The importance of a positive mindset in reducing stress & worry (Rafa Nadal)
Rafa’s post match press conferences always help me keep things in perspective when I’m having a hard time of something.
When he wins he shows great respect and praise for his opponent whilst acknowledging his own skills and efforts. When he loses he shows great respect and praise for his opponent, acknowledging he was outplayed on the day and needs to practice more. Whether he wins or loses he always shows gratitude for the experience.
Rafa always accepts responsibility for how he plays and the efforts he puts in and never blames anyone else for not succeeding. He is gracious & philosophical about his loses, he celebrates his victories and looks for ways on how to improve.
He plays in the now. He plays one point at a time and forgets as best as he can about the last point focussing on the next. He prepares one game at a time, not on his next opponent, and only thinks about the final until he gets there. And he always, always, “plays to his limits”.
When I start worrying or stressing about the future (personal or business) or feel sad about the past, listening to a Rafa press conference brings me back to now. Right now, I am safe. Right now, I have food in my fridge. Right now, I have a roof over my head. Right now, I can pay my bills. Right now, I have done the best that I can.
Worrying will not change the outcome of tomorrow or keep next week into check. Worrying takes away my focus from what I need to do today, to better myself or my situation, and taking one step at a time, doing the best that I can right now. This is the only way to have peace in every day life.
In the words of the great champ himself “To me, winning is the result, the equivalent of lots of effort; therefore, I feel more serene and personally I’m very satisfied”.
So, instead I focus on what I need to do today. I focus on the next step, not the whole journey, not the finish line as I know it increases my anxiety & begins the slippery slope of the downward spiral into self-doubt…worst still it cripples me through inaction.
So, my suggestion to you is to:
- Break down your project/problem/worry into bite-sized manageable parts
- Determine what the first step is that you need to take action on
- Focus on that one step only
- When you have ticked that off, only then do you look at what the next step is.
- Stay focussed, stay disciplined – don’t get distracted by the ‘whole’ project.
- And regularly look back at what you have accomplished, the steps that you have taken and how far you have come. Celebrate your achievements!
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Mary Bobokis is a Holistic Business Counsellor & Coach who focusses on teaching women how to reduce stress, worrying & anxiety and eliminating the thoughts and feelings that cause them distress. Based in Sydney, Australia, Mary works Online.