http://espn.go.com/video/clip?i
d=12292812

əˈ m ɪɡ d ə l ə
◦ The amygdala is well hidden in the depths of the human brain and it has developed prior to our neocortex (the thinking brain).
◦ It is part of the limbic system and its purpose is to regulate emotional reactions such as fear and aggression.
◦ Since the limbic system and the amygdala are older than the neocortex (in terms of evolution), it has priority (in response) whenever dealing with very dangerous situations.

◦ When in panic or fearful situations, there are two parts of the human brain that fight for control:
◦ 1. The frontal lobes (part of the neocortex) – that are responsible with conscious and rational decision making processes.
◦ 2. The amygdala – which is twice as fast in response than the frontal lobes. The purpose of the amygdala is to protect, no matter what.

◦ There are some fears that are preprogrammed in the human brain. This means that we are born with them. Chocking, drowning, the fear of heights, and even the fear of failing are examples of such.
◦ Whenever in danger, the amygdala kicks in as the first commander; it sends signals to the hippocampus (another part of the limbic system) which in turn releases stress hormones such as cortisol and adrenaline; they prepare our body for the fight or flight response.
◦ Thus, all the energy available is hijacked and directed to the feet for running or to the hands for fighting the imminent danger.

◦ It has been shown that humans can minimize the time before the fear stimulus reaches the frontal cortex so that the decision is more conscious.
◦ It basically means that the response from the frontal cortex should be as close as possible to the response from the amygdala.
◦ Athletes must train their bodies and minds to increase their mental toughness with the ultimate purpose of controlling their fears and being able to appropriately respond in panicking situations.

1.
Goal Setting.
2.
Mental Rehearsal: Visualization.
 Michael Phelps: Plug-in “the track.”
 Confront the bad situation in your mind over and over again and it will come naturally when you face it for real.
 This is what many public speakers do.
 Psychologists treat phobic patients by exposure to the stimuli causing the phobia.
3. Self Talk.
• Positive self-talk can override the signals from the amygdala
4. Arousal Control:
• It focuses on breathing and it requires to deliberately breathe slower as it would help counteract some of the effects of panic.
• Long exhales mimic the process of relaxation within the body. Long inhales provide much more oxygen to the brain which results in better cognition processes.

◦ Navy Seals 4x4x4 Breathing
Technique: Breathe in through nose for 4 count, hold it for a count of 4, exhale through nose for a four count. Repeat for 4 minutes.
◦ Box Breathing: Basically it’s a
5x5x5.
◦ Centered Breathing.
◦ Progressive Relaxation.

◦ Sport psychologists often recommend that athletes develop their own cue word to help with in-game focus, motivation, and resiliency.
◦ Sometimes action words are used “explode” or “dominate.”
◦ Other times acronyms are developed that have unique meaning to the athlete like “WS” standing for “win state.”
◦ Cue words can also be instructional, like using the letters “R-S-F” to stand for “ready-set-fire”, something a pitcher in baseball or softball might use to help with the focus needed to make a successful pitch. ”Clear the Mechanism.”
◦ Finally, some athletes develop cue words that are merely reminders of important people, places, or events in their lives that they have attached important meaning to — like playing a season in honor of a recently deceased loved one.
◦ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Rszj_30Bs4 (The Greatest
Game Ever Played) Next Slide

◦ While cue words might seem to some to be nothing more than a waste of time, they can actually be incredibly effective and very worth the effort. One reason for this is that our minds cannot simultaneously think of two things at the same time.
◦ The reason for this is that our minds cannot simultaneously think of two things at the same time. For example, it’s impossible for an athlete to think about the fans getting on his back when he is devoting his concentration to his cue word.
◦ Cue words are also helpful as they often serve as mini reminders of what to do — in the case of the pitcher example,
“ready-set-fire” can be conditioned to muscle memory in practice situations and later used as a trigger during games.

◦ Once an athlete develops a unique cue word, it is important to write the cue word in places that will be regularly seen — like a locker, piece of equipment, or even a body part (like the hands).
◦ Cue words must be added to and practiced during an athletes Centered Breathing or Progressive Relaxation exercises.
◦ Cue words lose their value when they are not used in competitive situations or practiced daily during relaxation exercises.

On a 3x5 index card record the steps to..
A) Centered breathing
B) Progressive Relaxation.
C) Navy Seal 4x4x4 Breathing Technique
D) Box Breathing: 5x5x5
◦ What trigger will you add to your centered breathing or progressive relaxation? (A
“trigger” is a cue word or physical action)