The book, Aristotle: The Politics and the Constitution of Athens, by Aristotle, translated by Dr Steven Everson, discusses gymnastics’ impact on the mind.  Aristotle discusses four areas of education: writing, gymnastics, music, and drawing.

Why am I telling you this? Because the mental aspect of gymnastics is one of the most crucial…and even Aristotle knew that.   

Mental Blocks are the most common set backs in the sport.  Sometimes they happen because of an injury but other times they happen for no apparent reason.  Mental blocks can even happen on a skill that once seemed second nature.

The most common mistake when dealing with mental blocks is to keep attempting the skill until the block is gone.  This is a great technique if you want to risk injury and spend hours getting discouraged.  But if that doesn’t sound appealing to you, here are some other things you could try.

For starters, take a step back.  If your mental block is preventing you from doing a double full, then step back and do some fulls.  With every full you do, visualize the double in your mind.  The visualization and action will give you back a sense of what the skill feels like.  This will then, give you the confidence you need to go for it.

Another thing to remember is mental blocks are all about mental manipulation.  Affirmations help. Really. Tell yourself you can do it and trust that your body has been trained to do what it needs to do.  My go to trick for beam blocks was to count to three and go.  The longer you stand on the beam, over thinking, the less likely you are to go for the skill.

Most importantly, do not neglect your support system.  Your coaches and teammates are there for a reason.  Go to them and ask for motivation.  After all, these people are like your second family.  Sometimes, having someone else believe in you is all you need to get past a psychological setback.


More from Jessica Macay:
The Quit Factor
Collegiate Gymnastics Magnifies the Role of Teamwork