Overcoming Mental Blocks
Ben Simmons. He's become an unfortunate example of mental blocks when there is a disconnect between the mind and body or between our conscious and unconscious minds. We may all recall the infamous stretch of games where he struggled to take, let alone make, layups. Did we stop to think about what may have led to that unfortunate cascade in performance? Mental struggles are common among athletes of all levels, from professionals to youth athletes.
What Might Be Causing These Mental Struggles?
Successfully performing requires synchronicity between our minds and bodies. However, mental block symptoms may arise when this state is not achieved, such as performance anxiety and fear of performing the skill. These blocks are usually caused by a lack of trust in one's skills, which can stem from various sources, such as fear of injury, fear of failure, aiming for perfection, or obsessing over past mistakes. In such cases, the problem lies in our perception rather than our skills, the situation, or our mind. For instance, Ben Simmons, a 6'10" point guard/power forward in the NBA, was known for his ability to attack the rim and dunk effortlessly. However, during the 2019-2020 playoffs, after a few months of underperforming, he passed up an open dunk and chose to pass the ball instead. This struggle was also depicted by former NBA player Jim Jackson saying: "He's in there knocking down free throws in open rec. He's doing it. But when the lights come on, and you don't see instant success with that first shot, there goes the work you just put in, rolled out the door. Mentally, he's not strong enough to fight through that fact. That's a psychological issue. Forget about basketball." When athletes' performance becomes their defining characteristic, it can overshadow their identity. This can make distinguishing between the athlete and their actions challenging, leading the athlete to identify with their mistakes.
What is it that causes athletes to become "blocked"?
Ben Simmons faces challenging crowds with strong opinions while competing at the highest level. A missed shot or defensive error can lead to his self-criticism and the criticism of thousands of fans. This can have a lasting impact on athletic identity. It's not the mistake itself that's the issue, but rather his perception of it that affects his behavior moving forward. His thoughts and self-judgment can create a mindset shift that continues influencing his performance. As a result, stepping onto the court can become more intimidating than the original mistake. These perceptions can control his behavior and affect his performance on the court.
Why is my perception so important?
When facing a mental block, your perception can become more accurate. It may seem puzzling, but when basketball player misses a shot, it can affect their behavior because they start having negative thoughts about themselves. To explain this further, imagine you are learning how to ski. In the early stages of skiing, focusing on where you WANT to go is recommended, not where you DON'T want to go. This is because your actions follow suit when concentrating on the undesired destination. As we think about Ben Simmons, he likely has a mental block that made him avoid attempting layups and dunks. This is because when we doubt ourselves, we lose confidence and tend to avoid situations where we feel inadequate. The solution is to change our mental focus.
Mental Blocks are not an issue of willpower. It is more similar to anxiety in how it forms. Here is a graph to better explain it.
You may be wondering how to “fix” a mental block.
Here are 6 steps:
Awareness
Control
Mindfulness
Look in the mirror
Adapt
Calm
Awareness:
The initial step towards overcoming a mental block is recognizing when you're experiencing one. It's important to note that mental blocks can be tricky and disguise themselves as a lack of mental toughness, skill, or willpower. Once you've identified a mental block, controlling your reaction is crucial.
Control:
It can be challenging to manage our mental state in all areas of life, including dealing with mental blocks. We must focus on controlling our thoughts, emotions, and physical body to overcome this. Practicing mindfulness and being present can help us achieve this.
Mindfulness:
Mental blocks can be tricky because their cause lies in the past, but they persist due to the fear of the future. When we dwell on past or future events, managing our bodies in the present moment becomes harder. A classic example is when a bad day starts when we stub our toe, spill coffee, and make mistakes throughout the day. This isn't due to bad luck but because we're so fixated on the past that we neglect the present, leading to even more errors. We can accurately assess our situation and avoid further difficulties by staying mindful of the present.
Look in the mirror:
Take a moment to reflect on your current situation. I've worked with many athletes who are often surprised when I point out their progress over a week. We tend to view everything as unfavorable when we're in a negative mindset. However, setbacks, errors, and anxiety can be positive growth and adaptation opportunities.
Adapt:
In this step, we focus on adapting to your current situation and reprograming your mind. This can be done in several ways. A few of my go-tos are:
Reframing Negative self-beliefs
"I'm the worst player." → "I'm struggling today. But I know I have practiced a lot, and skills don't just disappear. I need to reset."
Shift your focus to having fun.
Visualization (this can be done on your own or with the guidance of a trained therapist/psychologist). Visualize you completing the action that is causing distress.
Physical Relaxation
Calm:
Athletes often struggle with mental blocks due to the physical reactions they experience with anxiety. While the fear or anxiety itself isn't always the main issue, the combination of fear and physical response can be overwhelming. We wouldn't feel as anxious if our bodies felt calm and relaxed. Unfortunately, our physical sensations can distort our perception. To achieve a clear mind and perception, focusing on calming both the mind and body is essential. Here are some recommended exercises for athletes:
Diaphragm breathing, aka belly breaths. Breathe in through your nose —> stomach inflates → breathe out through your mouth LONGER than your inhale → stomach deflates.
Ice or Frozen orange: I love to use ice for anxiety/panic attacks. Put a piece of ice or frozen orange on your skin. First, simply focus on the sensation of the ice and slowly incorporate breathing that feels comfortable for you. The added benefit of the orange is that as it thaws, it provides a number of different grounding stimuli, such as changing texture, smell, and even taste if you choose to eat it.
Cyclic sighing: Dr. Huberman and his colleagues at Standford have made this breathing technique popular. This breathing technique mimics an autonomic response in our body that helps induce the parasympathetic nervous system (rest and digest). You can do this by simply taking a comfortable deep breath in your nose - pausing - taking a second deep inhale - followed by a long slow exhale.
Finally, if you find yourself needing to be more aware and conscious of your movements, for example, during a free throw attempt, you are actively thinking about your leg placement, the feel of your feet on the floor, ensuring that your hand is positioned right on the ball, and trying to get the correct fingers to roll off the ball during your shot. This is a good time to lower the pressure and expectations. Try "widening your lens" and focus on teammates; think about something funny or that you are looking forward to.
By: Logan Stano, LPC, CCTP