What Is Mental Readiness? 4 Easy Ways To Get It

Mental readiness refers to the state of being prepared, both physically and mentally, to perform a task or handle a situation. It involves having the necessary knowledge, skills, and mindset to effectively respond to challenges and opportunities. This can include things like focus, attention, motivation, and the ability to manage emotions and stress. It can also involve developing positive habits and routines to help maintain a healthy and resilient mindset.

Originally a key component of peak performance and essential for athletes, first responders, and military personnel, the term is making its way into a broader audience, because

Mental readiness is not just for people in high-stakes professions; it can be applied to today’s workforce and everyday life situations.

The initial concept of mental readiness is rooted in sports psychology and the study of attention and focus. Research has shown that mentally ready individuals have a better ability to focus, are less likely to be distracted, and are faster able to process and respond to information.

_{Female coach setting soccer team up for success by explaining the concept of mental readiness}

Elements of mental readiness can include

Self-awareness and understanding of one’s own emotions
Goal-setting and motivation
Stress management and relaxation techniques
Emotional and psychological resilience
Concentration and focus
Positive attitude and mindset
Positive self-talk and visualization
Mental preparation and planning
Ability to think critically and make good decisions

Note that every person is different. You may have your own unique elements that make you mentally ready.

To keep track of the factors that help you be your best self, Earkick created a free and fun self care companion app.

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What Mental Readiness is NOT

Mental readiness is not the same as being highly intelligent or having a high IQ. It refers to a state of being where a person is prepared to think critically, make decisions, and respond to challenges in an effective and efficient way. It also doesn’t mean being in a constant state of high alert or having a very active mind all the time. On the contrary, it should start from a recovered mind that is ready to take on the next challenges. Becoming mentally ready does not require you to:

Perform complex mental tasks without rest or breaks
Multitask effectively without experiencing cognitive overload
Suppress emotions or feelings in order to think more clearly
Concentrate on one task for hours without getting distracted
Recall every single detail of past events or experiences
Achieve a state of constant productivity or efficiency

Mental readiness is rather about balancing many different cognitive, emotional, and physical factors. You can influence it with many things such as sleep, diet, stress, and physical exercise.

To dig deeper into the topic, check out how Earkick empowers individuals and companies to measure and improve mental readiness.

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How To Improve Your Mental Readiness

One way to improve mental readiness is through exercises that focus on attention and focus, such as mindfulness techniques, meditation, or cognitive-behavioral therapy. These approaches can help you become more aware of your thoughts and emotions, and support you in developing strategies to manage them.

There are also several strategies that you can use to improve your mental readiness in the moment. These include self-check-ins, goal setting, self-talk, and visualization.

Regular self-check-ins help you offload thoughts, process pent-up emotions, and take a moment to step back and reflect. You can use pen and paper or journal via voice and video using an app that respects your privacy.
Goal setting helps you get direction, purpose, a sense of accomplishment, motivation, self-confidence and control over your life. By breaking them into smaller steps, you make them more manageable and achievable.
Self-talk is a strategy to help you focus on the task at hand and remind yourself of your capabilities and strengths.
Visualization can help you focus on achieving your goals and harnessing the power of anticipated outcomes. If you need to prepare for specific tasks or events, you can use visualization to mentally rehearse them.

Start checking in with yourself and setting healthy micro-routines with our free self care companion.

_{Female employee taking a short break at her desk to increase calm and mental readiness with a mindfulness practice.}

What Role Do Your Physical Habits Play?

Mental readiness is also driven by the mind-body connection. Breathing techniques, physical exercise, sleep, and a healthy diet also play a key role in your mental readiness.

Deep breathing helps you immediately calm your mind and reduce stress.
Your physical fitness matters: Studies have shown that regular exercise can improve cognitive function, enhance attention and improve mood.
Getting enough sleep, typically 7-9 hours per night, is crucial for maintaining good mental health and the cognitive function to be mentally ready
A healthy diet that includes a variety of nutrient-rich foods also supports mental readiness by providing the necessary building blocks for your brain to function properly, reducing inflammation, and supporting your overall physical health.

9 Applicable Examples For Your Workplace Mental Readiness

Self-awareness and understanding of one’s own emotions: Whenever Sarah realizes that she is feeling overwhelmed and stressed at work, she takes 2 minutes to reflect on her emotions and understand why she is feeling that way. By doing so, she is better able to manage her emotions and approach her tasks with a clear head. After practicing for a few days, she’s now doing it automatically, without the need for a reminder.
Goal-setting and motivation: John sets weekly goals for himself to finish each big project by the end of the week. He keeps himself motivated by breaking down the project into smaller, manageable tasks and rewarding himself for each task completed. Since his manager see and understand his procedure, he can focus on supporting and motivating John, rather than micro-manage him.
Stress management and relaxation techniques: Lisa finds that taking a quick walk during her lunch break helps her manage stress and stay relaxed throughout the day. She’s even encouraged two of her colleagues to tell her when they notice her getting tense and she does the same thing for them. After stressful sprint meetings they take the walk as a group and usually come back laughing and refreshed.
Emotional and psychological resilience: Whenever he’s faced with a difficult customer, Tom is able to remain calm and composed. He has developed his emotional and psychological resilience through regular mindfulness and meditation practices. This enabled him to be an excellent listener and creative problem solver. He no longer takes things customers say personally, but rather sees the pain behind their behaviour.
Concentration and focus: Kate finds that turning off notifications on her phone and working in a quiet environment allows her to concentrate and stay focused on her work. She does that for at least 4 hours per day and communicates it clearly to her team. The rest of her working time she intentionally makes herself available for the requests of her team and her clients.
Positive attitude and mindset: Jane makes a conscious effort to approach her tasks with a positive attitude and an open mind. As an middle-school teacher, she knows how her attitude influences the interaction among her students. She learned the skills with her coach and finds that this helps her stay motivated and productive throughout even the most stressful days.
Positive self-talk and visualization: Bob is an introvert who is brilliant at analyzing huge amounts of data and making sense of complex problems. However, he’s always dreaded the presentation of his results. He now uses positive self-talk and visualization techniques to help him stay confident and motivated during presentations. His team has witnessed his transformation and is amazed at how much he’s changed.
Mental preparation and planning: Kelly has made it an iron habit to take the time to mentally prepare and plan for her meetings. She makes sure she has all the information she needs and always takes at least 10 minutes to go through possible scenarios in her head. Her confidence and self-esteem have gotten a boost since she started to do that regularly.
Ability to think critically and make good decisions: Ben uses his critical thinking skills to analyze a complex problem and make a well-informed decision. However, this is only possible since he schedules enough time to consider all the available options and weigh their pros and cons. This means he had to learn to say no to other opportunities and keep any distractions at bay. He’s fortunate to have a manager that helps him create the necessary workplace environment.

Why Should You Care About Mental Readiness?

Whether you are a high-achieving professional, a competitive athlete, or simply someone looking to improve your focus and attention, understanding the concept of mental readiness can help you achieve your goals and reach your full potential.

Ready to start? Download your free self care companion!

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