It’s easy to think of physical sports like rugby as being more dependent on your physical capabilities than your mental ones.

However, as people who make it their passion will know, strategy and critical thinking can play a large role in these sports, not only when it comes to the long-term arcs of how you play a particular game with your team, but also in the moment-to-moment decision-making that defines much of the experience.

Finding ways of sharpening your mental agility outside of the game can then have a positive impact on your abilities when the time comes to throw yourself back into it.

Practice Mental Exercises

While it might not initially seem as though it directly relates to rugby, everyone should be aiming to keep their mind as sharp as possible. It’s something that you can forget about – a lack of health here not being as immediately visible as a lack of physical exercise. That being said, keeping your brain as healthy as possible is bound to be beneficial here – sharpening your reasoning skills through puzzles and similar activities might give you a greater insight as to which course of action is best in any given moment, or in any given game of rugby.

Apply Methods Elsewhere

The same techniques that you’re currently practicing to improve your mentality on the rugby pitch can be honed throughout your life. In fact, doing so gives you a prime opportunity to practice them and might help to have it feel more natural when you come to play rugby.

So, if you’ve taken some time to figure out how you can remove yourself from the stress and emotion of the situation and take a step back, where else can you practice it? It’s a skill that can keep your head in the game when you’re playing, but that might be the most stressful situation you encounter. Perhaps think about all emotions involved, however, when you’re playing games on an online casino in NZ; there might be times when you’re wrapped up in the thrill – the chance to win is just around the corner! Knowing when to take a step back and take a break can help you to enjoy either game with a healthier attitude.

Try Mindfulness

If you’re out on the pitch and you find yourself getting mentally overwhelmed, it helps to have practiced mindfulness ahead of time so that you can create some mental space for yourself. Being able to bring yourself into the present moment and focus away from the various distractions and anxieties can help to improve your skills when it comes to the sport itself.

‘Just focus on the present’ can feel like unactionable advice much of the time. You might not have any doubt about how valuable it is, but implementing it is the hard bit. Being able to effectively draw your attention to the sights and sounds around you can better root you in the world you live in rather than the world inside your head.