Be Calm, Be Courageous, Be Confident
As a way of supporting the Boston College Men's Hockey team (I am an alum) in their quest for the national championship I recently posted this phrase on X / Twitter. Unfortunately they were the National Runner Up, but still were both Hockey East regular season and tournament champions. All of these were learning experiences and set the stage for next year. With many of my clients we develop self talk mantras to use when anxious, in need of refocusing, or over coming adversity. This one sums up many mental health skills in this one simple mantra.
Be Calm can mean many different things in terms of mental health. Physically it can mean relaxing the body or controlling one's arousal level through meditation, mindfulness, relaxation, music, etc. It can target heart rate,, breathing, even control of one's speech, verbal reactions, physical reactions - think hitting in sports. At the same time there is a calm mind. This involves controlling one's thoughts, keeping them positive when then stray to negativity or catastrophizing. It can mean taking a problem solving approach, not panicking, slowing yourself down, and making smart decisions. Finally, it can mean not pressing, placing excess situational pressure on yourself, allowing yourself to get into the flow and just playing.
Be Courageous is just another way of saying be brave, Embrace the situation, push yourself mentally and physically beyond what you believe you are capable of. It means taking that risk in life and play for the win, not playing to not lose. Relying others is so important as you cannot be courageous alone, it truly is a team effort. It truly means putting in that 110% effort, not fearing failure, and believing you have control over the outcome of a situation. It means having your actions, whether it be sports, or school, or life, mirror this mindset, and pushing yourself to the edge of comfort and competence. You will do whatever it takes to be successful.
Finally Be Confident. Confidence involves trusting yourself, the hard work you have put in, and the ability of those around you. Again it means you accept that adversity exists, and you embrace this fact because you you believe you can overcome or work through it. You want the pressure, you thrive on the pressure, and seek it out. You believe everything is a learning opportunity, a chance to keep growing as a person, and the journey or process is the goal, not just the outcome. You have internalized past success, and believe you can apply them to new challenges or adapt in a way however is needed. It is not cocky, as that is a defense, but a true sense of self and being where all aspects of performance flow.
I really like this mantra as there are many overlapping factors and psychological interventions that can be applied to it, but it really simplifies aspects of mental toughness in all areas of life from sports to school / work, to general everyday living. Although BC hockey fell a little short in their quest of a national championship, it does not mean they failed, as they were able to apply there skills and played at an elite level. Next year will be even better because like other skills in life, mental toughness skills can be learned, practiced, and strengthened with each experience. Are you ready to Be Calm, Be Courageous, and Be Confident? Peak Mental Performance Coaching LLC is ready to help.
