Tips for a Winning MInd - 5 Ways to improve your Mental Performance

Here are some tips that will help you develop a healthy attitude and a winning mind.

1. Keep an “Acknowledgment journal”

Keep a journal in your tack box and every time you ride, write down three things that you want to acknowledge yourself for – for example, riding without stirrups, making a connection with your horse, keeping your heels down, remembering to breathe, etc. Far too often we leave the barn or show focusing on what we did wrong and the mistakes we made, rather than focusing on what we did right. When you focus on what you did right, you get more of what you did right.

2. The Power of Mistakes

We all make mistakes, but our mistakes and mishaps can also be a breeding ground for growth and development. It is through our mistakes that many of our biggest lessons are learned. Do you allow yourself to learn from your mistakes, or are you someone who beats yourself up after you make a mistake? Beating ourselves up causes stress, pain and upset and more often than not causes us to shut down, withdraw and stop taking risks. If we are kind to ourselves and treat our mistakes as valuable learning we grow, move forward, and our riding continues to get better.

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3. Remove the Don’ts

Our thoughts create our outcomes. The brain does not know how to process and interpret the difference between DON’T and DO. When we tell ourselves, “Don’t mess up, don’t look down,” our mind hears “Do mess up, do look down.” For example, think about green carrots. Now don’t think about green carrots. What happens? You keep thinking about green carrots. Change your DON’Ts to what you DO want to accomplish (breathe, shoulders back, look up, etc.).

4. Surround Yourself with Positive People

Spending time with people who you do not feel good around, who are judgmental, and that you do not feel supported by is a recipe for disaster. This does not create an environment for a healthy mind and will add to your stress. Surround yourself with positive people that you feel good around, who believe in you, support you, and have your best interests in mind.

5. Centre Yourself and get grounded

Before you get on your horse at home or at a show, take a few minutes to get centred, grounded, and connected to yourself. Take three slow, deep breaths; then take a moment to notice how you feel in your body. Feel your feet flat on the ground and then take another slow, deep breath. Finally, take a moment to connect with your horse and take three slow, deep breaths together. Now you are ready to get on.

When we learn to harness our mind in a way that serves us, our mind becomes our most precious ally. Simply bringing awareness to your mind and how it might be affecting your rides will give you new insight and an opportunity to re-program unhelpful mental patterns. By following these simple tips you can improve your performance dramatically.

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