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WHY EVERYONE NEEDS A MANTRA—AND HOW TO FIND YOURS
Sadie spent a day with a Hindu priest last year (how often do you get to say that?!), and one of the learnings that resonated with her most was “Where awareness goes, energy flows.”
It’s so simple—and so true. But how, exactly, do you direct your awareness where you want your energy to go? One simple (and scientifically proven) way is to have a mantra that you repeat to yourself on a regular basis.
Research shows that simply repeating a word or phrase (aka, a mantra) silently to yourself can be a great way to lower stress, anger and anxiety. Practicing positive self-talk has also been known to improve confidence and performance.
“Usually what makes us anxious is the external world, like big crowds and crazy lines,” says Jack J. Lesyk, Ph.D., director of the Ohio Center for Sport Psychology. “When you focus on your own words, paying more attention to the internal world and things that are more familiar to you, it tends to shift your focus and calm you down.” And it doesn’t have to be something complicated. In fact, it’s better to keep it simple. “A go-to, positive phrase is something portable that belongs to you and will help redirect your thoughts anywhere, anytime,” sayd Dr. Lesyk.
Follow these tips to help choose the right mantra and put it to the best possible use.
Be honest with yourself. When choosing your mantra, you want it to be positive, but you also want it to represent something you truly believe, says Lesyk. You’ll use it frequently and want it to feel authentic to who you are and what you need. For example, instead of saying “I’m calm and relaxed,” which may not be instantly true, try “I’m becoming calm and relaxed.”
Practice deep, slow breathing. “If you focus on your breathing while you repeat your mantra, then you’ll have the added bonus of actually feeling yourself become more relaxed and calm as you’re saying it,” he notes.
Be aware of whether you’re having harmful or helpful thoughts. “At any moment in time, we have thoughts running through our heads. Those thoughts often have nothing to do with what’s in front of us at the moment, but rather focus on things that may or may not be an issue in the future. For example, ‘I didn’t sleep well last night. Is that going to mess up my performance tomorrow?’ These kinds of thoughts are not helpful,” says Lesyk. “Helpful thoughts might be, ‘I don’t feel my best, I am a little tired, but I have played well when I was tired before.” Try to shift those harmful thoughts to helpful ones as often as possible.
Plan for those mantra moments. There are certain times when we know there’s a possibility things will go dark and our thoughts might become negative. For example, if you’re training for a marathon, know that around mile 20, your body may hurt and you’re going to need an extra push. That’s when you pull that positive mantra out of your back pocket. Plan on these moments, just in case. Select a good, motivational mantra (for example, “I am fast. I am strong.”) that’s appropriate to whatever situation you’re in, and repeat it to yourself over and over for as long as needed.
Have you ever tried using a mantra? We’d love to hear what you chose—and how it affected you—below!
Sadie spent a day with a Hindu priest last year (how often do you get to say that?!), and one of the learnings that resonated with her most was “Where awareness goes, energy flows.”
It’s so simple—and so true. But how, exactly, do you direct your awareness where you want your energy to go? One simple (and scientifically proven) way is to have a mantra that you repeat to yourself on a regular basis.
Research shows that simply repeating a word or phrase (aka, a mantra) silently to yourself can be a great way to lower stress, anger and anxiety. Practicing positive self-talk has also been known to improve confidence and performance.
“Usually what makes us anxious is the external world, like big crowds and crazy lines,” says Jack J. Lesyk, Ph.D., director of the Ohio Center for Sport Psychology. “When you focus on your own words, paying more attention to the internal world and things that are more familiar to you, it tends to shift your focus and calm you down.” And it doesn’t have to be something complicated. In fact, it’s better to keep it simple. “A go-to, positive phrase is something portable that belongs to you and will help redirect your thoughts anywhere, anytime,” sayd Dr. Lesyk.
Follow these tips to help choose the right mantra and put it to the best possible use.
Be honest with yourself. When choosing your mantra, you want it to be positive, but you also want it to represent something you truly believe, says Lesyk. You’ll use it frequently and want it to feel authentic to who you are and what you need. For example, instead of saying “I’m calm and relaxed,” which may not be instantly true, try “I’m becoming calm and relaxed.”
Practice deep, slow breathing. “If you focus on your breathing while you repeat your mantra, then you’ll have the added bonus of actually feeling yourself become more relaxed and calm as you’re saying it,” he notes.
Be aware of whether you’re having harmful or helpful thoughts. “At any moment in time, we have thoughts running through our heads. Those thoughts often have nothing to do with what’s in front of us at the moment, but rather focus on things that may or may not be an issue in the future. For example, ‘I didn’t sleep well last night. Is that going to mess up my performance tomorrow?’ These kinds of thoughts are not helpful,” says Lesyk. “Helpful thoughts might be, ‘I don’t feel my best, I am a little tired, but I have played well when I was tired before.” Try to shift those harmful thoughts to helpful ones as often as possible.
Plan for those mantra moments. There are certain times when we know there’s a possibility things will go dark and our thoughts might become negative. For example, if you’re training for a marathon, know that around mile 20, your body may hurt and you’re going to need an extra push. That’s when you pull that positive mantra out of your back pocket. Plan on these moments, just in case. Select a good, motivational mantra (for example, “I am fast. I am strong.”) that’s appropriate to whatever situation you’re in, and repeat it to yourself over and over for as long as needed.
Have you ever tried using a mantra? We’d love to hear what you chose—and how it affected you—below!
