Coping with Slumps

A slump is an out of the ordinary, and unexplained drop in performance. Slumps are commonly triggered by things like injury, technical issues or psychological stresses, but often spiral due to panicked reactions, eg trying too hard.

• It is normal for a career to ebb and flow over time. 
• This wave-like nature of sport is often unpredictable. 
• Don't get overly upset about the 'downs' – you just make them worse. 
• Your responsibility is to minimize the amplitude of these 'waves'. 
• This time presents an opportunity to further develop your general toughness, and your resilience to setbacks.

• Do not panic. 
• Do not automatically assume that you are doing something wrong & start changing all sorts of things.
• Do not draw simplistic / inaccurate conclusions about yourself or your situation. 
• Do not try too hard. 
• Do not link your overall self-worth to your current performance. 
• And definitely, do not assume that you are in a slump every time you fail to perform as expected!

• Try to take some time-out. 
• As accurately as possible, identify the factors contributing to the current situation. 
• Keep things simple – focus on the basics.
• Focus on the process rather than the outcome. 
• See the big picture. 
• Be patient. 
• Work on your mental skills. 

• When in the past have you experienced something similar? 
• What do you think commonly triggers this sort of situation?
• What makes it unnecessarily worse?
• What helps?
• If you were coaching someone exactly in your position – how would you advise them?
• What measures can you put in place to prevent future slumps?  

• Coping with Disappointment
• Coping With Pre-competition Nerves
• Coping with Criticism
• Coping with not getting a Fair Chance
• Coping with Perfectionism
• Coping with Success
• Coping with Negative Thinking