Mental strength has become a real weapon for the best athletes in history. This has been demonstrated by Rafa Nadal, the most successful tennis player to date in the history of tennis and who, despite his physical problems, is still fighting to win titles at 35 years old.
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More than 21 Grand Slam titles endorse his tremendous career within the reach of very few and his warrior mentality is part of that success. To achieve this professionally and personally, you have to work very hard to strengthen this mental strength, both alone and with the help of a mental health expert.
In this way, it is much easier to manage the problems that may arise on a day-to-day basis or even in sports.
This is something that Nadal has always had on his agenda, even before he became a true professional tennis player. That is why, apart from his physical care, he has always tried to know how to control his thoughts, stress and emotions during the game in order to always give maximum performance on a mental level and not let negative attitudes cloud his work. on the track
Thanks to intense work on resilience and his ability to concentrate, Rafa Nadal has managed to achieve great milestones in the history of sports. This is how the tennis player from Manacor explains it, who believes that these two skills, when combined with self-knowledge, form “mental strength”.
However, although this mental strength may be innate in a person, the best thing to do is to train it. It is done little by little, as if it were a process, and in the long run it can bring you many benefits for your health and also your professional and personal life. From dealing with stress more easily to helping you overcome the great challenges you face every day. For this reason, working on this mental strength has become one of the keys for elite athletes.
To achieve this, the tennis player has advocated focusing on the present and freeing the mind from limiting beliefs. “In tennis, the here and now is all the time. Parties change drastically », he explained. He also insisted that this ability to distance himself from bad thoughts also helps to ensure that there are players with great regularity compared to others that are more intermittent: «The best players live in the here and now when things are going well, when they are normal and when they go wrong or very wrong.
[Nadal: “If I didn’t believe it was possible, I probably wouldn’t be here”]
This is, he says, the key to his success, in addition to working with his self-demand to meet expectations, both external and his own. If they are not fulfilled, it is easy to fall into frustration: «When one does everything he can, he is not obliged to do more. What I always demand of myself is to have a good behavior, make an effort and be there until the end.
Mental strength is not only useful for athletes, but can also be key to everyday life. Managing emotions and thoughts can be key to our lives, especially to deal with self-demand, stress or other situations that may arise.
This strength on an emotional level can be a great ally. However, we will have to learn to manage it and train it over time. To do this, one of the key tips may be to learn to analyze the situation with perspective and thus be able to make the best decision.
Additionally, maintaining a positive attitude can also help apply this mental toughness. Although self-criticism can help us at times in your life, it is important to relativize mistakes and respect yourself to get away from these negative thoughts.
Learning from the past is something we must have when it comes to dealing with failure. Knowing how to escape this frustration and not get caught up in thoughts can help us achieve our best version.
[Nadal meets Djokovic after overcoming a five-set martyrdom]
