Professional footballer, Steven Caulker has 13+ years experience of playing top-flight football in England, Scotland & Turkey. Amongst others, he has played for QPR, Southampton, Liverpool and Spurs as well as at international level for England and Sierra Leone.

Steven now also heads up ‘Behind the White Lines’, a unique aftercare academy, skilfully put together for players who have been released from professional academies.

Visit https://behindthewhitelines.com/ for more information.

“How can I make it pro?”

You’re an under-15 player, playing in the local park on a Sunday morning, there is dog muck all around you, and there hasn’t been a scout here for years.

The reality? Your chances are beyond slim.

But if you really, really want to make it. Here are my suggestions:

• Make your bed in the morning – non-negotiable
• Run like your life depends on it – the fittest, most willing runner on the pitch always stands out
• Be aggressive in every challenge – you want it? Show it
• Do press-ups when you wake up in the morning and sit-ups before you go to bed
• Eat healthily (as hard as it is)
• Meditation – you’re going to need a strong and healthy mind to deal with the setbacks along the way. Take good care of your brain
• Be disciplined in all that you do – create good habits at training, at school and especially at home
• Don’t let anyone tell you that you’re not good enough

My thought process is this –
If you do everything within your power to be the best version of yourself, whether you make it pro or not, you will have learned good habits for a lifetime.

What would you suggest?

LISTEN TO THIS ARTICLE BELOW:

The post How Can I Make it Pro? appeared first on Boston Bolts Mental Health Vault.

On the Pitch

1. Sight: Find five things around you that you can see. These could be your teammates, the goalposts, the ball, the markings on the field or the spectators. Focus on these things and describe them to yourself in your mind. For example, the colour of your teammate’s shirt, the shape of the ball, etc. This helps to ground you in the present moment.
2. Touch: Find four things you can touch. This might include the grass beneath your feet, the texture of the football, your shirt or even feeling the air against your skin. Pay attention to the details of these sensations. How does the grass feel against your touch? Is the football cold or warm?
3. Hearing: Identify three things you can hear. This could be the sound of the crowd cheering, your coach giving instructions or your teammates communicating with you. Close your eyes for a moment if you need to focus better.
4. Smell: Note two things you can smell. On a football pitch, this could be the scent of the grass, the smell of the sweat on your shirt, or even the aroma of the earth if it’s a rainy day. In the absence of strong smells, you can also think about two of your favourite smells.
5. Taste: Identify one thing you can taste. This might be the residual taste of the sports drink you had or even just the taste of your own mouth. It’s the least used sense, but it’s still important to help you ground yourself.

In Everyday Situations:

1. Sight: Identify five things that you can see around you. It could be a pen, a spot on the ceiling, an interesting pattern on a rug, the colour of your shoes, or a bird outside the window. Pay attention to the details of these objects. What colour are they? What is their texture?
2. Touch: Recognise four things you can touch. Feel the texture of your clothing, the surface of the table you’re sitting at, the smooth screen of your phone or the warmth of a coffee cup. Focus on how these things feel against your skin.
3. Hearing: Listen for three sounds. This could be the sound of typing on a keyboard, a car passing by outside, the ticking of a clock, or the hum of an air conditioner. Really tune into these sounds and let them guide your attention.
4. Smell: Identify two things you can smell. This could be the scent of your coffee, a hand sanitiser, the pages of a book, or flowers outside. If you can’t immediately identify smells around you, think of your favourite smells, and imagine them.
5. Taste: Notice one thing you can taste. It could be the lingering taste of toothpaste or a sip of water, or the taste of gum. If you can’t identify a taste, think of your favourite food and imagine the taste.

This grounding technique can be really helpful in bringing you back to the present and interrupting the spiral of panic. It’s a way to reconnect with the reality around you and remind yourself that you are here and now, not in the scenarios your anxiety is projecting.

While this grounding technique can be an effective way to manage a panic attack, it’s important to note that frequent panic attacks are not a normal part of life and may signal an underlying anxiety disorder. If you find that panic attacks are occurring frequently, are causing you significant distress, or are impacting your quality of life, it is vital to seek professional help.

Remember, asking for help is not a sign of weakness but a step towards taking control of your mental health and wellbeing.

LISTEN TO THIS ARTICLE BELOW

The post Panic Attacks & The 5 Senses appeared first on Boston Bolts Mental Health Vault.