What is Energy Management?
Many coaches often urge athletes from the sidelines to "stay relaxed" or "keep calm," but not all athletes possess the necessary skills to heed these instructions. Developing mental skills, particularly those centered on managing energy, can greatly enhance an athlete's performance when they step onto the field or court. Each athlete has a unique optimal energy level at which they excel.
Reflect on a past peak performance and consider the following:
How energized were you feeling? (you can use a 1 (super calm) to 10 (frenetic/hyper) scale to help quantify).
What was the pace of your breathing and heartbeat?
Were your muscles relaxed, tense, or somewhere in between?
Now that you've identified how you felt during peak performance, you can implement the following three-step process to attain your optimal energy level, increasing the likelihood of replicating similar successful performances in the future.
Step 1: Discover Your Optimal Energy Level
The initial step in energy management involves pinpointing your optimal energy level for peak performance. It's worth noting that this optimal level can vary depending on the specific sport or event you're engaged in. What matters most is your ability to recognize it. Consider your energy levels as existing along a spectrum. You might excel in your sport when you maintain a calm demeanor with low intensity. Or you might thrive when you're highly activated with intense energy. Alternatively, you might find yourself somewhere in between these extremes—neither entirely calm nor overly hyper. Once again, draw upon past successful performances to gauge your energy levels, comparing them with those during your less successful performances.
Step 2: Recognize When You're Off-Balance
Once you've determined your ideal intensity or energy level for peak performance, the next step involves recognizing when you're not there. Utilizing fitness trackers can aid in this, particularly in tracking metrics such as heart rate. Additionally, consider evaluating your thoughts: are they relaxed and composed or rapid and racing? Assess whether you feel excessively jittery or overly relaxed, both of which can impede optimal performance.
Step 3: Adjust Your Energy Appropriately
Once you've recognized that your energy levels aren't optimal for peak performance, the next step is learning and executing the necessary techniques to adjust them.
If Your Energy Levels Are Too High:
When your energy levels are too high, relaxation techniques can be beneficial. Simple practices like controlling your breathing can be effective. Slowing down your breath signals the sympathetic nervous system to relax, increasing oxygen flow to the body and relieving tension by dilating blood vessels. Progressive muscle relaxation is another useful technique, involving deliberately tensing and then slowly releasing tension in each muscle group, which can alleviate the muscle tension often associated with overstimulation. Mindfulness techniques, such as centering and focusing solely on the present moment, can also help calm the mind.
If Your Energy Levels Are Too Low:
When you feel fatigued or lacking motivation due to low energy levels, there are also techniques to increase intensity. Engaging in physical activity can quickly activate the cardiovascular system—simple actions like jumping, skipping, or running can help kickstart your energy. Increasing your breathing rate can also activate the sympathetic nervous system. Additionally, using energizing imagery, like visualizing a past peak performance, can boost motivation and intensity. This highlights the importance of establishing pre-competition or pre-performance routines, which are valuable for regulating arousal levels and preparing the athlete mentally and physically for the task ahead.
Takeaway
Once you are aware of the energy/intensity levels at which you perform best, you can recognize when you are not there, and get yourself to where you need to be for peak performance. I hope you enjoyed learning about the importance of managing your energy and intensity levels and how it can benefit you and your performance.
Blog written by: Dr.Michelle Bartlett
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