fortelaza, Brazil where she was able to provide chiropractic adjustments to hundreds of people. She is a member of SOTO, a Reiki Master and trained Cranio-sacral therapist through the Upledger Institute.
On a personal note, Dr. Colleen enjoys participating in the American Birkebeiner cross country ski race, rollerblading, hiking, yoga, golfing and all things nature. She was inducted into the Edgewood High School Athletic Hall of Fame in 2013.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *