Embracing a Positive Mindset During a Pandemic
by Nadezhda Pavlova
In an ongoing global pandemic, many athletes feel frustrated, angry and overwhelmed. This is because they had greater goals for 2020, only for news of race postponement or cancellation to hit home.
Instead of looming on despair due to the compensations we had to adjust, it would be essential to have a positive mindset to keep us going in the trials of this plagued year. Read through to see how to keep alive a positive mindset.
If you are like most athletes, you had set realistic goals that you hoped to achieve by the end of the year. As we come to the end of 2020, it can be easy to look back and feel like you haven’t achieved anything substantial. However, you should not allow yourself to dwell on the negative space for a long time.
Making a habit of being grateful to the little things we receive each day yields a difference on how you look forward to your goals. Be grateful for the simple things to help you get through the grind. By being grateful, you will have an easier time pursuing your goals even through these tough times.
What are you up to now? Are you still being productive? If your plans did not go well this year, consider learning more about your craft. Put in more hard work and discipline to train more than you have before.
Also, you may take this time as a break to your usual routine and even ponder to some new knowledge or techniques. Engage in learning things that will drive motivation to help you become a better you. Try taking classes and training with the available resources you have.
One thing that the Covid-19 pandemic has taught us is that staying connected to others through social settings is particularly important. In Maslow’s Hierarchy of needs, belongingness aids people to survive in the adversities they regularly face.
Relating yourself to the community, joining the current discussions on your interest, learning from other people’s stories is a sure way to help you see the better days of life. It is good to have the support of people who have the same vocation as you.
Unfortunately, there is a high likelihood of race postponement or cancellation next year if the pandemic continues. For this reason, you need to learn to embrace uncertainty and prepare yourself mentally and physically for what transpires. Also, make a commitment to push yourself to achieve your set goals regardless of the outcome.
Having a positive outlook in life is a necessity these days. As an athlete or coach, knowing how to maintain a bulletproof mind amidst the pandemic will help you find joy and look on the more positive side, whether your race has been cancelled or postponed.
Whether you’re in a light or a dark moment, look into yourself and draw out the positives; because even on the darkest of days there’s something – and change happens so quickly, that the good days are just around the corner 🙂