My Opinion On Mental Blocks

[Cheerismylife15]

So I am not a professional on mental blocks but I have had a few lately and was able to overcome them. I wanted to share my thoughts on how to overcome them and what they are. When I ever had a mental block before, I noticed that right before i would go to throw, my heart would start to race and i would close my eyes right before the take off. With closing my eyes, i would not be able to know where i was in the air and would lose my confidence. My theory is that when people have mental blocks, its because their eyes are closed which seems really silly! but if you think about it, your brain is such a complex system. when your eyes are closed, you have no idea where you are. Your brain doesn't know what its doing. so it will try to stop you instead of "getting lost". This creates the swing and stop. If you can imangine it, you can do it. With me, when i would try to throw a skill i had a mental block on, i wouldnt be able to imangine it. i would try soo hard but it felt mentally impossible.

 

[Cheerismylife15]

So I am not a professional on mental blocks but I have had a few lately and was able to overcome them. I wanted to share my thoughts on how to overcome them and what they are. When I ever had a mental block before, I noticed that right before i would go to throw, my heart would start to race and i would close my eyes right before the take off. With closing my eyes, i would not be able to know where i was in the air and would lose my confidence. My theory is that when people have mental blocks, its because their eyes are closed which seems really silly! but if you think about it, your brain is such a complex system. when your eyes are closed, you have no idea where you are. Your brain doesn't know what its doing. so it will try to stop you instead of "getting lost". This creates the swing and stop. If you can imangine it, you can do it. With me, when i would try to throw a skill i had a mental block on, i wouldnt be able to imangine it. i would try soo hard but it felt mentally impossible.

My physical therapist tought me these visualizing techniques, he really should be a mental therapist. Every thing he said to me was positive. He gave me these techniques for my back to feel better but i used them in a different way. He told me to do this when i was about to fall asleep. What you do is breathe in for 4 sec and out for 8 sec while doing this, you imagine yourself throwing your pass or imagine your self feeling better. The brain can control your body and can heal itself mentally. When imagining this, you have to imagine it as you are "in your body" rather than being on the sidelines watching you throw or feel better. Believe me, Its really hard to do. But it takes a few tries. You are going to start falling into a deep sleep when doing this so really try to stay awake. I did this for my back and the next day, i felt so much better. its weird how much our brain can change things. Also, i had a mental block for this one skill for 5 months. I decided to try the visuallizing technique for it and it was hard. It took me many tries to really visuallize myself in my body throwing this. Also when you do the visuallizing technique, imagine every single detail (what you are wearing, Who's with you, where you are, what music you are listening too etc.) It was almost like a mirracle. The next day, I went to the gym and i threw my skill after 5 months of struggle. I felt more confident. Going back to how opening your eyes relate. Think about it, when you tumble, your eyes are open just a little. When you have a mental block and throw that skill, your eyes are closed. With visuallizing, it makes you visualize it as your eyes open. You flip and you can see whats around you when doing this technique. It makes you get confortable with keeping your eyes open inorder to tumble. Your brain doesnt want to throw unless it knows where it is. That's why this technique is good for mental blocks. It may take a few nights to do this but you will be amazed how well it works. Remember, never give up and positive thoughts when going through this. Visualize and eyes open and you will get through this. Tell me if anyone tries this if it works cause it did for me. I am also NOT a professional just giving my thoughts and process

 

[cheerlyssa1230]

WOW! This is amazing. It makes so much sense how when your eyes are closed your brain doesnt know where you are, which causes you to ger lost and get scared. I have also had a few mental blocks recently and i have been trying to visualize the skills like you said. I cant wait to go to the gym becasue now that i know i can do it in my head I cant wait to actually try it. I already feel so much more confident! I think this is an amzing technique that can help eveone. It also shows how powerful the brain is. "mind over matter" . . . so true.
ps. i will comment again when i get back from the gym and let you know how it worked.

 

[Aw.Work.]

