Mini-breaks Help Cheerleading Performance during Cheer Practice

 By: Pamela Enders, Ph.D.

 You know what it’s like: you zero in on one cheer routine or one stunt and do it over and over until you get it right.  But sometimes it seems the harder you try, the worse you do!

 Well, there’s a reason for that and it has to do with the science of concentration.  I won’t go into all the technical details here except to say that when you engage in narrow-focus attention for too long (like when you rehearse a cheer move over and over), it literally affects your brain! 

 Yep – you see the brain is the master control panel for your mind and body and if you are stuck in narrow focus, this will induce changes in your muscle tension, breathing, and even the flow of neurotransmitters and hormones.

 You see, everything is influenced by how you pay attention.

 Now narrow focus serves a purpose.  It allows you to see and deal with urgent or important situations and so it can be helpful in the short run but if you stick with narrow focus, you’ll be revving up your brain in ways that aren’t healthy, leading to chronic stress problems.

 So, what can you do? You can take mini-vacations or “focus breaks” periodically throughout your cheer practice to offset the negative impact of too much time spent in narrow-objective focus.

 For example, make it a habit to occasionally pause during cheer practice and allow your eyes to gaze at some open space.  The open space can be a big blank wall or a ceiling.  Just take in the largeness of the space. The trick is not to zero in on any one object but to soften your gaze as you take in a sense of background or space. Exhale slowly three times while doing this.  This should not take too much time away from your practice and – you will return to it feeling more relaxed and refreshed.

 When you gently direct your gaze to and imagine feeling space, your brain will respond by changing its electrical activity.  In other words, you will be able to induce alpha waves which are associated with feelings of well-being.

 So, take a mini-break, gaze out a window, at a wall, at a ceiling, or close your eyes and visualize the vast expanse of sky or the ocean.  You’ll feel better and then you’ll be able to return to your cheer practice with the ability to perform at an optimal level.

  

Pamela Enders, Ph.D. Copyright 2009
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