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Mental skills need regular practice to become reliable tools under pressure.

Reframing replaces catastrophic thoughts with realistic, useful ones.

Instructional self-talk guides execution; motivational self-talk builds confidence and drive.

Mental rehearsal engages processes similar to physical practice and can improve technical skills.

Mental skills, also called psychological skills, are those mental abilities that allow us to do everything from getting up off the couch, getting through a rough day, managing a pressurized situation, and realizing our potential. These can be learned and honed to meet our individualized needs, and with practice, facilitate both small and large changes in our everyday and game time performance.

Want to be more motivated? Want to learn to handle stress better? Want to improve your run times? Want to start exercising? Want to do better on tests? Want more confidence? You get the idea. These skills can help.

Some foundational mental skills for performance optimization are deep breathing, relaxation skills, self-talk, a reset routine, cognitive reframing, and visualization/imagery.

Deep breathing is a foundational mental skill to incorporate into your mental skills playbook. Deep breathing is key to physical health, mental health, pain management, stress management, emotional control, and cognitive focus in high-stakes situations. Regularly practicing deep breathing is key to being able to........

© Psychology Today