{"id":7785,"date":"2016-09-22T18:52:48","date_gmt":"2016-09-22T18:52:48","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/?p=7785"},"modified":"2025-06-10T05:38:10","modified_gmt":"2025-06-10T09:38:10","slug":"athletes-overcome-mental-anguish","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/athletes-overcome-mental-anguish\/","title":{"rendered":"How Athletes Overcome Mental Anguish"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"600\" height=\"300\" src=\"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/focused-in-the-moment.jpg\" alt=\"Focused in The Moment\" class=\"wp-image-7787\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/focused-in-the-moment.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/focused-in-the-moment-300x150.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_to_Move_on_From_Mental_Scars_in_Sports\"><\/span>How to Move on From Mental Scars in Sports<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2><div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_82_2 ez-toc-wrap-center counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-transparent ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Article Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #0769bf;color:#0769bf\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #0769bf;color:#0769bf\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/athletes-overcome-mental-anguish\/#How_to_Move_on_From_Mental_Scars_in_Sports\" >How to Move on From Mental Scars in Sports<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/athletes-overcome-mental-anguish\/#Dwelling_on_Past_Mistakes\" >Dwelling on Past Mistakes<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/athletes-overcome-mental-anguish\/#Strategies_to_Stay_Focused_in_the_Moment\" >Strategies to Stay Focused in the Moment<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/athletes-overcome-mental-anguish\/#Related_Sports_Psychology_Articles\" >Related Sports Psychology Articles<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/athletes-overcome-mental-anguish\/#The_Focused_Athlete\" >The Focused Athlete<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n\n\n\n\n<p>The past can sometimes haunt athletes. For example, past mistakes, missteps and missed opportunities can prevent you from playing your very best right now. I call these &#8220;<strong>mental<\/strong> scars.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Despite the recognized danger of living in the past, many athletes can&#8217;t get over these <strong>mental<\/strong> scars from the past.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Reliving or revisiting bad plays high-jacks your <strong>confidence<\/strong>&#8211;and your <strong>focus<\/strong>. Thinking about how you messed up doesn\u2019t give you feedback on how to play differently.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>What you or your athletes <strong>focus<\/strong> on is a choice, so choosing to dwell on mistakes is like purposely and personally fracturing your <strong>confidence<\/strong> and programing more poor play.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And a side note&#8230; This can lead to playing it safe when you <strong>focus<\/strong> on avoiding making the same mistakes you made&#8211;in the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Have you even been overtaken by negative thoughts? Did those negative thoughts <strong>motivate<\/strong> you to perform better? Did those negative thoughts raise your level of play afterwards? Furthermore, has negative thinking ever enhanced your <strong>confidence<\/strong>?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Dwelling_on_Past_Mistakes\"><\/span>Dwelling on Past Mistakes<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>If you want to improve <strong>confidence<\/strong>, you must make a choice on what you will <strong>focus<\/strong> your <strong>mental<\/strong> energy on. You have three choices&#8230; You can focus on the past, future, or present, but only one option will lead to peak performance: the present!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The question then is: How can you shrug off the past mistakes and <strong>focus<\/strong> 100 percent on the next play?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This is the same question Philadelphia Eagle wide receiver Josh Huff asked after under-performing during his first two years in the NFL.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>During his first two years in the NFL, Huff would beat himself up after every dropped pass which admittedly crushed his <strong>confidence<\/strong>. Huff realized if he was to have a successful NFL career, he needed to <strong>focus<\/strong> on clearing his mind of any negativity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As a first step in developing a new mindset, Huff sought the help of a sport psychologist.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>HUFF<\/strong>:<em> \u201cI have been talking to a [sport] psychologist about football. I have been too hard on myself when dropping balls. I also know that it will happen in this league. It\u2019s a long season; you\u2019re not going to catch every pass. That\u2019s what I had to realize.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Huff learned to immerse himself in the present moment by moving forward after the last play finished and focusing on the play he is actively engaged in.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This strategy has helped Huff play with the <strong>confidence<\/strong> needed to let go of past drops and make receptions, especially the ones that are routine catches.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>HUFF<\/strong>:<em> \u201cRegardless of if we drop a ball or mess up on a play, we have to shake it off and move on to the next play. Not every play is going to be perfect, and we are not going to catch every ball.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Huff is determined to have a break-through year by adopting a \u2018see ball, catch ball\u2019 <strong>mentality<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you want to have a break-through game or season, stop dwelling on past mistakes and <strong>focus<\/strong> on what you can directly control&#8230; your effort, execution, and <strong>focus<\/strong> on the present moment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Strategies_to_Stay_Focused_in_the_Moment\"><\/span>Strategies to Stay Focused in the Moment<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Change the Channel \u2013 After each play, you need to actively change the mental TV channel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Let go of the past by reminding yourself that you can&#8217;t get a do-over or get it back. The best thing is to move on and focus on a strong finish.