The Importance of Mental Periodization

Periodization is nothing new, especially among athletes seeking to optimize physical adaptations, such as strength, power, and endurance.?

While the average person might believe that maximum effort all the time creates champions, careful and intelligent manipulation of training variables is what genuinely makes the biggest difference.

But why must we limit ourselves to periodizing our workout plans? Can we take these principles and apply them to our mental training??

Read on to find out.?

Is Mental Periodization a Thing?

With regard to athletic training, periodization means systematically manipulating training variables to optimize progression while limiting the risk of overtraining. The objective is generally for the athlete to peak at a specific time.

Similarly, mental periodization refers to the careful manipulation of variables within a mental conditioning program, and it is entirely valid.

Just as we must take care of our physical health, we must work on our mental well-being and evaluate potential roadblocks that might affect our performance. For example, you might be physically prepared for competition, but you will struggle to perform at your best if you’re anxious, full of doubt, and unable to sleep because of overthinking.?

What Is The Purpose of Mental Periodization

It can be challenging to wrap your head around a concept if you don’t understand how it could benefit you in the real world. So, let’s consider the potential benefits of mental periodization and how you might view it.

The literature recognizes mental periodization as a new approach to mental conditioning, aiming to support peak performance at a specific time. To achieve that, it must help people in three ways:

1. Promote Mental Well-Being

The first and perhaps most important objective of such a mental conditioning protocol is to teach people how to control their thoughts.?

Athletes need to learn how to manage overthinking because it leads to excessive worrying, anxiety, and, often, fear.?

Anxiety and fear might not seem all that bad. After all, these are some of the most basic emotions we can experience. The problem is, they often manifest in physical ways: dizziness, shakiness, shortness of breath, accelerated heart rate, etc.

It’s impossible to eliminate such feelings entirely because we are human. But as with physical training, minor improvements can add to tremendous results.

2. Support The Process

Good qualities athletes should strive to develop include:

• The ability to focus on the task at hand
• Optimism that good results are possible
• Confidence that the athlete can express their true potential
• Calmness under pressure to ensure optimal performance

In addition to being necessary for peak performance during an official competition, these qualities play an integral role in a person’s process.

For example, a calm, optimistic, and confident athlete, capable of focusing and avoiding distraction, will find it much easier to stay on track, be motivated, and excel. These qualities are also likely integral for achieving a flow state, also known as being in the zone.

?In contrast, someone full of self-doubt, pessimistic about their future performance, and unable to follow one path until success is bound to fail, or, at the very least, not perform as well.

Therefore, a good mental conditioning program should help athletes progress toward these outcomes.

3. Contribute to Peak Performance

The final way mental training can (and should) help is the most obvious and the reason why many athletes utilize it: to promote peak performance at the right time.

Optimism, confidence, calmness under pressure, and focus are crucial for performing at your best, regardless of the sport, discipline, or endeavor.

How to Apply Mental Periodization in Practice

As with physical training, mental conditioning will also vary from person to person because everyone has unique needs. It’s essential to examine each athlete to determine what traits they might be struggling with.

For example, working to improve the focus of an athlete who has never struggled to pursue one path might not benefit them. Similarly, why spend a lot of time helping a laid-back person become even more relaxed?

One helpful approach could be to present a variety of mental training exercises to a person, helping them try them out, and giving them a chance to determine which skills they should develop. One study from 1985 found that athletes choosing their mental training exercises had similar success to those following a pre-made plan.

It’s also worth noting that no single approach designed to develop a skill will work great for everyone. If you’re a coach or someone interested in working on your mental conditioning, learn multiple techniques and examine how effective each is for yourself or a client.

A person might respond poorly to a commonly-used tactic but brilliantly to a less popular one, so don’t be afraid to experiment and push the boundaries.

Below is a list of some popular tactics, categorized based on category:

While there is plenty of information on these tactics and countless others, knowledge is rarely presented on how an athlete might coordinate their mental and physical training.?

Unfortunately, lacking a clear plan for mental training, especially in relation to other types of training, can present issues. For example, what if a coach realizes halfway through the season that the players are dealing with confidence issues??

The coach can begin a mental training program to address the issue, which would undoubtedly be better than nothing. Still, it would probably not be enough to help athletes eliminate the issue and achieve peak performance.?

A better approach would be to plan the physical and mental training together. First, it is necessary to develop basic mental skills, such as:

• Engaging in positive self-talk
• Learning to relax in everyday life and during practice
• Setting effective goal then, athletes must work on sports-specific mental skills. These will vary from discipline to discipline, but some of the common ones include the following:
• Using mental imagery
• Managing emotions
• Learning to stay calm during high-pressure situations
• Learn how to get and stay motivated

Once a person is confident in their mental preparation, they can work on individual competition strategies.

When looking at the bigger picture, we can conclude that the more specific a physical training plan becomes, the more athletes should focus on sports-specific mental skills.

Gregg Swanson is a mental strength and peak performance coach. He specializes in individuals in highly competitive, stressful environments, who want to gain back control of their lives, excel at their profession and build renewed confidence so they can crush it at work, home and life! You can grab his guide to Mental Strength 101 HERE.