Developing SAM Habits
The key components to our time together will include:
According to olympics.com, journaling has been shown to be a helpful tool in managing mental health, particularly in helping us to emotionally process what we may be going through. Additionally, journaling can be particularly useful for stressful events, such as dealing with injury, performance-related concerns, or other areas that might be affecting rodeo athletes.
The vagus nerve is like a superhighway between your brain and many parts of your body, playing a key role in managing your body's relaxation responses. It helps control things like your heart rate and digestion, and it's super important for helping you calm down when you're stressed or upset.
Learning how to stimulate the vagus nerve can really help calm your brain. Simple activities like deep, slow breathing, singing, or even gargling water can activate the vagus nerve. When it's activated, it sends a message to your brain to chill out and relax, which can make you feel more peaceful and less stressed. So, if you're feeling overwhelmed, taking a few deep breaths or humming your favorite tune might just do the trick to help you calm down!
Breathing might seem like just a basic thing we do to stay alive, but it's actually a powerful tool that can help you mentally prepare for competitive events. When you're gearing up for state finals or just a jackpot, your body often reacts by getting tense and your heart rate might speed up due to nerves. This is where breathing comes in handy.
By focusing on deep, slow breaths, you tell your body to relax. This type of breathing activates the parasympathetic nervous system — that's the part of your nervous system that helps calm you down and counteracts the stress response. When you breathe deeply, it's like hitting a reset button on your stress levels, helping to clear your mind and sharpen your focus.
Deep breathing also increases the amount of oxygen flowing to your brain, which improves your concentration and decision-making abilities. This is crucial during competitions, where quick thinking and staying mentally alert are key to performing well. So, before you step into the arena or practice pen, taking a few moments to breathe deeply can set you up for success, helping you to feel more in control and ready to tackle the challenge ahead.
Visualization is like a secret weapon for overcoming the brain's critical factor. When you're preparing for a rodeo or any high-pressure event, visualization can be incredibly powerful.
Here’s how it works: The critical factor in your brain is like a gatekeeper that often says "no" to things it isn't used to, like new techniques or positive self-beliefs. But when you practice visualization, you're essentially rehearsing success in your mind's eye, which can sneak these positive images and ideas past the critical factor. It's like you're showing your brain a movie where you're the star, pulling off flawless rodeo runs.
This process does more than just get past the brain's defenses — it actually trains your brain and body to perform as visualized. When you imagine yourself executing perfect moves in the arena, your brain starts to believe it’s possible and prepares your body to act out these visualized actions during the actual event. This can boost your confidence, reduce anxiety, and enhance your focus, all of which are crucial for peak performance in the rodeo arena.
By regularly using visualization, you're not only convincing your brain that you can achieve these feats, but you're also setting the stage for your body to follow through. We will work together to see yourself succeeding, feel the movements, and embrace the applause. It’s a powerful tool to enhance your real-world performance, helping you to ride with precision, confidence, and skill.
