How to train your mind like you train your body

You warm up your body, but do you warm up your mind?

The human mind has roughly 6,000-50,000 thoughts per day. So, basically, all day your brain is running an internal monologue of your life that you are either in control of and aware of, or that you are a victim of. With most of these thoughts being repetitive and negative, we want to start harnessing the mind so we can USE it, rather than LOSE it. 

Your mind can be as destructive as a wrecking ball or as powerful as a raging river. Why is this important in CrossFit® and fitness? Well, twofold. One, we, as human beings, are the sum of our thoughts brought into action, meaning that, eventually, if I think about something long enough, I will do it. We make a decision in our minds, and action follows. Now utilize this principle in and around training. How hard is it sometimes to get out the door on that run? Or to let go of a missed rep or performance block with a specific movement? 

Behavior change and habit stacking begin with daily practices to unlock a new level in training and competition. I want to share three simple habits that will help elevate your mental game and harness your thoughts to break through change. 

Attitude of gratitude

Maintain a grateful, focused approach to training and competing. Before your workout session, we want to start creating a pathway for your mind to follow. If we let our mind wander it’s like allowing a child to go down the candy aisle unsupervised. We want to awaken our minds and thoughts through simple concepts of gratitude. Use either a journal or training notes to capture the items I will have you jot down. 

Treat this as a buy-in and buy-out for your training session for the day or pre-comp ritual. 

Buy-In: 

• Write down 1-3 things that you are grateful for.
• What is my main focus for my training session today?
• Why am I here today to train? 

Buy-Out: 

• What went well? 
• What didn’t go as expected? 
• What did I learn today for next time?
• What am I proud of myself for? 
• Rate yourself on a scale of 1-10 (1low/10 high) in regards to self talk. 

As we develop these habits for ourselves, starting with the lens of gratitude, we are able to see each training session and opportunity to compete as just that… an amazing opportunity to learn more about yourself daily vs. whatever else your mind is telling you. 

Often, we judge our days by PRs, places, and performance, and for many people, that way is not sustainable for this journey. Life is constantly evolving, so just like our bodies, our minds need to evolve as well. This is a guided approach to do just that! 

Reframe and redirect: 

Reframing is defined as “the process of intentionally changing how you interpret a situation, thought, or experience in order to alter its emotional impact and meaning”. Since we can’t change the situation itself, we use reframing to shift a negative, limiting, fixed mindset toward a more constructive, growth mindset. 

An example of this is “I failed that lift, so I am not good.” After reframing, this sounds more like, “That lift exposed a weakness that I need to be more intentional training in practice.” 

What I am not telling you to do is feel your feelings when things are hard or suck. What I am asking is that you become curious about alternative ways to think. This makes way for redirection. Having a fixed mindset will lead to drowning in your own thoughts. Reframing things about your performance and abilities is like swimming with floaties. It doesn’t change the fact that you are in deep waters, but it allows you a different perspective. Write down one area where you think this can apply in your training or competing. Notice it for next time! 

Spheres of control: 

In a perfect world, we believe we can control everything to a T for ideal performance and execution to be amazing world-class athletes, parents, workers, spouses, you name it. This is not reality… yet sometimes we set that expectation in our minds to take us there, and when we fall short, the negative thoughts take over. 

Create three circles on a piece of paper and go through this exercise. Ask yourself these three questions. 

1. What are the things I have complete control over? 
2. What are things that I have some control over? 
3. What are the things I have no control over? 

Here is an example regarding competition prep: 

Things in my total control: 

• Showing up consistently to training
• Effort and intensity on workouts
• Warm-up quality and movement prep
• Nutrition choices and hydration
• Sleep and recovery habits
• Pacing strategy in workouts
• Mindset, self-talk, and focus
• Technique execution (positions, breathing, transitions)
• Communication with your coach
• Managing nerves and emotions

Things I can influence but only have some control over: 

• Training partners’ energy and support
• Heat acclimation and adaptability
• Judging quality (through clear communication)
• Equipment setup (barbell spin, grips, shoes)
• Competition flow and transitions
• Event strategy adjustments. 

Things I have no control over:

• Programming announcements
• Weather conditions
• Other athletes’ performance
•  Judges’ calls (after submission)
• Lane assignments
• Equipment malfunctions outside your setup
• Scores or placements
• Crowd noise. 

When you start looking at everything through the lens of spheres of control, you set more realistic expectations for yourself. You start showing up more fully as athletes to the areas you can own and don't dwell or obsess over things that you can’t. This allows you to maintain composure and consistency under pressure in workouts or competitions, rather than being consumed by worry, fear, or negative thought patterns. 

Try out any or all of these tools and add them to your mental toolbag as athletes in order to break through some plateaued areas. 

You will see the trickle-down effects in ALL areas of your life!