Hopefully you’ve all had a read of the article from our last post… if not, you can find it here!
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1469029222001522?via%3Dihub
The Study in a Nutshell:
- Over 400 athletes from various sports, spanning different ages and experience levels, were surveyed.
- The findings shed light on a critical connection: athletes’ belief systems, particularly their irrational beliefs, have a profound impact on their self-confidence.
- Self-depreciating beliefs, the ones that manifest as phrases like “if I lose, I’m a failure” or “If I face setbacks, it shows how stupid I am,” act as warning signs.
Key Insights:
- Irrational beliefs, characterised by extreme, rigid, and illogical thinking, are identified as core contributors to poor mental health symptoms among athletes.
- Dr. Martin Turner, from Manchester Met Uni, emphasises that self-depreciation beliefs that lead to self-criticism and self-doubt, significantly undermine self-confidence and can have detrimental effects on performance and well-being.
- Rational Emotive Behaviour Therapy (REBT) emerges as a powerful tool to safeguard and enhance athletes’ self-confidence. REBT helps athletes challenge self-depreciating beliefs and cultivate healthier and more constructive beliefs.
The Path to a Healthier Mindset:
- Encouraging rational and logical beliefs about performance can play a pivotal role in maintaining athletes’ mental health amidst the intense demands of competitive sports.
- Coaches, teammates, and sports psychologists can actively listen for and help athletes counter irrational beliefs. Promoting constructive “self-talk” and positive imagery can be transformative in shifting mindsets from rigidity to flexibility.
- A simple shift in perspective, like recognising that “failing does not equate to being a failure,” can make a world of difference.