While I agree you should keep your eyes open while tumbling so you can spot. That is not what causes mental blocks. I've had a mental block for 8 years and I almost always tumble with my eyes open. I'm legit scared to flip backwards not because I don't know where the floor is, because I'm scared to fall and hurt myself, even though I know I won't. I work myself through it most of the time now but the more I do in a practice the more scared I get. I have to literally give myself pep talks in my head before I throw something, even jumps to back.

 

[Cheerismylife15]

While I agree you should keep your eyes open while tumbling so you can spot. That is not what causes mental blocks. I've had a mental block for 8 years and I almost always tumble with my eyes open. I'm legit scared to flip backwards not because I don't know where the floor is, because I'm scared to fall and hurt myself, even though I know I won't. I work myself through it most of the time now but the more I do in a practice the more scared I get. I have to literally give myself pep talks in my head before I throw something, even jumps to back.

i agree, but atleast for me, i got my mental block from closing my eyes while tumbling once which then i got lost which scared me. So i get mental blocks from getting lost in my tumbling which causes from closing my eyes. There are many different ways that people get mental blocks. I was just naming one that (atleast people around me) have a hard time throwing.

 

[Amber1492]

I really like these tips you have.. I am gonna try these tonight thanks!!

 

[cheer4life210]

this is very true and it helps!!!!

 

[TheTalkedAboutMinor]

That really works! What I do is watch 2by2video and i watch the passes slo-mo so I can visualize it.

 

[Cassidy]

Does anyone have any suggestions on how I can connect a BHS to a tuck? I get enough height out of my BHS, but then I freak out right before the tuck.

 

[coachlex1019]

Does anyone have any suggestions on how I can connect a BHS to a tuck? I get enough height out of my BHS, but then I freak out right before the tuck.

Are you asking for standing BHS tuck or R/O BHS tuck?

For R/O BHS tuck, I had a mental block after a few months off. I retaught myself by doing R/O BHS, high BHS and then slowly changed it into a tuck. Definitely not for everyone, but you could give it a shot!

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[DaniV]

Are you asking for standing BHS tuck or R/O BHS tuck?
For R/O BHS tuck, I had a mental block after a few months off. I retaught myself by doing R/O BHS, high BHS and then slowly changed it into a tuck. Definitely not for everyone, but you could give it a shot!

Try working some standing tucks just to get your body used to the flipping backwards motion and then try connect it to a R/O or R/O BHS on a trampoline or on the floor with spot and a crash mat if possible - knowing that you have something there to save you can help with the mental block. And I would definately recommend visualizing the skill done correctly, it helps train your brain for what you are doing.

 

[Supermom]

Are you asking for standing BHS tuck or R/O BHS tuck?

For R/O BHS tuck, I had a mental block after a few months off. I retaught myself by doing R/O BHS, high BHS and then slowly changed it into a tuck. Definitely not for everyone, but you could give it a shot!

Sent from my SGH-T989 using Tapatalk 2

my cp did the same thing and it works!!!!!She's used this twice. Hopefully we won't need it again : )

 

[BuegeSmalls]

Are you asking for standing BHS tuck or R/O BHS tuck?

For R/O BHS tuck, I had a mental block after a few months off. I retaught myself by doing R/O BHS, high BHS and then slowly changed it into a tuck. Definitely not for everyone, but you could give it a shot!

Sent from my SGH-T989 using Tapatalk 2

I was afraid to do both but then I got my BHS tuck (standing) and was still afraid to through it in running so my tumbling coach had me do it out of a power hurdle round off and then add more steps later because she thought maybe I was afraid of the power. It worked for me.

 

[Aw.Work.]

my cp did the same thing and it works!!!!!She's used this twice. Hopefully we won't need it again : )

i used to do the same thing! haha i would trick myself that i was doing a handspring then just pull my hands up. and after a few days sometimes or other times just turn i would be able to add the set back in and be fine haha

 

[dream-infinity]

I always try to visualize what I am going to do before I do it.