How (not) to use your thoughts in 5 steps by Michele Grotto

Whether it's the most important match or competition of the season, a job interview or a decision to be made, it makes little difference: either way, there are certain recurring mental patterns that very often lead us astray.

Knowing the automatic thinking mechanisms that can compromise the quality of your performance and results is essential if you are to become aware of how your mind works and discover how to make it work better.

Based on research done in the field, the most common and absolute most limiting mental traps are five. Here they are!

Your mind-like every other human being's-has a tendency to overestimate the likelihood of success and underestimate risks and dangers.

Technically (and if you've been following me for a while, you already know this), this is a systematic thinking error called Overconfidence bias.

The main problem with this bias? That the moment we overestimate our qualities and underestimate possible obstacles along the way, the risk of getting caught unprepared in the event of unforeseen events increases dramatically.

Therefore, in sports and in life, negative thinking can become your best ally.

When you want to prepare really effectively (regardless of the situation and circumstances), ask yourself: what could go wrong? Find all the possible critical issues that could arise and, for each one, identify a strategy to handle it brilliantly.

Remember: only by preparing your mind for the worst can you prepare yourself to handle any unforeseen event to the best of your ability.

Truely enough: very often chance doesn't seem to be on our side and not everything is under our full control.

Sometimes we simply find ourselves dealing with events and situations that we cannot control. With good grace to those who claim that we are the sole architects of our destiny, the reality is that sometimes-as they say in English-shit happens end of story.

But from a neuroscientific point of view there is only one thing worse than bad luck: complaining about bad luck.

Because while it is true that some times our performance is limited by factors outside of our control, it is also true that the only thing that can further aggravate the situation in those cases is to complain about what happened: not only does it not change things, but it stimulates the secretion of a hormonal cocktail of cortisol and norepinephrine (ideal, if you want to ruin your day with a nice stress boost!).

Remember: avoid wasting energy thinking about what is beyond your control and shift your focus to what you can do to turn things around.

We are not "thinking machines that get emotional", but "emotional machines that think" says world-renowned neuroscientist Antonio Damasio.

He is absolutely right: this concept applies in every area of our lives. Even when we have to manage our inner dialogue and want to improve our performance.

Especially when the going gets tough, forgetting about what makes our hearts beat and why we do what we do greatly lowers our levels of dopamine, a key neurotransmitter for performing at our best on a daily basis.

So, ask yourself: what are your biggest "why's"? Why do you do what you do? What are your strongest motivations? Set aside time to find one or more answers to these questions.

Remember: without a strong "why," your mind is unlikely to find the right "how" to overcome the most difficult moments.

No, you are not multitasking: you cannot think about more than one thing at a time.

Yet, it really seems that most people are not at all aware of this feature of our brains. Think about it: how much of your life do you spend mulling over the past and worrying about the future?

Much of our time, in fact, is spent in a time other than the present: instead of thinking about the here and now, we waste precious time elsewhere.

Focusing on the present moment and what you are doing is essential to giving your best, whatever you are doing. Because only by acting with mental presence can you really raise the level of your performance.

Remember: If you stay in the here and now, you have no time to dwell on the past and worry about the future.

While it may be helpful to think about the worst, it is also crucial to be able to look at the best.

Even the most insignificant of mistakes can become the end of the world if exaggerated through thoughts that do nothing but bring us down.

Think about it: how often do you waste time and energy focusing on the individual details that went wrong, instead of appreciating everything that went right?

Well, if it has happened to you at least once in your life, know that you have been affected by what is known as Negativity bias, a tendency of the human mind to place more emphasis on the negative aspects rather than the positive (even when the positive aspects far outnumber the negative).

As Kahneman said, "Nothing in life is as important as you think it is while you are thinking about it." So take care of your thoughts, because where you place your mental focus will determine your emotions and your results.

Remember: it is never the mistake itself that changes the way you feel, but the experience you choose to make of it.

Michele has , in the past year shed so much light on the importance of choosing my thoughts. It may seem dauting at first, but practice does make perfect and if not "perfect" it makes a shift.

A shift towards a better life, a higher perception of who we are and how we take care of ourselves by choosing our thoughts.

Cat