The 29th annual Home Run Derby will take place
tonight at Citi Field, and will feature two prominent hitting New York players,
New York Yankee Robinson Cano and New
York Met David Wright. As captains of each leagues home run hitting team they
will face many challenges, more than just picking players and hitting the ball
out of the park. The level of stress these players will feel before they step
into the box can be directly compared to the stress a cheerleader may feel when
they are moments away from stepping foot on the mat.
Follow these simple steps for an on the spot self-calming
exercise to reduce stress and regain your focus.
• Close
your eyes and begin with a long, slow exhale
• Repeat
three times
• Place
your hand on your chest.
• Notice
the soothing warmth of your hand, calming you.
• With
each out breath, relax more and more
• Gently
move your breath down from your chest to your abdomen.
• Think
low and slow.
• Exhale
slowly...as slowly as possible.
This
exercise is designed to help you relax - either in preparation for a high
stakes performance like a competition or as a general way to reduce the
negative impact of stress. I encourage you to focus on your exhale because when
you are tense or anxious, it is difficult to inhale deeply. If you exhale
slowly a few times, you will relax more quickly. Try it!
The
hand on your chest can serve as a positive physical trigger for you to use
right before you perform. You can tap your hand on your chest in order to
reconnect with the feelings of calm confidence and say your focus word to
yourself. This is all about training your mind and your body to do what you
want, when you want.
In preparing for a competition, I
would suggest you practice this technique at every practice. Remember, you are
training your mind and body to respond in the way you want and this takes some
time and effort on your part. At the time of the event, exhale slowly a few
times and use the physical trigger or cue (hand on chest) as you are getting
ready to go on the mat. The exhale and the physical cue will get you in the
performance state you want.
Kristen Perri is Cheer360’s Co-Founder and Director of Mental Fitness.
She holds a masters degree in Sport Psychology, is a certified Mental Game
Coach, Sport Hypnotist and Personal Trainer. With over 8 years of cheer
coaching experience, Kristen has coached all skill levels including middle
school and junior varsity. Currently, Kristen is the Head Varsity Coach of a
major Long Island Cheerleading Program.
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