Athletics helps you with more than just your physical health and fitness, as it is also beneficial to your mental state as well. By doing your best in athletics, you can be sure that you are giving it your all and nothing less when you are trying to succeed in academics or the workplace. While many aspects of athletics can have a positive effect on your life, here are three ways doing your best in athletics makes you a better student or worker.
You learn to push yourself
It takes intense focus, mental toughness, and physical endurance to excel in any sport. That’s why athletes often describe their athletic experiences as character-building ones and there’s evidence that proves them right. Research shows that sports can help young people develop important soft skills like confidence, leadership, and determination.
And these skills translate well into any other area of life, whether it’s schoolwork or an internship. Plus, every time you train for competition, work hard and come out on top whether it’s with your team or an individual event you learn firsthand how to stay focused and power through challenges when they come up (which they will).
Work ethic is important
No matter what role you play on a team, knowing how to work hard and play with passion is vital. Teams need dedicated players who understand that practice is as important as games because it’s during training sessions that players learn techniques and build connections with teammates. Hard work pays off in fitness, too; everyone has bad days when they’re tired or sore, but pushing through these rough patches is part of reaching Cric Gator goals. Having an understanding of why hard work matters and staying motivated enough to keep at it is key to achieving success both on and off the field.
Having good time management skills is necessary
If collegiate athlete wants to succeed, it’s essential that they have good time management skills. On any given day, an athlete could be preparing for practice, taking midterms and finals during the fall semester, or participating in winter- and spring-season training. With so much going on at once, it’s up to athletes to stay organized otherwise, they could find themselves overwhelmed and behind on assignments. It’s also important that athletes stay focused while they work. They need to keep up with their coursework even when they’re busy practicing; if not, then their grades will suffer down the line.
Time management improves memory
When studying, working on homework, or trying to remember information for an exam, it’s all too easy to come up with excuses not to buckle down and get started. I’ll start after I check my Facebook feed one more time. Maybe I should tweet about what I’m working on first. Without realizing it, these are just forms of procrastination that ultimately waste time when there is work to do. When you combine an awareness of managing time (and social media) as part of your daily routine with established habits such as creating a daily schedule that includes important tasks and sticking to them, both productivity and memory increase.
Fitness keeps the mind young
Working out isn’t just great for your body, it’s great for your mind as well. There’s plenty of evidence to suggest that staying fit keeps both our bodies and minds young. Exercise can improve focus, memory, mood, and more. In fact, one study found that older adults who engaged in an exercise program scored just as well on cognitive tests as they did when they were younger and that even included people who had some form of brain disease! And while we don’t advocate getting addicted to exercise (that goes without saying), moderate amounts will boost your energy levels, creativity, and stamina all excellent qualities for anyone hoping to succeed at school or Cricgator work.
Motivation and confidence are boosted
People who are more active have higher levels of confidence, motivation, and mental health. These can help to boost performance at school and work as well as increase positivity, says Dr. Thomas O’Toole, chief medical officer for GoNoodle. A study from Australia’s National Institute of Complementary Medicine found that regular exercise led to an 11% improvement in mood and a 14% improvement in energy levels.
Confidence boosts productivity
You know that feeling when everything goes right? You feel unstoppable and ready to take on any task. That sense of confidence which can have positive, concrete effects on physical performance—is also helpful at work. Just as athletes perform well when they’re relax and confident, so do employees.
When stressed, we’re less likely to perform our best because our brains are telling us there’s too much pressure for success. But if we reframe stress as something other than pressure (we can call it excitement), we actually perform better under it. At work, that means having fun projects will help keep employees excited about their jobs and boost productivity. So don’t be afraid to make things challenging!
