Mental Performance - University at Buffalo

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Stress Management

The P.E.R.F.E.C.T. approach

P – Positive Self-Talk
E – Embrace Adversity
R – Reverse Engineer
F – Focus on the Now
E – Evolve
C – Chill Out
T – Talk it out

Get enough sleep
Eat well
Exercise
Avoid unnatural energy
boosters
Get emotional support
Try not to overload yourself

Time Management

Take advantage of resources that the academic department has available
Office of Academic Affairs: 548 Capen Hall, North Campus
How to get a tutor
Do you know who your advisor is? Do they know who you are?
Find out! He/she will be helpful in your four years here
Understand requirements for your major and graduation
Plan manageable course loads
Speak individually with all instructors regarding absences due to competition – IN ADVANCE!
Set academic goals as you would athletic goals
Make a “to-do” list and prioritize the list
Keep a daily/weekly planner

Relaxation Techniques

Having trouble sleeping, need a little “me time,” or feel your body is worn out by all the demands on it, both physically and mentally? Progressive muscle relaxation (PMR) can help relax tired and stressed bodies and minds and prepare you for a good night of sleep.

This tool can be used when dealing with anxiety, stress, sleep difficulties, depression, and overall well being. Learning how to relax is a skill which can be used in any situation. Just as it takes time and practice to learn skills for your sport, PMR takes time and practice, but the benefits can be exponentially rewarding. This activity is most effective when you can carve out 15 to 30 minutes of time with minimal distractions. Bedtime can be ideal, but there are other times when it can be effective and it can be done both lying down and seated.

There are many apps on your phone, which can be used to guide you through a full relaxation, for example: Rest & Relax Guided Meditations. Below is also a guide to understanding and conducting your own progressive muscle relaxation.


Progressive Muscle Relaxation	Reduce Stress and Anxiety	Five of the Best Sleep-Guided Meditations

BREATHING STRATEGIES

Breathing is a function of life we rarely think about and comes to us as second nature. Nevertheless, focused breathing can have profound effects on your ability to relax, regulate your emotions, reduce anxiety, and distract your mind from potential negative thoughts. Every individual is different, however using some of these simple breathing exercises can help you benefit from deep mindful breathing in stressful situations.

Relaxation Breathing	Double Exhale	10-Second Breath
You can implement this exercise while standing or sitting, before a competition, in the classroom, or at home. The great thing about relaxation breathing is that it is a tool which you can use anywhere and anytime to help manage stress and emotion. Be in a comfortable sitting or standing position. If seated, have your feet planted on the ground Put one hand on your stomach and one hand on your upper chest Close your eyes if you are comfortable with that, but it’s fine to have them open Take a slow deep breath in through your nose, send the breath down to your stomach and try to move the hand on your stomach out, while minimizing the movement in your chest Exhale through your mouth or nose, noticing that the hand on your stomach sinks in as you empty the air out Ideally, your breath is passing down through your chest to go lower into your diaphragm area Repeat	Another useful breathing strategy is called the Double Exhale. Follow the steps of the Relaxation Breathing exercise, but before repeating it, do a second exhale to push out as much air as possible. This will make room for a fuller inhale the next time. You can also think of it as pushing out more of that negative unwanted emotion which may still be in our system.	Be in a comfortable sitting or standing position.If seated, have your feet planted on the ground Put one hand on your stomach and one hand on your upper chest Close your eyes Take a slow deep breath in through your nose, send the breath down to your stomach and try to move the hand on your stomach out while minimizing the movement in your chest As you inhale count to four, stretching the inhale over the full count Exhale through your mouth over a the full count of six Repeat

COGNITIVE SKILLS & STRATEGIES

There are many things to focus on in life. Add in the pressures of being a student-athlete to the load of an everyday college student and you can be overwhelmed. Nevertheless, helpful cognitive skills and strategies can be employed to process difficult times and achieve positive outcomes.

Cognitive Reframing

Mindful Self-Compassion

Cognitive reframing, also known as cognitive restructuring, is a skill taught to individuals to notice negative and intrusive thoughts and actively work to challenge/change those thoughts.

Four steps to change your thinking:

Pay attention to your thoughts. Often we do not realize how negatively we talk to ourselves.
Notice when these thoughts typically occur. This allows you to anticipate and manage negative or untrue thoughts.
Challenge negative thoughts. Asking a few questions can be helpful:
- What would I tell a friend in this situation?
  Is there another way to look at this situation?
  What is the real evidence that my thoughts are true?
  What would my first step be to cope, if my worries turned out to be true?
Replace negative and untrue thoughts with more realistic or helpful thoughts.

The biggest marker of success with this skill is practice. Mastering cognitive reframing does not happen overnight. The more you practice, the easier it becomes and the less time it takes to challenge the thoughts you may be having.

Mindful self-compassion is a skill rooted in the idea of accepting who you are. This means accepting the good and bad, the success and failure. Mindful self-compassion teaches us how to take a step back from a situation, understand that nobody is perfect, and learn to love and accept ourselves for our imperfections. The first step to utilizing mindful self-compassion is understanding that everyone experiences failure. For many of us, when faced with failure, we immediately judge, criticize, and think negatively about ourselves. The goal of mindful self-compassion is to better respond to ourselves and our failings with kindness and self-understanding. To build mindful self-compassion:

Write down a list of 10 positive affirmations about yourself that you can look at when you find yourself in a negative space.
Set a goal of writing three positive things about yourself, or about your day, before going to bed. This can help you to get in the habit of recognizing the good within yourself.

Sleep hygiene

Good sleep habits (sometimes referred to as “sleep hygiene”) can help you get a good night’s sleep.

Some habits that can improve your sleep health:

Be consistent. Go to bed at the same time each night and get up at the same time each morning, including on the weekends (as much as you can control)
Make sure your bedroom is quiet, dark, relaxing, and at a comfortable temperature
Remove electronic devices, such as TVs, computers, and smart phones, from the bedroom
Avoid large meals and caffeine before bedtime

Helpful sleep/relaxation apps

Breathe2Relax	Calm.com - White Noise	Headspace

University at Buffalo Athletics

Progressive Muscle Relaxation

Reduce Stress and Anxiety

Five of the Best Sleep-Guided Meditations

Good sleep habits (sometimes referred to as “sleep hygiene”) can help you get a good night’s sleep.