Hypnosis for Sports Performance Anxiety

By Bunny Vreeland

 

Whether you play individual or team sports, are an amateur or experienced athlete, play for junior high, high school, college, or professionally, hypnosis can be used for sports performance anxiety and sports improvement.

 

WebMD defines hypnosis as a state of concentration and focused attention, and explains that with it the mind can be more powerful. You simply have slipped into your subconscious. Research from Harvard Medical School and other institutions is showing evidence that hypnosis is indeed a process of mind over body.

 

Getting into the zone or gaining that edge is a state of mind for athletes. It’s about connecting with the feeling place of having successfully hit the ball, scored a touchdown, set a record or captured a medal.

 

For athletes, there are three main factors that may inhibit sports performance. The first is mental and physical exhaustion. Hypnosis can work to strengthen both body and mind, which equates to increased skill and confidence.

 

Another issue that may block performance is external stimuli such as intimidation by competitors or pressure from parents or teammates to perform well. With hypnosis you can learn to control or reframe that intimidation or misplaced emotion, and even use it to fuel your success.

 

The third factor that can hinder athletic performance is anxiety-based inner dialogue or internal images experienced before or during a game or competition. Hypnosis helps athletes to gain that mental edge by replacing negative self-talk and mental images with positive self-talk, and a more focused, positive, and confident practice of self-visualization. In addition, hypnosis reduces anxiety by promoting relaxation and is used to calm and focus the mind.

 

As WebMD explains, Hypnosisor hypnotherapy uses guided relaxation, intense concentration, and focused attention to achieve a heightened state of awareness that is sometimes called a trance. The person’s attention is so focused while in this state that anything going on around the person is temporarily blocked out or ignored. In this naturally occurring state, a person may focus his or her attention with the help of a trained therapist on specific thoughts or tasks.

 

Hypnosis improves problem solving and resilience, which has been demonstrated in the dramatically improved performance of my clients. With hypnosis, my clients have overcome obstacles, increased their focus, and made great steps in self-improvement, both inside and outside the game. This is evidence, it works!

 

Would you like to know more about how hypnosis can help you with Sports Performance Anxiety? Dr. Bunny Vreeland is Board Certified Clinical Hypnotherapist and has worked with many athletes to help them bring the best to their game.  Contact Dr. Bunny Vreeland at (805) 482-8111