Monthly Archive for November, 2023

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Mindfulness and positive awareness of ourselves

The practice of mindfulness can be extremely helpful in focusing on one’s positive qualities and maintaining concentration on what is beautiful and significant in one’s life. Here is a potential mindfulness program to remain focused on the beautiful aspects of oneself:

  1. Breath Awareness - Start with a practice of mindful breathing. Find a quiet place, sit or lie down comfortably, and bring your attention to your breath. Notice how the air enters and leaves your body. This helps calm the mind and enter a state of presence in the present moment.
  2. Recognizing Positive Thoughts - Throughout the day, pay attention to positive thoughts about yourself. When thoughts of appreciation, gratitude, or self-love arise, take a moment to acknowledge them without judgment. You might jot them down in a journal to keep track of them.
  3. Practice Gratitude towards Oneself - Dedicate time each day to reflect on at least three things you love about yourself or are grateful for. They could be skills, personal qualities, relationships, or even small daily successes. Focus on how these positive aspects influence your life.
  4. Active Listening and Compassion - When interacting with others, practice active listening. Pay attention to what they say that’s positive about you or your actions. Even if they might be small things, accept them with gratitude and compassion toward yourself.
  5. Mindfulness in Movement - During daily activities like taking a walk, stretching, or doing household chores, be aware of your body’s movements and the sensations you experience. This helps you maintain awareness of the present moment and appreciate your physical abilities.
  6. Mindfulness in Leisure Time - When you have free time, dedicate it to yourself without external distractions. You can practice guided meditation, listen to relaxing music, read an inspiring book, or engage in activities that connect you with yourself and your passions.
  7. Daily Self-Reflection - Before going to bed, take a few minutes to reflect on the day that just passed. Observe and acknowledge the moments when you cultivated positive thoughts about yourself or practiced gratitude. This practice can help reinforce a positive mindset.
  8. Positive Visualization - Set aside time each day for visualizing yourself in positive and rewarding situations. Imagine yourself achieving your goals, feeling fully happy and fulfilled. This practice can help you create an emotional connection with your desires and goals, reinforcing a positive mindset.
  9. Cultivating Kindness Toward Oneself - Practice kindness toward yourself as you would with a dear friend. When facing difficulties or moments of self-criticism, be compassionate and kind to yourself instead of judging yourself harshly. Use reassuring and loving phrases to support yourself in challenging times.
  10. Creating an Inner Safe Space - Dedicate time each day to create an internal space of calm and serenity. This can be done through meditation, visualization, or repeating positive affirmations. This internal space becomes a place where you can retreat when you need to renew your energy and strengthen your self-confidence.

Remember that the practice of mindfulness requires time and consistency. Maintaining a kind and compassionate attitude toward yourself is essential. This program can be adapted and personalized according to your individual needs and preferences.”

Marie-Louise Eta, coach in Bundesliga

Historic news for professional soccer, Marie-Louise Eta,, will be the first woman on a Bundesliga bench in the role of deputy to Marco Grote new coach of Union Berlin. A former midfielder for Potsdam, Hamburg, Cloppenburg and Werder Bremen, Eta, 32, joined Union’s coaching staff last summer and quickly climbed the ranks. Never has a woman coached in the Bundesliga,

This is not the first time a woman has coached men, not only in soccer. In Germany it had already happened with Inka Grings, who led at Al-Gadaref’s Al-Ahly. So did Helena Costa, from Portugal, who in France was the coach of Clermont or Milagros ‘Mila’ Martinez, first in Japan and then in Mexico.

In Italy, Patrizia Panico, a former striker for Lazio and the national team (110 goals in 204 games), coached fella Fiorentina, women’s, from 2017 to 2021 and was in charge of the men’s Azzurri teams, sometimes as a deputy other as a bench holder.

In the NBA Becky Hammon became a coach and Paul Gasol commented, “In 72 years there has never been a woman head coach in the NBA… Becky Hammon can coach in the NBA. Period. I saw it in practice when she noticed problems and points more than other coaches, after that I haven’t had a bad pass all season.”

Imke Wübbenhorst‘s response, during her time on the bench of Bv Cloppenburg (Germany), to reporters who asked her if the players wore pants before she entered the locker room was remarkable: “Of course not,” she said, “I am a professional. I choose soccer players by the size of their penis.”

How do you think before an events?

Wanting to spend all your time thinking about what you are going to do, not what is going to happen. That works. I’m sure it works.

Too often athletes think about the outcome they want to achieve, they tell themselves, “I’m going to jump that measure, I’m going to take that shot, I’m going to make that point, I’m going to score a goal.” These thoughts structure the future but say nothing about what the athlete will do.

