Mindset Traps
Thinking that a 92% on an exam or a silver medal is a complete failure means you are trapped in this type of "black-and-white" thinking style.
What is all-or-nothing thinking?
Feeling your heart race, your palms get sweaty, or your muscles tense up before a big test or game means your brain is firing off this automatice survival response.
What is fight-or-flight? (Also accept: adrenaline or stress?)
CBT Hack: When your brain says, "Everyone is going to laugh at me," you can pause and ask yourself, "What is the actual ______ that this will happen?"
What is the Evidence? (Also accept: Proof or Facts)
Instead of focusing on winning the game (an outcome), focus on things you can completely control right now, like your effort and your ____.
What is Attitude? (Also accept: Focus, Energy, or Body Language)
Using these two high-pressure words-- like saying "I ____ get an A" or "I _____ catch the ball"-- creates rigid rules that set you up for stress.
What do "should" and "must" mean?
Lying in bed awake at night replaying a bad play from practice or an awkward conversation from lunch on a continuous, annoying loop is called this.
What is overthinking? (Therapy term: Rumination)
ACT Hack: To unhook from an annoying thought, put the phrase "I am having the thought that..." right in front of it. This helps you do this to the thought.
What is Step back from it? (Therapy Term: Defusion or Seperating from the thought)
When your mind starts spinning after a bad play, you can quickly ground yourself by focusing heavily on the physical feeling of your feet touching the ground.
What is Grounding?
If you make one mistake in a game or a presentation and assume the entire thing is a total disaster, you are falling into this "catastrophic" mental loop.
What is catastrophizing?
When you are so stressed about an upcoming assignment or a tough practice that you end up ignoring it, playing video games, or putting it off until the last minute.
What is procrastination? (Therapy term: Avoidance)
CBT Hack: This hack involves talking to yourself like you would talk to your best friend or teammate after they make a mistake, rather than beating yourself up.
What is self-compassion? (Also accept: Positive Self-Talk or Being a good teammate to yourself)
This coping skill involves deliberately tensing a muscle group (such as your shoulders) for 5 seconds, then completely releasing it to release pent-up stress.
What is Progressive Muscle Relaxation? (Also accept: Squeeze and Release)
This is the mental habit of continuously replaying past mistakes or worries on a loop like a treadmill, putting in heavy effort but getting nowhere.
What is rumination?
This happens when you start predicting the absolute worst-case scenario, like assuming you will bomb a test or get kicked off the team after one mistake.
What is Worst-Case Scenario Thinking? (Therapy Term: Catastrophizing)
ACT Hack: Instead of fighting a difficult emotion like anxiety or frustration, this hack tells you to name it, notice where it lives in your body, and make room for it to just sit there while you play.
What is Acceptance? (Also accept: Allowing it or Letting it be there)
A short, repetitive phrase you say to yourself during a tough workout or game-- like "Next play" or "I can handle this"-- is known by this 2-word term.
What is Self-talk? (Also accept: A Mantra or positive self-talk))
Daily Double: Instead of chasing "perfection," sports psychology teaches athletes and students to chase this flexible, growth-oriented alternative.
What is excellence (or the pursuit of excellence)?
Daily Double: When your brain gets so overloaded with stress that you suddenly feel completely blank, completely frozen, or like you want to "snap" at people.
What is Burnout? (Also accept: Overwhelm or Emotional Flooding)
Daily Double: When you are feeling completely overwhelmed by stress, this hack tells you to stop focusing on your feelings and instead ask: "What is the next small action I can take right now that aligns with me _____?"
What are Values? (Also accept: My goals, who I want to be, or what matters to me)
Daily Double: This mental skill involves closing your eyes and playing a "movie" in your head of yourself executing a perfect play, hit, or run before it actually happens.
What is Visualization? (Also accept: Mental Imagery or Mental Rehearsal)