Road To Recovery: Mind Games

The journey so far has been smooth sailing. I've been fortunate enough to have some of the brightest minds in Physiotherapy to tap into. Combined with my own knowldege, my body has thrived and made considerable progress. My strength and base level conditioning has improved, and I'll be working withPat Leahy from Pro Vo2 in Fulham to put together a plan to get me fighting fit.

What I have noticed is the apprehension. The internal dialogue. This week I introduced impact work into my training. This meant break falls, sprawls, parkour type leaps into tumbles and so on. While working with one of my Rugby guys I requested that he take me out a few times with "controlled" tackles. Ribs held out. So far, so good. What struck me was the apprehension that was present before I got tackled, before I did the break falls, before I tumbled. This apprehension wasn't there before. I noticed my body getting tense each time. When this happens the classic line from Point Break pops into my mind.

"Fear causes hesitation. Hesitation casues your worst fears to come true."

This is my cue to relax, and to let go. Focus on the task ahead, and be present to the moment. Thanks Patrick, you're a legend. Sometimes having cues to bring our attention back to the reality of the situation can help us focus to act effectively. It can be a simple word, or a sentence from a favourite film, book or song. Whatever works. Personallly I have an arsenal of them. These help me with various situations when my negative internal dialogue decides to rear its ugly head. Why not try it for yourself? Initially create three or four to add to your tool box. The best ones are easy to remember, grab your attention and empower you to act.


Try it out. Let us know how you get on.