Mindfulness- and acceptance-based approaches
Noticing uncomfortable thoughts and body signals without suppressing them, and still acting in line with your values (e.g., MAC/MSPE programmes).
Intended for
Improve how you deal with nervousness, frustration, and self-criticism, instead of fighting feelings.
Who does the evidence apply to?
Growing number of controlled studies in sports, predominantly with young adults.
Boundaries
Effects on well-being are better evidenced than effects on pure performance. No substitute for psychotherapy for anxiety disorders or depression.
In athlete speak
You don't have to feel good to play well. You just have to stop fighting the feeling.
Accessible doesn't mean inaccurate: We simplify the language, not the message.
For Parents
What we know
Acceptance-based programmes improve stress experience and coping with pressure.
What we don't know
How directly this translates to match performance.
What that means in practice
Let them name their feelings instead of talking them away.
Sources
- Bühlmayer, L., Birrer, D., Röthlin, P., Faude, O., & Donath, L. (2017). Effects of Mindfulness Practice on Performance-Relevant Parameters and Performance Outcomes in Sports: A Meta-Analytical Review. Sports Medicine.Systematic ReviewPopulation: Athletes, predominantly young adultsDOI 10.1007/s40279-017-0752-9
Content on this method
Yellow Card
A caution – and the feeling that you now have to play carefully.
Being substituted
You go off, even though you wanted to stay on.
Taken out during a tight phase
You come off the pitch when it's plus/minus one.
Criticism from the coach
Loudly, in front of the team or during a timeout.
Return after injury
Released, but the mind holds back.
I feel responsible for the loss
One goal difference, and you're replaying every shot that went in.
You're 15 minutes into the game. That was your second technical error – a stepping violation after a pass that was actually clean.
What's happening in your head?
One mistake is one mistake. Three are a habit.
Why mistakes come in a series and how a 3-second routine breaks the chain.
These contents are knowledge and training offerings from sport psychology. They do not replace psychotherapy, medical treatment, or professional sport psychological support.