Conquer the fear of ukemi!

Quotes:

“I have been through some terrible things in my life, some of which actually happened.”……Mark Twain

“To live with Fear and not be afraid is the final test of maturity.”…..Edward Weeks

“Not a single person has ever accomplished anything of significance without first feeling scared to death!”

“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest Fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us.”…..Nelson Mandela from his inaugural speech

“Fear is nothing but an illusion. It is imagined, as a dream is.”

“He without Fear is king of the world.”…..E. E. Eddison

‘For those who are on the downside of advantage, and relying solely on courage— there is hope’…..Russell Crowe (On receiving the Best Actor Academy Award March 2001)

Relaxation

There are two types of relaxation exercises: ‘guided fantasy’ and ‘muscle tension.’ It is best to try them both to find out which one suits you best. Relaxation is not an immediate fix for the problem. It is a skill that must be re-learnt, and (like all skills) is only acquired through practice.

Talking ourselves through challenges

It’s only human to talk to yourself, silently or out loud. We can us ability to coach ourselves through difficult challenges. Although you probably do this to some extent already during situations, there are 3 techniques which may help you do this more effectively:

1.    Prepare for the challenge

By talking to ourselves confidently before an event, we can increase our feelings of control over situations. Think in terms of how we will cope - and what we’ll gain from the experience, if it’s sure to be stressful. Phrases like ‘it may not be enjoyable but I can handle it,’ and ‘I’m anxious about this, but that’s only natural’ would be good examples of preparing ahead of time

2.   Confront the challenge

During the actual event, don’t be too hard on yourself - build yourself up by tackling the challenge head-on and talking yourself through things. This is tough, but I’ll survive,’ and ‘I’m getting stressed - I need to relax and stick to my original plan’ might be ways of dealing with the situation. Remember not too hard on yourself; nobody’s perfect!

3.   Reflect on what you’ve learned

It’s natural to notice your mistakes. Be sure to take time to think about what actually happened and ask ourselves how we can improve, without being too critical of ourselves. Visualise yourself as you were coping, and getting through the situation - appreciate what you did right, and don’t be too harsh while correcting what went wrong. ‘I survived - and it wasn’t as bad as I thought!’ might be an excellent reflection after a very trying task!