Athletes generally don't perform well when they are tense and anxious. Continuing our Psychological Skills Training series in pelinks4u, today's article provides a breathing drill combined with positive self-talk to help athletes relax. A handout for athletes to use when practicing at home is provided.

Psychological Skills Training: Breathing Easy Drill

written by Dr. Christine Lottes

Psychological Skills Training series: previous issues

1. Training Your Athletes to be Mentally Tough
2. Mental Training Tools
3. Goal Setting and Self-Confidence
4. Imagery
5. Relaxation and Energization
6. Self-Talk Skills
7. Energy Management
8. Stress Management Skills

Coach's Script for: Breathing Easy Drill

Bring to practice: coach's script, copies of the athlete's handout, pencils or pens, dry board markers or chalk.

Review:

• During our psychological skills training we've learned a variety of skills to make us mentally tougher.
• Last session we looked at how to manage stress.
• Today's drill combines breathing and positive self-talk.
• We use these to relax when we realize we are too tense or anxious to perform at our optimal level.

Today: Sports Psyching Technique: Breathing Easy
"Breathing Easy" is taken from Sports Psyching (1976) by T. Tutko & U. Tosi.

• When was the last time you were tense and anxious? You felt your breathing shallow and your heart rate picking up. How do you get around this breathing problem?
• What is Breathing Easy? Athletes who are anxious, sigh or blow out air to let off the tension. Taking deep breaths is not only a natural and effective way to calm yourself, it also counters rapid, shallow breathing that happens when you are anxious.
• What does Breathing Easy do? When we breath normally, there is a tensing and relaxing of muscles in our diaphragm and chest. When we are nervous the muscles constrict too much, and we end up breathing shallow and not getting as much oxygen. This adds to an athlete's anxiety, and stimulates feelings of being out of control. Plus, an athlete can't perform as well with less oxygen.
• You can regain control of your breathing by "breathing easy" - deliberately slowing down and deepening your breathing.
  

How to Learn Breathing Easy:

1. Inhale:
   • Inhale slowly and deeply, filling your chest with air, counting four seconds to yourself - one and two and three and four. The count is to give you a nice and easy, even pace.
   • Try to breathe as fully as you can without discomfort. Imagine your chest slowly filling with air, from your diaphragm to your collar.
2. Hold breathe:
   • When you have inhaled fully, hold your breath for another four seconds, again counting to yourself - one and two and three and four.
   • This should be just a comfortable pause. Don't do it until you are blue in the face.
3. Exhale:
   • Exhale, but don't blow. Just let the air out through your mouth unhurriedly, saying to yourself, "easy… easy… easy… easy."
   • Let out as much air as you can, down to the lower part of the lungs. Feel yourself relaxing as you do. Feel your shoulders, chest, and diaphragm letting go.
   • As you exhale, think of the tension flowing out of you.
   • Repeat #1, 2 & 3 ten times.
   • Don't worry if the sequence isn't exact or the cadence perfect. It may seem a bit difficult to stay with at first, but just keep going. The important thing is to establish the slow, relaxed breathing rate. After the ten cycles, your breathing rate will be automatically slower and you can dispense with the "one and two and three and four" cadence.
4. Inhale: Breathe in fully.
5. Hold breath: Hold it very briefly.
6. Exhale:
   • Let the air out slowly (don't blow), saying mentally, "easy… easy… easy… easy…"
   • Repeat #4, 5 & 6 ten more times.
   • You will soon begin to feel a calm, thoroughly pleasurable feeling - some say a warmth - radiating from your chest throughout your body.
7. Tell yourself relaxing phrases:
   • Let yourself breathe normally and tell yourself relaxing phrases: "I feel very relaxed. All the tension is going out of me as I exhale, and good feelings are coming into me as I inhale. When I am playing ________ (put in your sport), I will be able to take a few deep breaths and by saying "Easy," will be able to tell myself to relax whenever I feel overly tense. When I'm playing, I will recall the good feelings I am experiencing now and they will automatically return to me."
   • Imagine all this happening as you say it to yourself.
8. Repeat #4, 5 & 6 ten more times.
9. Natural Breathing:
   • Let your breathing go naturally, and pay attention to the pleasant feelings in your body.
   • Repeat the same encouraging phrases to yourself that you did earlier (#7).
   • Listen to the sound of your own breath coming in and out. You will notice that the breathing is slow and deep without your having to make it that way. The exhaling will last longer.
   • Let yourself enjoy the relaxed feeling for a minute. Tell yourself, "For the rest of the day I will recall these sensations every time I tell myself, 'Easy'."

Summary

• Take natural breaths. Don't force yourself to take in huge gulps of air.
• Pay close attention to the air when it is coming in, and when it is released as you exhale.
• Practice the "Breathing Easy" exercise for a total of 5-10 minutes a day. By the end of two weeks, you will experience greater relaxation than when you first started.

NOTE: "Breathing Easy" is taken from Sports Psyching (1976) by T. Tutko & U. Tosi.

Upcoming June/July article on Mental Training
In the June/July edition of pelinks4u we will be looking at another practice-ready drill coaches can use with their athletes in order to train them in the Psychological Skills presented by Christine over the past year.

Download Coach's Handout Here!

Download Athlete's Handout Here!

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