Hello Everyone
Is it possible that clenching the left hand could help
in times of stress? According to the American Psychological Association in
the Science Daily if you are right-handed, this is so. Their research indicates that say, squeezing
a ball activates certain parts of the brain and lessens
the impact of stress or anxiety.
Evidently, for highly skilled people many of their actions/skills are
automatic with little conscious effort. However,
when people are under pressure they tend not to perform as well. In these situations, it is likely that they
are consciously focusing on those things that they normally do automatically
rather than trusting their automatic skills learnt by years of practice.
"Rumination can interfere with concentration and
performance of motor tasks. Athletes usually perform better when they trust
their bodies rather than thinking too much about their own actions or what
their coaches told them during practice. While it may seem counterintuitive,
consciously trying to keep one's balance is likely to produce imbalance, as was
seen in some sub-par performances by gymnasts during the Olympics in London,"
said Juergen Beckmann, PhD, chair of sport psychology at the Technical University
of Munich in Germany
Rumination is associated with the brain's left hemisphere,
while the right hemisphere is associated with superior performance in automated
behaviors, the researchers noted. The right hemisphere controls movements of
the left side of the body, and the left hemisphere controls the right side. The
researchers theorised that squeezing a ball or clenching the left hand would
activate the right hemisphere of the brain and reduce the likelihood of being
blocked under pressure.
The implications of this research are significant for all
people who for a variety of reasons start focusing consciously on those things
which once they did automatically.
"Many movements of the body can be impaired by attempts
at consciously controlling them," Beckmann said. "This technique can
be helpful for many situations and tasks."
Squeeze! Live! Love!
Roz Townsend www.roztownsend.com
Reference: Science Daily Sept 19,
2012
