A Gold Medal in Relaxation

This is going to sound weird, but for many of our Olympic athletes, the best thing they can do right now is forget about it all for a while and have a good laugh with friends. Hang out, go to the movies, go sightseeing in London... anything to take their mind off the fact they've spent their entire lives preparing for this moment.
|

This is going to sound weird, but for many of our Olympic athletes, the best thing they can do right now is forget about it all for a while and have a good laugh with friends. Hang out, go to the movies, go sightseeing in London... anything to take their mind off the fact they've spent their entire lives preparing for this moment.

For many people, one of the best ways of approaching something important is reducing its significance in their mind.

The writer Simon Barnes said,

'The victory can often go to the one who wants it less: the one who can take competition in his stride, with relaxed muscles and mind.'

And one of the most effective ways of getting 'relaxed muscles and mind' is through fun and laughter. Research shows when we laugh, endogenous opioid polypeptide compounds are released in the brain - endorphins that make us happy and feel good.

On the other hand, too much intensity or fretting about what's coming ahead means not enough of the endogenous opioid polypeptide compound stuff.

So, a message to our top Olympic athletes - head out into London with friends and try to relax. Just don't get stuck in a games lane on the way...