Have you ever watched a legendary athlete seamlessly navigate the field, track, or court, as if guided by an enchanting force? Every move appears choreographed, leaving both the spectators and the opponents in awe. These athletes do not just master the art of the physical, but they also hone the science of the mind. What if I told you that this mental prowess can be cultivated through mindfulness, and that you can practice it too? In this article, we will begin to explore the science behind being “in the zone”, how professional athletes use it, and how anyone can practice it.

What is mindfulness?

Mindfulness is the mere act of being fully present, aware of our surroundings and our actions, without being overly reactive or overwhelmed by what’s going on around us. It sounds like a challenging task, but there is good news: mindfulness is a quality all of us possess – we just need to learn how to access it. Mindfulness practice has been extensively researched due to its significant positive effects. Mindfulness has been shown to improve physical health by increasing immune function and decreasing pain. Mindfulness also boosts mental health – practicing mindfulness increases positive emotions and improves your social life while decreasing depression, anxiety, and stress. Especially relevant for athletes, mindfulness boosts your self-control by improving one’s ability to regulate emotions, introspect, and gain perspective. And if these benefits are not enough to convince you to start practicing mindfulness, its impact on your brain may help; mindfulness enhances brain areas associated with emotional regulation, positive emotions, self-control, learning, memory, and stress response, among others.

How can mindfulness benefit athletes?

The numerous positive effects of mindfulness help athletes build the appropriate mindset to make them succeed. How many times have we watched a professional athlete failing to regulate their emotions and concentrate on the task at hand after a performance that disappoints them, resulting in a worse performance throughout the rest of the match/race/round? This is where mindfulness comes in; research on athletes taking a mindfulness intervention has shown that mindfulness reduced their impulsivity, increased positive emotions, and decreased competition anxiety.  A different study on basketball players showed that practicing mindfulness improved the athletes’ performance . Even
injured athletes can benefit from mindfulness – mindfulness practice enhances confidence in the athlete’s abilities and reshapes perfectionism towards a positive outlook; both significant effects when an athlete is on the road to recovery and entering the competition again.

But what do these benefits mean for a professional athlete in practice?

• By being able to regulate their emotions, athletes can maintain their composure during
  competition. When faced with high-pressure situations that trigger intense emotions, they can channel them in a way that enhances their performance rather than hinders it.
•  By having practiced being fully present, athletes can retrieve this skill and focus on the task at hand without distractions. This is crucial since there is so much going on around them; from other athletes to spectators, fields/courts/tracks are not the quietest places to concentrate.
• By having cultivated positive emotions through mindfulness, athletes may experience
  increased motivation, enjoyment, and adopt a more optimistic mindset. This can be a valuable asset during challenging periods or setbacks, which all professional athletes face.
• By fostering a better sense of discipline and self-control through mindfulness, athletes can recognize their impulses and make better choices. This can help them adhere to a rigorous training regimen and a healthy lifestyle.
• By improving their learning and memory abilities, another benefit of mindfulness, athletes can enjoy a mental edge. Mindfulness affects the brain areas related to learning and memory, which can be particularly beneficial for athletes when then need to remember game plans or learn a new strategy or technique.
• By not only decreasing competition stress but also impacting the brain areas related to the stress response, mindfulness can modulate the body’s stress response and help athletes manage their reactions to stressors. This can enhance their performance and mindset during competitions or under stressful situations.
  Therefore, it seems like practicing mindfulness can be worth the effort. This is why many trainers incorporate mindfulness interventions in the training regimen. Next, we will briefly discuss some techniques to practice mindfulness and enjoy its numerous benefits.

Mindfulness practices

If you are just getting started with mindfulness, maybe these exercises could suit you:

1. Mindful breathing

This is a simple exercise to start practicing mindfulness. You need to find a quiet place to sit or lie down in a comfortable position. Focus your attention on your breath; inhale slowly and deeply, and then exhale fully. Try to notice the sensations of breathing, and when your mind wanders, gently bring it back to your breath.

2. Body scan

During a body scan, you sit or lie down in a quiet place and bring your attention to different parts of your body, usually starting from your toes and slowly moving up to your head. During the process, try to notice any sensations (tension, pain) without judgement and relax these areas. This exercise cultivates body awareness and promotes relaxation.

3. Mindful walking

During this exercise you take a slow walk, paying attention to every step. Try to notice the
sensation of walking (feet lifting, moving, touching the ground) as well as staying present and observing the experiences (such as the sights, sounds, smells). This exercise enhances awareness in everyday activities.

4. Guided meditation

Practicing mindfulness can also be done through meditation. Mindfulness meditation ranges from guided to semi-guided and unguided practices, depending on how many instructions the guide provides. It is recommended to start with guided mindfulness meditation, where the guide will direct your attention to different aspects of the present moment (ie breathing, bodily sensations, smells and sounds).

4. Mindful eating

Mindfulness in the form of eating includes eating slowly and focusing your attention on the food. You can notice the smells, flavors, textures of the food before and while ingesting it. This exercise enhances awareness of eating habits and fosters a healthy connection with food.

For more advanced mindfulness practices, one can consider unguided mindfulness meditation, mindful yoga, or practicing mindful breathing in challenging situations.

In summary…

Mindfulness is a trait we all possess, and given its benefits, could be worth practicing how to access it in our everyday lives. For many athletes it is the secret to their success; having the right mindset to regulate emotions, stay focused, and bounce back from setbacks transforms challenges into triumphs and makes skilled athletes into unparalleled. This is because mindfulness impacts many regions of the brain and enhances plenty of cognitive abilities, as described in this article. If you want to enjoy the benefits of mindfulness, it all starts with simple exercises such as mindful breathing. It won’t be long before you can see the benefits in your everyday life too, similar to the in-the-zone mindset of a professional athlete that moves effortlessly on the field in a mesmerizing way, with a touch of magic one might say.

N.B. All recommendations provided are taken from existing empirical research.
If you are interested in learning more about the benefits of mindfulness interventions in athletes, we recommend the following papers:

• Dehghani, M., Saf, A. D., Vosoughi, A., Tebbenouri, G., & Zarnagh, H. G. (2018). Effectiveness of the mindfulness-acceptance-commitment-based approach on athletic performance and sports competition anxiety: A randomized clinical trial. Electronic physician, 10(5), 6749.
• Li, L., Jing, L., Liu, Y., Tang, Y., Wang, H., & Yang, J. (2023, October). Association of mindfulness with perfectionism, exercise self-efficacy, and competitive state anxiety in injured athletes returning to sports. In Healthcare (Vol. 11, No. 20, p. 2703). MDPI.
• Sánchez-Sánchez, L. C., Franco, C., Amutio, A., García-Silva, J., & González-Hernández, J. (2023, March). Influence of Mindfulness on Levels of Impulsiveness, Moods and Pre-Competition Anxiety in Athletes of Different Sports. In Healthcare (Vol. 11, No. 6, p. 898). MDPI.

Or this article by the Harvard Medical School for a lighter reading:

•  Benefits of Mindfulness