psychology

Power Pose to Victory

Recently a college athlete asked me to comment on her Swimming World article covering an intriguing TED talk about body language.

Social psychologist Amy Cuddy asks if changing your body language can affect how you feel inside. Do you think that’s possible? Dr. Cuddy’s research indicates it is!

She has found that holding “power poses” like the one below for two minutes significantly increases testosterone (thereby increasing feelings of power) and significantly decreases cortisol (thereby decreasing feelings of stress).

Power-Posing-3Alexa-Korsberg-720x500

I encourage you to check out this fascinating TED talk. Holding power poses can help you perform at your best in school, sport, and life!

ADJUST YOURSELF

ADJUST

The beginning of the school year, especially for freshmen, is a time of adjustment.  New schedules to get used to, friendships to develop, and skills to acquire are at the forefront of our minds.  Such adjustment can lead to a tremendous amount of stress, especially if you do not have any ways of coping with it.  This week, get a handle on this period of adjustment by using the three “Rs” – Routines, Resources, and Relaxation.

 

Routines

During a period of adjustment, new stressors might throw off our existing schedules.  We feel like we are getting off track before the train even gets moving.  As such, try to identify a routine that works for you.  When you go to sleep, wake up, eat, go to classes, check in with friends and family, study, etc., are all important demands that need to somehow fit into our 7 day week.  Being purposeful about developing and sticking to a routine helps you manage your time effectively and helps you realize that you are giving attention to every demand on your plate.

Resources

One of the benefits about being at Ohio State is the many new resources available to you.  In times of adjustment it is important to seek out and utilize these resources for they can help you navigate the bumpy waters of a new school year.  While using the latest resources is important, don’t forget about your existing resources such as friends, family, teammates, etc.  Do your best to seek out your biggest cheerleaders during this time of change.  They are there for you!

Relaxation

Finally, learn to RELAX!  Times of adjustment are difficult.  It can take time to adjust to a new situation.  Learning to roll with it and gently try to establish a routine is a huge.  Don’t force a schedule that can’t be forced.  By staying relaxed and realizing that, in time, you will get used to this new situation can help you gain perspective and feel less stressed about the chaos in your life.

Adaptability

adaptable

Adaptable – the ability to adjust to new conditions.

Adaptability is a pre-requisite for being a successful student-athlete.  Though many of us possess the capability to transition well in new circumstances, there are those times when we all might struggle.  As the new school year approaches, we will be faced with new conditions that we must adapt to.  Incoming freshmen may need to adapt from being away from home and adjust to a newer, more demanding schedule.  Upperclassmen may face harder upper-level classes and increased roles on the team to be particularly challenging.  Thus, it is critical we take a moment to assess our own levels of adaptability and implement strategies to enhance our abilities to conquer these new and more demanding situations.

Strategy 1: Choose to be a fighter.

Fighters are devoted to making adjustments, not excuses. Fighters are accountable and believe they can be successful.  They choose to get better every day and look for reasons to be positive.  Victims, on the other hand, make excuses, blame others, complain, and avoid difficult situations. Look at your current situation.  Are you being a victim or a fighter??  The choice is yours!

Strategy 2: Create a plan of attack

Sometimes when we are faced with new, demanding conditions we become overwhelmed and can’t think straight.  As a result, we need a quick, go-to strategy for getting our minds in the right state to deal with whatever challenging situation we’re in.  This plan of attack involves the following three steps:

1) What? – Identify what exactly is the new, challenging situation.

2) So what? – Identify that which you actually have control over and that which you do not.

3) Now what? – Identify the best plan of attack based on what is going on and what you are actually able to do about it.

Strategy 3: Be creative

Adjusting to new conditions involves thinking on your feet and identifying new ways of doing things.  By thinking outside of the box you can come up with a variety of solutions and skills that can turn stress into strength.  Practice being in challenging or unique situations and experiment with creative strategies.  Incorporate these strategies into your tool box.