The goal is to focus on what you want to do, which corresponds to doing what you know how to do. This mental approach stimulates belief, which in turn is based precisely on positive past experiences. Thus, training in the competition period should be about mostly repeating what you know how to do; you certainly do not want to put doubts in your mind before a competition.

How many work in this way, and how many, on the other hand, until the last day are committed to making corrections? How can one have a strong belief in one’s skills if until the last day one is working on flaws?

You improve not only by perfecting your skills but also by doing more and more of what you know how to do. And how can this happen if training always poses new challenges and never emphasizes continuity?

I hope I have provided some food for thought.

The team cohesion is the key factor for a team

Managers are fired on the basis of disappointing results, but there is not always an unambiguous answer to identify the reasons for a team’s negative performance, which in this case corresponds to Napoli. In business, it is well known that the best performance is produced by individuals and teams that are motivated and well paid. In professional teams, economic aspect is not an insurmountable problem while lack of motivation is a serious problem.

The motivation displayed on the field by the team is a representation of the positive or negative coach-player relationship. There are ways to foster it that every manager should be aware of, among them: encouraging participation by listening to the players’ input, rewarding unselfish and cooperative behavior, giving everyone challenging and achievable goals, demanding and encouraging maximum effort and constantly reinforcing it, always supporting the team when it is in trouble while giving maximum effort, spending time to evaluate with the players the effort given in training and games.If this approach is not pursued, it is easy for players to start not playing as well as they know how, reducing their commitment.

Great goals are pursued only in an environment where collaboration on the field is cultivated as a valuable asset. when some significant players feel excluded by the coach usually the whole system rebels, even more so when coming from a prodigious season like the past one. The manager is the absolute leader of the team, but he cannot impose his ideas by using the process of excluding some players.

The women’s national volleyball team is another recent example of this approach. Cohesion, and victories, are not achieved by downsizing the role of key players. This formula of asserting one’s mentality at any cost is a losing example of leadership.

Needs to manage the post- olympic blues

Holly Bradshaw, Karen Howells & Mathijs Lucassen (2022) Abandoned to manage the post-Olympic blues: Olympians reflect on their experiences and the need for a change, Qualitative Research in Sport, Exercise and Health, 14:5, 706-723.

The post-Olympic period is complex and distressing for many Olympic athletes; preparing for the likely impacts of the Olympic Games amongst returning athletes is fundamental in managing the negative responses articulated as the post-Olympic blues.

Mindful of the need for the development of interventions that can support athletes, this study engaged Olympic athletes in: (a) discussing their experiences relating to the Olympic and post-Olympic periods and, (b) informing the researchers on Olympians’ opinions on the management of the post-Olympic blues. Fourteen Olympic athletes from the United Kingdom took part in focus groups which were analysed using Thematic Analysis. The analysis produced six mutually exclusive themes, The Olympic Dream, The Olympic Nightmare, Commodification, Perceptions of Social Support, Limited Preparation, and Managing and Overcoming.

Through these themes the Olympians provided suggestions into how the content and potential facilitation of future interventions could better support athletes through their experiences. The findings were clear, Olympic athletes irrespective of whether they had previously competed in an Olympic Games expressed a desire for support in preparing for the post-Olympic experience.

They expressed that this should be delivered primarily after the Olympic Games, with several athletes highlighting the value of an awareness raising session beforehand. Athletes proposed a shift away from expert sport psychology delivery of interventions in favour of a programme which was pragmatic in terms of content and delivered by former Olympians.

How does anxiety help to become more resilient?

Anxiety is often perceived as a negative emotion, but in certain contexts, it can contribute to personal growth and resilience. Here are some ways in which anxiety might be related to resilience:

  1. Heightened awareness of danger - Anxiety can make a person more aware and attentive to potential dangers. This heightened state of alertness can be useful in situations where quick reactions and adaptation to new circumstances are necessary.
  2. Performance enhancement - In some situations, a moderate level of anxiety can improve performance. Anxiety can serve as a stimulus for facing challenges and tasks, pushing individuals to give their best to overcome difficulties.
  3. Development of coping strategies - The experience of anxiety can lead people to develop more effective coping strategies. These strategies may include learning stress management techniques, enhancing problem-solving skills, and adopting more positive attitudes in the face of challenges.
  4. Increased emotional awareness - Anxiety can make individuals more aware of their emotions and stressful situations. This awareness can be a crucial step toward emotional management and building resilience.
  5. Enhanced adaptability - Anxiety may be associated with experiences of uncertainty. Through managing such situations, people can develop greater flexibility and adaptability, which are key aspects of resilience.

