Wednesday, August 9, 2017

Mental State When Exhausted: Tips to Try

A friend posted on FB after the Omega stop last weekend that she noticed she was mentally drained during one of her matches because there was a long wait-time between playing her matches (we had 123 players and it was a very long weekend!).

I asked a fellow player her thoughts (National and State Champion, Amanda Lampert) and she thought it sounded more like endurance than mental exhaustion.  Here are some tips she shared to help her own endurance during long waits:
  • Walk outside for a change in the atmosphere.  Every time you walk back in, it's like a new start!
  • Cool off in the bathroom a bit every few hours (that's where it's usually cooler). 
  • Drink more water than usual (keep hydrated!)
  • Eat almonds or cashews for protein/energy, or a protein bar.
  • Don't try new energy drinks during an event - you never know how your body and mind might react to them.

My friend looking for advice shared:

"The wait exhausted me...my first match after that long wait was against a very tough player....I went hill hill in that match....I just could not capitalize on his missed shots."

Although endurance can be a cause of not capitalizing, it's still a great time to take advantage and notice what is going on right away and resolve it.  If you feel you are missing because you are tired, go to your tips to overcome that.

Here are some things to try to get your more energized:
  • I sometimes go to the bathroom and do jumping jacks (yes, seriously),
  • drink COLD water,
  • eat a small snack,
  • take a shot if you need it, lol,
  • do jumping jacks in the bathroom to get energy,
  • put your hair up (changing your hair in this way is like a new person),
  • suck on some mints, or
  • even use paper as a small fan to get air circulating and "wake" you up,
  • wash your face.

Again, the key is to figure out right away (which I just recently wrote about) what is going on so you can resolve it.  Even it's it endurance or being exhausted that may be causing our misses, there are tips that can help put us in a better position to play our best.


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