Resilience is a word often used in the sporting world to describe athletes or teams that have had multiple setbacks and overcome them to succeed. But is that the true meaning of the word?

In the psychological world, Resilience is defined as the “role of mental processes and behaviour in promoting personal assets and protecting an individual from the potential negative effect of stressors”.

So how do we instigate the mental process to become resilient? Try these for size to get you started:

Develop A Growth Mindset - Be open to new experiences, opportunities, training, and techniques, but also be mindful of your values as an athlete. Identify your personal motivation. Predict setbacks & opportunities to grow.

Use & Develop Your Support Crew - Grow your relationships with your coaches, teammates, family & friends so they can be called upon when you need support.

Analyse Constructively - Be constructive, not critical when evaluating your performance. Answer questions such as… what could I control? Have I been true to my values throughout this challenge? What did I learn & gain from this experience?

Life Balance - Allow yourself as an athlete to have a balanced and healthy lifestyle, socially and mentally. Hanging out with your friends or family will allow for a distraction from negative stressors.

Developing your resilience strategy is a ‘must-do’ if you strive to be successful.