Mindful Performance Consulting
"Attention is the currency of performance"
-Peter Haberl
Dr. Matthew Hood provides sport and performance psychology services to adolescents and adults. He specializes in working with high school students and student athletes transitioning to collegiate sport. He educates students on the importance of being in the moment in order to enhance performance.
Dr. Hood values motivation and commitment to self and others. Motivation is the reasons why we engage in an activity, whereas commitment is directly about the engagement in the activity. He strives to help the athlete identify his or her “why”. Understanding your “why” will help the athlete better understand what motivates him or her in order to enhance performance.
Sport and Performance Psychology
The brain has the great ability to help the student, athlete, or coach remember a mistake from the past or worry about something in the future that has not taken place. This creates a stress response that causes us to "fight" the past, "flights" us to the future, or "freezes" our awareness in the moment. Mindfulness allows the individual to remain calm and in an alert state of mind. Allowing the individual to remain focused on the moment to perform at his or her best.
The goal of sport and performance psychology is to enhance or restore performance by educating the individual on various mental techniques that can be utilized independently or in combination with physical activities to address the mental roadblocks that negatively impact performance.
mindfulness
Mindfulness, or non-judgmental present-moment awareness, may help athletes improve their concentration, thus helping them enhance their sports performances. Increased mindfulness allows individuals to become aware of their stressors, reflect on the situation, and act accordingly. By regulating reactions to potential stressors, the perceived stress is decreased, and by developing an awareness of their breathing, mindful individuals may have calming effects on their sympathetic nervous systems, thus decreasing their resting heart rates.