This might be a topical read given present circumstances. Many athletes are contemplating cancelled competition seasons, or at the very least the cancellation or postponement of major events that have been their focus for an extended period (the 2020 Olympics being perhaps the biggest example). Arguably more disconcerting is the numerous instances where the situation remains unclear, and so there is an onus to continue preparations without knowing if and when events will go ahead. It is fair to say the majority of us are faced with questions on how to proceed given the present restrictions, and a lack of certainty on what the coming months hold.

ONTO THE CIRCLES…

Picture an archery target. This particular archery target is formed of three circles. The target as a whole is everything you have awareness of. We will call it our circle of concern. The area inside that represents what you have some degree of influence over, so let’s call it our circle of influence. The smallest circle - the bull’s eye on the target - is what we have direct control over. The bull’s eye is therefore our circle of control.

When we are feeling overwhelmed it is often the case that we are allocating attention and expending other scarce resources on what might be legitimate concerns, but are nevertheless things that we have no control or influence over. A useful exercise under challenging conditions (the present situation for instance) is to break the situation down and methodically work out which elements fall in each respective circle. We can then direct our attention and efforts accordingly.

Aside from identifying what we cannot influence, which gives us license to stop fretting about it, what is also instructive and revealing is what we do actually have control and influence over. There is much that is within our control, and this applies even in the present circumstances, which is an extreme case. In any event, action is the best remedy, so being selective about investing our efforts only in what we are able to directly impact should be our starting point.

CALIBRATING OUR LENS ON THE SITUATION…

Situational awareness is clearly important. However, beyond awareness of the situation, in order to bring full clarity, we also need to be aware of our own state and how that might be colouring our perception. Naturally when we are stressed or agitated this is likely influencing whatever judgements we are presently making about the situation. It therefore pays to tune into how we are feeling first, and make the necessary allowances before we act on our judgements.

We can also take steps to manage whatever distortion might be present. The act of writing things down in itself helps get our swirling thoughts out of our heads and onto the page. From here we can then interrogate our beliefs about the situation, and objectively evaluate whatever judgements we have made about it. This allows us to appraise things in a way that is more rational, or at least less irrational. As with the original exercise involving the circles, this permits us to be more coherent in how we approach the situation.

CHANGING OUR MENTAL STATE…

There are also a few tricks to help change our state in a way that is more conducive to tackling the problem.

The mind-body connection is two-way. The reason why mind-body practices have become popular is that the actions we perform with our body influence what is going on within our mind. Training, and physical activity in general, is therefore not just a means to an end. Exercise can also be meditative; if we approach it correctly, it can do good things for our head space, both during and afterwards.

Much like sleeping on a problem, exercise can also help stimulate our thoughts and creative problem-solving. Getting out in nature offers additional benefits, in terms of our mental and physical wellbeing. It is not a coincidence that many writers regularly take long walks.

Other relatively mundane activities can also serve as a mind-body practice. Immersing ourselves and occupying our body in routine tasks can provide mental refreshment and respite from nagging thoughts. In this way, activities like preparing a meal can serve as a meditation.

Creating space in our minds by performing a sequence of familiar movements is similarly the basis of yoga, tai chi, and other related mind-body practices. They key point here is that many different activities can be meditative, and serve as mind-body practice. The labels and connotations that come with what we generally think of when we hear ‘mindfulness practice’ or ‘meditation’ are entirely optional. Certainly we don’t need to restrict ourselves, or allow this to become a barrier to participating and experiencing the benefits.

On the topic of self-calibration, and the power of movement to change our state, in recent days I have added a ‘systems check and general maintenance’ resource to the site. The material provides the rationale but also forms the basis of a daily routine that can be performed at home with minimal equipment. Under usual circumstances this serve as a daily check-in prior to training (developing that mind-body connection), or as a standalone session. The resource also includes some self therapy tools to be used as needed, both as a complement to treatment, and as a substitute when access to therapy providers is unavailable, as is presently the case. The 14-page pdf resource can be downloaded for free via this link (ignore the mention of credit card details, rest assured you just leave that part blank).

So there it is, a couple of key exercises to get a handle on things, plus some strategies to marshal your own state in the face of challenging circumstances and uncertainty. Hopefully this practice goes some way to helping bring some clarity on how to tackle the present situation, and deal with any surrounding concerns.

In the interests of full disclosure, this was written in part to get my head around the present situation from my own perspective. As you might imagine, it has presented quite the obstacle to the Prepared ATH project and related activities with our sister project, not only putting a stop to coaching, but also leading to the postponement of workshops and seminars scheduled in March and April. On the plus side, working in isolation has been great for editing and writing, which has allowed me to bring the release of my latest book forward! Prepared: Unlocking Human Performance with Lessons from Elite Sport comes out this weekend…