Looking for inspiration : Lowri Davies throwing down on the River Dee to put the paddle there ,” “ Where does my edging need to be ?” or “ What if I have to roll there ?” A lot of the time , particularly if we ’ ve been paddling for a fair few years , a lot of skills we still think about if we ’ re going through psychological head games are ready to come out naturally ; we just don ’ t allow them to do so .
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it and move on . Another method is to give your nagging negative mind a name . In other words , deal with it with humour .
For example , you might call your inner nagger by the same name as someone you find irritating at work or give it a comedy name like Farty Face . Then , when negative thoughts come , you treat them in the same way that you might treat someone you know who might tell tall tales all the time . You just roll your eyes , say , “ Thank you , Farty Face , for bringing the thought to my attention ; your concern is noted ,” and move on .
It ’ s extremely important not to argue with this inner voice . Don ’ t get angry with it , tell it to get lost , or otherwise interact with it negatively . The idea is to acknowledge that the thoughts are there , say thank you , and move on . It ’ s not always easy because sometimes the fear levels can be high , so it takes practice . Remember , it ’ s normal and OK to be fearful .
ACCEPT MISTAKES AND EMBRACE PLAY .
Another tool we can use is to accept we will make mistakes . If we swim , so what ? If we don ’ t make a line on a rapid , so what ? If we accept that we will make mistakes from the outset and tell ourselves that it ’ s OK to do so , then this can take a lot of pressure off us .
This brings me to play . A lot of us have the necessary skills inside us to perform well when boating , but those skills get suppressed by constant thinking . “ I need
Looking for inspiration : Lowri Davies throwing down on the River Dee to put the paddle there ,” “ Where does my edging need to be ?” or “ What if I have to roll there ?” A lot of the time , particularly if we ’ ve been paddling for a fair few years , a lot of skills we still think about if we ’ re going through psychological head games are ready to come out naturally ; we just don ’ t allow them to do so .
This goes for elite athletes , too , who might be telling themselves off on any given day for not performing as they think they should be . Their continuing frustration and focusing on individual elements while trying to perform often curtails their performance rather than helping it . Most of the time , well , all of the time , we perform at our best when we aren ’ t thinking about how to do things . We just do them .
This is sometimes referred to as the flow state . I simply refer to it as doing what you already know how to do ! One way to help bring out our best is to treat our paddling like play and go out and see what happens . An example might be if you are going to paddle a rapid and you are entering from the right and want to hit the bottom left at the end . We might have the temptation to overthink things by looking at the rapid and thinking we need a particular paddle stroke in particular places , or that rock over there has the potential to make us go upside down , or that you need to flare boof at a certain point . Instead , make it simple . Just think , “ I need to paddle to that point , then to that point , then to that point .” Once you ’ re in the rapid , that ’ s all you need .
You will prevent yourself from bringing out your inner skills once you start thinking about individual paddle strokes and timings . Once more , accept that you will make mistakes . This type of mentality requires constant practice and isn ’ t something that will happen overnight . For some people , accepting that mistakes will be made can feel like an acceptance of lower standards . The reality is that the opposite is true . The more we can detach ourselves from an emotional connection to the outcome , the better we can perform , and strangely , the fewer mistakes we ’ ll make .
This can help us finally enjoy what we ’ re doing , and the more we enjoy being in the environment , the better we will perform and the more confident we ’ ll be . There is a lot more to this subject that a sports psychologist professional will be able to provide details and help with . But I hope this has given some of you an idea of a roadmap to understanding our fears and sometimes paralysing head games that white water kayaking can throw up . These methods have helped me on my journey , although much more practice is required .
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