How to Control Anger as an Athlete
Sport and emotions go hand in hand. It’s why we love it. The emotions we feel. The highs, the lows and everything in between. From clutch moments, high pressured decisions in the blink of an eye, the rollercoaster is real.
We can often allow emotions that are on the field to come with us off them. And being controlled by these emotions can sometimes lead to us not showing who we truly are, leading to regretful situations such as angry outbursts. With athletes at the very top it’s common that these emotions can spill over. Especially feelings of anger and frustration.
Here are some tips that we have for managing your emotions, especially anger. Both on and off the field.
Deep breaths
The feeling of anger can leave a feeling of tension coursing through the body. Our hijacking of the amygdala in our brains sends us into an uncontrolled state of stress.
It may sound obvious but taking deep, long exhalations allows us to trigger the parasympathetic nervous system and bring us back to a more relaxed, logical way of thinking.
Try our STRESS breathing exercise
Practice Meditation
Meditation allows us to view thoughts as they appear. The more we practice the stronger we become at noticing them, emotions that follow and we increase the distance between stimulus and response.
Simply put, when thought of physical or verbal aggression happens you build the ability to stop and question it, such as “Do I want to act in this way?”
Learn from others
By seeing others acting in an unfavourable manner.
Simply put, when thought of physical or verbal aggression happens you build the ability to stop and question it, such as “Do I want to act in this way?”
Anger doesn’t solve anything. It builds nothing. But can destroy everything.
Scan the body
When we feel emotions of anger or frustration. Our bodies become tense, heart rate increases and breathing rate increases. When we mindfully practice scanning the body, we become more aware of the changes the body feels to the emotions that arise. We can practice this through a simple body scan, or even a relaxing yoga practice where we actively practice relaxing the muscles which we can transfer into stressful situations.
Visualise
If you forecast getting into frustrating situations, try visualise yourself in a moment like it in the future and ask yourself: What would I need to do in order to feel proud of myself in handling this moment?
Try Meditation for Athletes
Meditation has the ability to lower stress levels, build a better relationship with your thoughts and understand your emotions more. Try a meditation via
Try Meditation on Sport Yogi