However, it’s important to note that not everyone responds to anxiety in the same way, and excessive anxiety can have negative effects on mental and physical health. The key is to find a healthy balance and learn to manage anxiety constructively. Seeking help from mental health professionals can be valuable in developing appropriate coping strategies and improving resilience.

Is Sinner already a champions?

In January 2022, Jannik Sinner, the young Italian tennis player, underwent significant progress in his tennis career. Already at a relatively young age, he had demonstrated extraordinary talent and had gained international recognition for his skills and potential.

At that time, Sinner had won several ATP tournaments and had secured a place among the top 10 players in the ATP rankings. However, describing him as a ‘tennis champion’ might require a bit more time and notable victories in Grand Slam tournaments such as Wimbledon, the US Open, the Australian Open, or Roland Garros.

The shift from a talented tennis player to a bona fide champion necessitates consistency, outstanding performances in major tournaments, and continual ascension in the world rankings. While Sinner has showcased immense potential and achieved significant success on the ATP circuit, the designation of ‘tennis champion’ often coincides with a player’s attainment of high-level milestones and a sustained record of excellence across various conditions and tournaments.

Sinner undeniably possesses the talent and potential to ascend to the level of a tennis champion, but as of January 2022, he was still regarded as an up-and-coming young tennis player with promising prospects for the trajectory of his sports career.

Sedentariness is growing

Garcia-Hermoso A, López-Gil JF, Ramírez-Vélez R, Alonso-Martínez AM, Izquierdo M, Ezzatvar Y. Adherence to aerobic and muscle-strengthening activities guidelines: a systematic review and meta-analysis of 3.3 million participants across 32 countries. Br J Sports Med. 2023 Feb;57(4):225-229.

This study has estimated the global prevalence of meeting the WHO guidelines for both aerobic and muscle-strengthening activities (MSA) in populations aged ≥5 years, and whenever possible has explored this prevalence according to sociodemographic and lifestyle factors.

Twenty-one studies comprising 3 390 001 individuals from 32 countries were included (Australia, Europe, Republic of Korea e Usa) Overall adherence to the aerobic and MSA guidelines was 17.12% (95% CI 15.42% to 18.88%) in adults ≥18 years (n=3 346 723). Among adolescents aged 12–17 years, adherence to both guidelines was 19.74% (95% CI 14.72% to 25.31%) (n=43 278). No studies reported data for children aged 5–11 years. Women, older age, low/medium education levels, underweight or obesity, and poor and moderate self-rated health were associated with lower adherence to the physical activity guidelines (p<0.001) among adults, although the prevalence remained very low in all cases. Subgroup analyses were not conducted with children and adolescents due to a lack of studies.

Conclusions: only one out of five adolescents and adults met the recommended combined aerobic and MSA guidelines. Large-scale public health interventions promoting both types of exercise are needed to reduce the associated burden of non-communicable diseases.

Exercise as medicine for depression

Interesting summary poster on the usefulness of motor activity in the treatment of depression by the British Journal of Medicine.

How does anxiety help to become more resilient?

Anxiety is often perceived as a negative emotion, but in certain contexts, it can contribute to personal growth and resilience. Here are some ways in which anxiety might be related to resilience:

  1. Heightened awareness of danger: Anxiety can make a person more aware and attentive to potential dangers. This heightened state of alertness can be useful in situations where quick reactions and adaptation to new circumstances are necessary.
  2. Performance enhancement: In some situations, a moderate level of anxiety can improve performance. Anxiety can serve as a stimulus for facing challenges and tasks, pushing individuals to give their best to overcome difficulties.
  3. Development of coping strategies: The experience of anxiety can lead people to develop more effective coping strategies. These strategies may include learning stress management techniques, enhancing problem-solving skills, and adopting more positive attitudes in the face of challenges.
  4. Increased emotional awareness: Anxiety can make individuals more aware of their emotions and stressful situations. This awareness can be a crucial step toward emotional management and building resilience.
  5. Enhanced adaptability: Anxiety may be associated with experiences of uncertainty. Through managing such situations, people can develop greater flexibility and adaptability, which are key aspects of resilience.

However, it’s important to note that not everyone responds to anxiety in the same way, and excessive anxiety can have negative effects on mental and physical health. The key is to find a healthy balance and learn to manage anxiety constructively. Seeking help from mental health professionals can be valuable in developing appropriate coping strategies and improving resilience.