Many athletes struggle with persistent physical pain at one point or another. Whether you’re coming back from an injury or managing nagging back pain, you might be looking for mental training techniques that can lower your pain and help you get back in the game.

Fortunately, many mental skills that can support pain management also promote better sport performance, boosting resilience, persistence, focus, and fun.

Sport performance and pain management are best served by a holistic approach that nurtures your psychological and emotional life. That’s because both the pain experience and athletic skill execution are not purely physical or biological – they’re impacted by psychological, emotional and social factors as well. Let’s dive into the strategies you can start using today.

Self-defeating thoughts are detrimental both in the sports arena and in pain management. We’ve all been there: You feel an unpleasant sensation – like a sinking feeling of anxiety in your stomach as the game begins, and you think, “I’m anxious. Here we go again. I’m about to blow it.” You feel your pain increasing, and the thoughts churn: “Great. I’ll probably miss a whole week of work.” Imagined catastrophes fill your mind. Manage these thoughts with the 3 C’s: Catch it, Check it, and Change it.

Catch it: Notice the negative thought. Simply be aware.

Check it: Evaluate the evidence. Would everyone see it this way? Are you taking an extreme or overly negative view? If your best friend were here with you right now, is this what they........

© Psychology Today