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you make a mistake, say \u201cthat&#8217;s over\u201d and refocus on the next, play, pitch, or touch.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Don&#8217;t waist your mental energy on past mistakes. Save them for the next practice when you can use them to learn and grow!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/the-focused-athlete-cd-program\/\"><strong>Click here to learn all of my secrets for concentration!<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity is-style-dots\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"block-979ef383-5bc7-43ee-b8f9-249663ca1a6c\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Related_Sports_Psychology_Articles\"><\/span>Related Sports Psychology Articles<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul id=\"block-05642731-8752-4dbf-9c18-5cc4d276e821\" class=\"wp-block-list has-normal-font-size\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/how-to-refocus-after-making-mistakes\/\"><\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/how-elite-athletes-develop-mental-skills\/\"><strong>How Elite Athletes Develop Mental Skills<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/refocus-quickly-when-distracted\/\"><\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/get-the-mental-edge-train-like-an-elite-athlete\/\"><strong>Get the Mental Edge. Train Like an Elite Athlete.<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/how-to-prevent-mental-mistakes-during-competition\/\"><\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/how-a-mental-reset-can-improve-your-game\/\"><strong>How a Mental Reset Can Improve Your Game<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-normal-font-size\" id=\"block-5726d13f-f715-4ca4-8813-2f8a9ebd8bc3\">*Subscribe to\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/podcasts.apple.com\/us\/podcast\/sports-psychology-podcast-by-peaksports-com\/id152566009\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>The Sports Psychology Podcast<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0on iTunes<br>*Subscribe to <a href=\"https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/show\/0ynyaalKxbnNmsoeL8gF5X?si=8224669de9b3435b\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>The Sports Psychology Podcast<\/strong><\/a> on Spotify<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-normal-font-size\" id=\"block-281f5afb-980b-4c71-9aa0-11d606b5f7c9\"><strong>Download a&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/mental-toughness-report-athletes\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">free sports psychology report<\/a>&nbsp;to improve your mental game!<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-normal-font-size\" id=\"block-94138e75-d591-4645-bb1d-212cf57a8841\"><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sport-psychology-training-athletes\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Learn more about our one-on-one mental game coaching.<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-css-opacity is-style-dots\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_Focused_Athlete\"><\/span>The Focused Athlete <span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignright size-full is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"225\" height=\"250\" src=\"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/03\/focused-athlete-teams-small.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-3922\" style=\"width:215px;height:auto\"\/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>It\u2019s probably no secret that you have many opportunities<strong> to become distracted<\/strong> in sports. Athletes are bombarded with both internal and external distractions everyday in practice and competition. <strong>Focused athletes<\/strong> are able to get the most from their skills because they are more efficient with practice and more concentrated in competition. Athletes who lack focus <strong>let distractions run wild through their mind and don\u2019t know how to adjust or refocus.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Focused Athlete was developed for any level coach, parent, or junior to professional athlete who wants to improve performance and gain a competitive edge. It does not matter if you are a fledgling junior athlete; or a seasoned professional, plagued with distractions; or you just wanting to learn how to improve concentration\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThe Focused Athlete\u201d is a complete system to teach you how to focus like a champion and harness the power of a zone focus every time you step on the playing field, court, track, or course in practice and games!<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"gb-container gb-container-769fef19\">\n\n<a class=\"gb-button gb-button-68fab510 gb-button-text\" href=\"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/the-focused-athlete-cd-program\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">GET DETAILS<\/a>\n\n\n\n<a class=\"gb-button gb-button-3043572a gb-button-text\" href=\"https:\/\/shop.peaksports.com\/collections\/the-confident-athlete-series-digital-download\/products\/the-focused-athlete-digital\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">BUY NOW<\/a>\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>How to Move on From Mental Scars in Sports The past can sometimes haunt athletes. For example, past mistakes, missteps and missed opportunities can prevent you from playing your very best right now. I call these &#8220;mental scars.&#8221; Despite the recognized danger of living in the past, many athletes can&#8217;t get over these mental scars from the past. &#8230; <a title=\"How Athletes Overcome Mental Anguish\" class=\"read-more\" href=\"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/athletes-overcome-mental-anguish\/\" aria-label=\"Read more about How Athletes Overcome Mental Anguish\">Sport Psychology Article&#8230;<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":7786,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[142],"tags":[318,324],"class_list":["post-7785","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-sports-psychology-tips","tag-confidence-in-sports","tag-focus-in-sports"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t<!-- All in One SEO Pro 4.9.5.2 - aioseo.com -->\n\t<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Despite the recognized danger of living in the past, many athletes can&#039;t get over these mental scars. 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