Approach v Avoidance Mindset
Approach and Avoidance Mindset; What is this? How does it relate to Calisthenics?
Who is this for?: Competitive Athletes / Coaches
Let me set the scene. You are at a calisthenics competition, as a spectator, and you are observing two athletes. One looks like a bundle of excitement, full of energy and has an aura about them that says they are more than ready for this event. The second athlete’s body language is telling you the opposite. Head down, pacing the floor and struggling to interact with anyone. Why is there a disparaging view from both athletes?
Being honest, this was the question that led me to sport psychology. I was always amazed at freestyle athletes who everything looked effortless for, and wondered what separated them from the ones who came across as nervous, timid and worried about making a mistake.
I felt that when I competed, the difference between the successful athletes was the mental side, and being able to perform at the level you are capable of came down to psychological preparation more than physical ability.
At so many events I would hear athletes say ‘Just don’t fail’ or ‘Play it safe’ ‘Don’t miss’. At this stage of my career as a coach, that is one of the most disappointing things I can hear being said to another athlete. As a coach, I actively want the opposite. I want athletes to be excited and wanting to go for their biggest moves. I want them to feel capable of performing those movements in events when they feel it matters most and to be confident enough to take risk.
NOT TAKING A RISK IS TAKING A RISK
What does this mean? Well if there is a ‘big move’ in your head ( 720, shrimp flip, you name it here ) and we avoid going for that movement because we want to ‘play it safe’ or ‘not fail’ then we are not living up to our potential and, within the realms of competition, you are probably going to end up placing in the same position regardless. Honestly, even if you win, I don’t believe you end up with the same satisfaction if you ‘play it safe’ and have avoided your biggest move. This is your opportunity to showcase that, and instead, you leave the event slightly disappointed and wondering ‘what if’. I have come out of events more frustrated at not going for my big moves as opposed to where I placed. The biggest achievement should be in performing to your best level. As a coach, I am much happier seeing an athlete go for what they regard as their biggest move and miss because it means they have passed this mental barrier. For me, this is my biggest role as a coach / sport psychology consultant, because I believe they have entered the required mental state to deliver their optimal performance.
So, why does this happen?
In sport psychology terms, if people are saying ‘Play it safe’ or ‘Don’t fail’ they are in an AVOIDANCE mindset. This means we are focused on all the things that could go wrong and potentially damage our image or reputation. Our brain wants to keep us safe, not necessarily see us thrive, so it will scan and detect for threats. Because we have less physical danger now, we can detect scenarios such as competitions as a threat to our identity/ego. We don’t want to miss because we risk looking bad at the sport or being laughed at ( this is what our initial threat response thinks ). When we focus on what could go wrong, there is a physiological response and suddenly we associate the feeling in our stomach as ‘nerves’ instead of ‘excitement’. Then all of a sudden our body feels heavy, and the only thing we visualise in our head is the ‘what if I miss’ scenario. This makes us more likely to miss or avoid the movement entirely as a result.
An APPROACH mindset is fixed on the opportunity of the competition. While they may be focused on an outcome or task, it is a positive outcome such as catching the big move or being successful on the day. An approach mindset is motivated by the goal we have and our thoughts are directed towards the achievement of that. Competition is an opportunity to achieve that goal. Approach mindset focuses on everything that can go RIGHT when we take risk. So rather than thinking what will happen if I miss, they instead focus on what would happen if I caught the movement? How would I feel? What would the reaction of everyone attending be? They are then visualising this moment which means we are more likely to achieve it as we are creatng ‘muscle memory’ connections. We are then also focused on the pleasant emotions they would experience by catching the movement, and the energy of the crowd filled with excitement if they catch it.
If I told you now that you are competing in four weeks time in a national championship, what is your immediate response? ( be honest with yourself! ). It is this immediate reaction that we are talking about. So if it was one of ‘oh no way’ that is an AVOIDANCE mindset. If it was one of excitement then you are in an APPROACH mindset. This can take time to work on because our threat detection is quicker than our logical response. So you may need to develop positive habits to develop your psychological skills such as positive self-talk, visualisation, challenge responses, in order to help you switch from an avoidance to approach mindset.
Honestly, if you can switch from an avoidance to approach mindset this will be a huge game changer in your development, and I would love to see more of it throughout calisthenics as it is one of the key factors for athlete development and, ultimately, the sport.
Would you like to become an accredited calisthenics instructor? Check out the Irish Calisthenics Institution Calendar below and find out how you can become part of the coaching development pathway!