Motivational Mantras and their Magic.
Posted by Pamela Paton on
Mantras have long been used to focus the mind during meditation and more recently there have been numerous studies in the benefits of mantras in sport.
So what exactly is a Mantra and how is it best used? Well the Oxford Dictionary defines a Mantra as:
- a word or sound repeated to aid concentration in meditation. (originally in Hinduism and Buddhism)
- a statement or slogan repeated frequently.
Stephen Walker, Ph.D., a sports psychologist in Boulder USA states that a well-chosen mantra can keep you calm and on target. “Repeating choice words whenever you need to focus helps direct your mind away from negative thoughts and towards a positive experience.”
This is something we at SA Medal Hangers have known for a while…. It is one of the reasons we have created certain sayings on our Shoe Lace Tags and why our shoe tags are so popular. They make great reminders to repeat your chosen mantra.
So what makes a great mantra? It should be a saying that is short and easily repeated. It should be positive, reinforcing, positive and have action words.
It is also very personal. What motivates one person may not be the best for the next. Even for one person it can also change from time to time. On Pamela’s 100 mile race in December the saying “Failure is not an option” popped into her head and for the last 40km she repeated it over and over to herself. This mantra got her to the finish line. It helped to focus her mind, quieten any negative voices and keep her moving.
SA Medal Hangers has some awesome motivational tags that make great mantras. These can be used as shoe lace tags or as tags on our Motivational Wrist Wraps. Some of our favourites are:
- Failure is not an option (obviously)
- Don't fucking quit
- Always earned Never given
- Beast Mode
- Suck it up Buttercup
- You’ve got this KEEP MOVING
- I CAN and I WILL
Some of our longer quotes work great for motivation and recognition even if not used as a mantra.
