Push Back Mental Limits

We slow down due to severe acute physical issues. As we increase the duration and/or the intensity of movement, the signals of physical discomfort: rising lactic acid, GI distress, mental fatigue, and even blisters enter our consciousness and persuade us to slow down. Some of this is conscious voices of negativity that exist in every athlete’s mind, whether that’s concern about the difficulty of an effort or their own ability to confront it. But a good bit of this is subconscious, the central governor in our brain that limits the body from exerting itself to the point of harm. In the end, it’s a failure of the mind that limits our exertion, albeit driven by physical distress. But what if we could push back mental limits? This article lays out several strategies to build mental strength and actionable techniques to go beyond the breaking point. 

One very effective way of improving mental strength, whether it’s dealing with adverse weather or overcoming fatigue, is through repeated exposure to the stressors that push your boundaries to endure. Doing so in a gradual and consistent manner will accustom you to the physical discomfort, anxiety, and fear that often accompanies experiences at our limits and establishes our reaction to that stress.

There is a well-known theory called the “Central Governor Model.” It says that when we reach the limits of our physical capabilities fatigue feedback signals come flooding into the brain, triggering alarm bells in the central governor which in turn begins to reduce the muscle power. That theory goes on to say that by repeatedly exposing ourselves to the same stressors that cause the alarm bells to go off in the brain, we can “teach” the central governor to become less sensitive when it next encounters those same signals. Cold water exposure is a good example of how this works.  Remember the first time you had to enter cold water?  But repeated exposure can enable you to handle colder and colder temps for longer. 

Similarly, by executing back-to-back long runs or pushing hard in an interval workout, the body becomes comfortable with, or at least tolerant of, situations that before would have been untenable. Like all stress, it must be administered with adequate time for recovery and adaptation. On the conscious side: every time an athlete pushes beyond their previous maximum level of discomfort, their concept of what is possible expands slightly. Difficult experiences in the past give an athlete the confidence to tackle more challenging objectives, which, in turn, give them even more strength for the future. But there is also a deeper, subconscious pushing back of the central governor. 

There are also actionable mental techniques for mental strength. In Navy SEAL training, we were taught four techniques to confront mental adversity: visualization, goal setting, positive self-talk, and controlled breathing. 

Visualizing a challenging test gate or mission is an excellent practice to prepare oneself for a big objective. The benefits are twofold: First, by visualizing an optimum outcome, military athletes can put themselves in the headspace for success. Second, rehearsing and visualizing a complicated objective can help refine an operator’s technique and strategy and preemptively address problems that they otherwise would not have thought of. 

Goal setting is another positive technique. Effective goals are SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound). For the tactical athlete, SMART goal setting could involve breaking up a longer problem into easily attainable, quantifiable objectives.

• “I want to catch the runner in front of me.” 
• “I want to hit every target at this station.” 
• “I want to run every step up this hill.” 

Another excellent tool for mental strength is positive self-talk, shutting down the negative voices and images in one’s head and replacing them with positive affirmations. 

• “I will pass this evolution without making any mistakes.”
• “I’ve put in the necessary work. I couldn’t have prepared any better.”
• “I will stay in control.”

The final strategy we were taught was controlled breathing. Specifically, we were instructed to control our state of arousal through “box breathing”: breathe in for 4 seconds, hold for 4 seconds, breathe out for 4 seconds, hold for 4 seconds, repeat. There are many breathing schemes for controlling arousal, and as long as you aren’t holding your breath or hyperventilating, all are similarly effective for controlling emotions. Experiment and find a technique that works best. 

While these strategies are effective, there is no secret or magic bullet to improving mental toughness. Through ultra races, ski-mountaineering record-setting efforts, and military training, I have always felt the most important thing to remember is just that there is no way to avoid suffering. Once you accept that, that pain is inevitable, and everyone is dealing with it.  Suffering is universal.  Some deal with it well, while others break down.