Mental Block Help 101!

    As a gymnast I know that the worst thing that can happen to you (besides rips) is having a mental block on a skill you either really want or desperately need.  Mental blocks are a pain and it can be very hard to get over them.  I had a mental on my back handspring for forever! So today I will be sharing my top 5 tips to get over mental blocks!

   1.  Imagine yourself doing the skill perfectly.  The more confidence you have the better!
   2.  Warm up with similar skills.  Ex.  for a standing back tuck warm up with back handsprings and high back handsprings.
   3.  Count to a designated number in you head.  In my round-off back tuck I count to five and then throw the skill.  When I am attempting back walkovers on beam I count to three.
   4.   If available, get a spotter.  A spotter helps boost your confidence for the skill.  If you can already do the skill, have the spotter spot you with one hand so you feel safe.
   5.   My last tip is to never hesitate because the more you hesitate the bigger your fear can get.  Just go for the skill and tell yourself that you can do it.

Here are my first back handsprings on the floor + on tramp!

Trampoline:

I GOT MY BHS ON THE TRAMP! I ALSO GOT MY BACK TUCK!!!! They are so fun to do😊 Special thanks to @mal_dancer_gymnast for being a great friend and encouraging me! Follow her! @mal_dancer_gymnast Love you all and get ready for a spam of posts😂 #Gymnastics #backtuck #backhandspring

A video posted by Kayleigh🙂no FFF😉Level 3️⃣ (@thatcrazyflipper) on Jun 17, 2015 at 5:28pm PDT

Floor:

Yay I got it on the ground!!!😊😊 Practice was great today☺️ #qotp what skill are you working on? #aotp round off back handsprings +standing back handsprings No hate please! I know it's not perfect lol

A video posted by Kayleigh🙂no FFF😉Level 3️⃣ (@thatcrazyflipper) on Jul 9, 2015 at 3:51pm PDT

   Good luck gymnasts!  I hope you can tackle those mental blocks!!!

   You can follow me on instagram here.

   -Kayleigh