How the cognitive-behavioral model enhances sports performance

This is how cognitive-behavioral psychology enhances sports performance.

Sport is much more than a physical phenomenon embodied by the movements and the coordinated activation of the body's muscles; behind all that superficial and directly observable layer, there are psychological and emotional factors to be taken into account.

In the same way that a sporting competition is not always won by the strongest or most agile person, everything related to the management of emotions, thoughts and behavior in general is a piece without which we have an incomplete vision of sporting performance.

Therefore, in this article we will see how to work to improve sports performance from one of the most effective models of psychological intervention: cognitive-behavioral..

What is cognitive-behavioral therapy?

What is the goal of psychological intervention? The answer to this question depends, among other things, on the problems and needs that the person who comes to the professional wants to address; but it also depends on the theoretical-practical model from which the psychologist starts. Something as complex as mental and behavioral phenomena can be approached from different philosophical and meta-psychological perspectives, i.e., the systems of concepts through which one defines what is happening and what can be done.

Cognitive-behavioral therapy is, as its name indicates, a model in which the psychological is classified into two categories. the psychological is classified into two main categoriesThe cognitive-behavioral model proposes to intervene through these two pathways: the behavioral, which can be observed directly and objectively by other people, and the cognitive, which refers to the thought patterns and belief systems from which people interpret what they perceive.

Thus, the cognitive-behavioral model proposes to intervene through these two ways: the mental processes that constitute the way of thinking and feeling of the person, and his or her way of interacting with his or her environment and with others through habits, customs, etc. Approaching the problem from both fronts allows us to obtain results more quickly and consistently, since these two processes reinforce each other.

How can sports performance be improved from this model of psychology?

What we have seen so far serves to understand the way in which the cognitive-behavioral model is used to provide effective solutions for the person seeking psychological change; but this is not limited to intervention in psychopathologies. The same principles can be used in people who do not present diagnosable disorders and who want to progress in some aspect. Therefore, it is also used in sports psychology. These are some of its main functions.

1. Development of time management habits

Time management is key in any training process.. Small problems in this area can significantly limit the athlete's progress in the short, medium and long term. For this reason, the cognitive-behavioral model works, if necessary, to make the person commit to his or her training program and not fall into comfortable and self-complacent dynamics that anchor him or her to his or her comfort zone.

2. Development of self-motivation capacity

Achieving self-motivation is very important especially in the early stages of following a training program, as well as before important events in one's own sporting career.. In this way it is more difficult to give in to the small satisfactions that come at the cost of giving up much greater rewards that we can achieve in the medium and long term.

3. Strengthening the skills of attentional management

Knowing how to direct one's focus of attention to what matters is one of the most important aspects of sports psychology; it depends on not wasting time with distractions both in the preparation of tests and during key sports events.. From the cognitive-behavioral model, training methods are proposed to manage the ability to concentrate well, isolate distractions, etc.

4. Management of negative emotions

Anxiety and discouragementAlthough they are not in themselves a problem in all cases, they are part of the emotions and feelings that can lead athletes to self-sabotage if they do not know how to manage them well. Therefore, psychologists help in the process of quick and reliable identification of emotions and application of measures to channel them properly.

5. Adaptation to good dynamics of socialization and interaction with the environment.

Life doesn't end with the hours spent in sport, and everything that happens during those hours away from the practice field also influences performance, as well as emotional well-being.. Cognitive-behavioral psychological intervention works to detect possible problems in time, develop habits that make it possible to be happy beyond sport, spend quality time with others, etc.

Do you want to count on professional psychological assistance?

If you dedicate part of your time to sports and you are interested in having sports psychology services, please contact me. I am a psychologist specialized in the cognitive-behavioral intervention model and I have been working for many years both with individuals and with companies and organizations, either face-to-face or online.

Bibliographical references:

• Beck, J.S. (2011). Cognitive behavior therapy: Basics and beyond. Nueva York, NY: The Guilford Press.
• Brewin, C.R. (1996). Theoretical foundations of cognitive-behavior therapy for anxiety and depression. Annual Review of Psychology. 47: pp. 33 - 57.
• Danish, S.J.; Hale, B.D. (1981). Toward an understanding of the practice of sport psychology. Journal of Sport Psychology, 3(2): pp. 90 - 99.
• Nachon, C. y Nascimbene, F. (2001), Introducción a la Psicología del deporte. Buenos Aires: Libros del Rojas.
• Pinto, C.; Philip, T. (ed.) (2009). La terapia cognitivo‐conductual. Londres y España: Sociedad española de psiquiatría y Royal College of Psychiatrists.
• Tenenbaum, G.; Eklund, R.C. (2007). Handbook of Sport Psychology. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons.