BODY ZONE.
TEN STEPS TO
con dence CONFIDENCE CAN BE ELUSIVE. THIS STATE OF SELF-BELIEF TENDS TO EMERGE WHEN WE’RE FEELING HAPPY AND SUCCESSFUL, ONLY TO DESERT US WHEN WE NEED IT MOST. ANDREA OAKES BEGINS A NEW SERIES ON IMPROVING THE BODY’S PERFORMANCE WITH THAT MOST COMPLEX OF ORGANS, THE BRAIN.
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e can take control of our confidence according to e uestrian performance coach andie obertson. e can master our mental approach rather than succumbing to competition nerves or spiralling into uncertainty when things don’t go as planned. hether you need a uick refresher course or a total reboot after a challenging year a good starting point is to consider what confident riders have in common. It turns out that positive people
THERE’S NO REASON WHY YOU SHOULDN’T GET THE SAME PERFORMANCE IN THE ARENA AS YOU DO IN TRAINING 50 // Issue 1 2021 // BRITISH DRESSAGE
… KEEP PERSPECTIVE confidence crisis can affect an lympian as readily as those on their way up the dressage ladder according to andie. “ s the stakes get higher the pressure gets more not less she says. “ obody is immune to being e cited or deflated. hat’s different is that the confident rider has more perspective and is better able to regard the inevitable lows the lamenesses the lockdowns and other hiccups as part of the ourney.
… FOCUS ON THE GOOD “ valuating performance is essential to progress says andie. “ onfident riders look back and see what went well asking themselves hat can I learn ’ rather than beating themselves up with the negatives. his simple shift of focus has surprising mindset-boosting potential. “ onsider the whole process from the show lead-up to the warm-up and the test itself to evaluate the good and bad adds andie. “ hen see what you can do to turn things around.
… SET ATTAINABLE TARGETS “ our horse doesn’t need to move like alegro to be more than good enough says andie who advises an honest approach to goal-
setting. “It’s important to identify the level you’re at and crucially to let yourself live up to that reality. Many of us pretend that we don’t e pect to do well but confidence comes from setting attainable targets and admitting to yourself that you can succeed.
… AVOID COMPARISON hen si ing up the competition confident people give themselves a fair chance. “ here’s no point comparing yourself to others in different categories says andie who cautions against udging yourself too harshly at events or on social media.
… FACE THEIR FEARS “ few nerves are natural but successful riders don’t let this become a negative narrative’ says andie. “ hey may hear the voice of doubt in their head on occasion but they’ve learned to acknowledge these thoughts and to keep them in check. ur subconscious mind has no logic and will believe everything we put in it andie e plains. o banish damaging self-talk we must first realise our fears and then decide whether they are genuine or made up. “If they’re irrational don’t spend time indulging them and making them feel a reality she says.
