Mental Health | On Mental Resilience & How He Came Back To the Top - Novak Djokovic (Tennis Player)

Hi All,

Today, I wanted to talk about mental strength or mental resilience. Whenever I look at people who are successful in their respective fields (esp. the ones who hit their top and have a setback but bounce back again), I notice there is definitely an element of ‘luck’ but people also create ‘luck’ with ‘persistence’ which requires ‘mental strength’ and ‘mental resilience’ to get going no matter what and regardless.

So, I wanted to share some precious lessons from the World Tennis champion, Novak Djokovic. To be world-class at anything, he said it takes more than natural skill; it takes physical, personal, and spiritual development and a healthy relationship with one’s own ego to begin a fulfilling journey to greatness.

The difference between good players and great players lies in their mental strength. While many players possess good shots, only a few have the combination of good shots and great mental strength. The ability to handle pressure and deliver your best performance when it matters the most is something that many players struggle to achieve throughout their entire careers. However, mental strength can be developed and improved with practice.

I learned about his spiritual aspect - the fact that he has a spiritual teacher - and uses meditation and breathing techniques to keep his calm in his interview with Jay Shetty during the pandemic lockdown. It was a timely discovery as I am always looking for a role model who is at the top of their game, fiercely committed, and dedicated in their professional field but also spiritual.

Novak Djokovic has spoken about his development in that mental part of the game - what are his mind tricks in those ‘clutch’ moments to play his best tennis when he needs it the most and the importance of believing in oneself even if things are not going your way.

Staying disciplined and focused is the key yet this is not an easy task and one can easily encounter various distractions and mental blockages (to justify why we cannot push for one more) that start to surface that we didn’t even know existed as we continue with our own hero’s journey.

Below are some of the key takeaways from Novak Djokovic’s video. Hope these help you unlock some of the blockages and inspire you to gain mental resilience. Enjoy!

Who is Novak Djokovic?

Novak Djokovic, a professional tennis player, recently shared his thoughts on mental resilience and how it has helped him in his career. He explained that mental strength is a crucial component in sports, and it can be applied to everyday life as well.

I. On the power of visualization and self-belief:

“Power of visualization and preparing yourself for possible scenarios…I obviously try to play the match in my mind before I go on the court and I you know always try to imagine myself as a winner and I think there is a power to that, but also there has to be next to the willpower - strength that comes not just from your physical self but from your mental and emotional self. It's a constant battle within you; more than what happens outside. It's really not the situations that you experience that are affecting you but how you internally experience those situations, how you accept them, and how you live through them. So, I just told myself before the match I'm gonna try to switch off as much as I can from what is happening around us and just be be there be present.”

• Visualization and mental preparation are important before playing a match.
• Imagining yourself as a winner can have a positive impact on your performance.
• Mental and emotional strength are important for success in sports, in addition to physical strength.
• It's important to focus on how you experience situations and how you react to them, rather than just the external factors themselves.
• Being present in the moment and focusing on the game, rather than external distractions, can lead to better performance.

II. On clearing self-doubt under pressure:

“Keep reminding yourself that you're there for a reason and that you are better than the other guy and as hard as the moment is the more you have to remind yourself and the more you have to talk to yourself.”

• Keep reminding yourself that you are there for a reason and that you are better than the other person.
• Talk to yourself during difficult moments and consciously breathe to avoid distractions.

III. Big breakthroughs and transformation are only possible when you accept instead of shutting down:

“Q: In clutch moments when you're in those situations how do you avoid distractions?

A: 1) Consciously breathing first that's probably the simplest thing that you could do but probably the most effective.

I think the experience of being in this particular situation so many times before in my career helps me every next time that I have to face adversity and face distractions and you know my thoughts and what ifs and fears and so forth

I think everyone goes through that thought process and I don't think it's particularly bad - I was thinking it's bad so I was trying to ignore it or I was trying to shut it down but I think the major transformation in a positive way for me started when I was starting to acknowledge it and accept it as part of me it's there. My ego is there. My fears are there - everything is there. It's present but then how will I address it in a way that is going to help me to overcome that to transform it into positive fuel that is going to help me overcome the clutch moments that you talked about. Just feel happy and joyful and present on the court and get the best out of that experience”

• The more experience you have in clutch moments, the better equipped you are to handle distractions and fears.
• Acknowledge and accept negative thoughts and emotions as a part of yourself, but find ways to transform them into positive fuel.

IV. So, how do you do it? Mindfulness i.e. tactics in ‘clutch’ moments:

“I practice a lot of mindfulness…address certain emotional issues or traumas or whatever it is that that that tend to appear on the court so when it appears on a breakpoint when I'm facing a match point or breakpoint or you know clutch moments. They do tend to surface but they are  managed to gain control over them much quicker and

1) I managed to impose my positive affirmation and positive feeling or if that doesn't happen then

2) I just try to be conscious that I have to accept that moment that that's going to happen, but I focus on my breathing and

3) I focus on being in the moment and what needs to be done next moment which is playing the right shot positioning myself well on the court and just focusing on executing the point right it just takes years of devoted practice mentally not just physically and you have to do it you can't expect others to really fix your emotional or mental issues they can encourage you and they can Empower you um and they can understand you and they can give you tools but you have to use those tools and do it the right way”

• Focus on being in the moment and executing the right shots during clutch moments.
• Practice mindfulness techniques like meditation, journaling, and talking to coaches, family, and friends to address emotional issues and traumas.

V. Rome wasn’t built in a day - it is your responsibility to have mental and emotional well-being:

"When you're facing adversity and when you're challenged and you should always look inside because that's where the answer lies - I did not understand that fully when I heard that before but I think when I went through this journey, I understood really what that means and now I know where I can always find strength and belief and motivation to get me going"

• Mental and emotional preparation takes years of devoted practice, and you must take responsibility for your own mental and emotional well-being.

In conclusion, mental resilience and mental strength are crucial components of success in any field, whether it be sports or everyday life. Learning from athletes like Novak Djokovic can provide valuable insights into how to stay disciplined, focused, and motivated, even in the face of adversity. By practicing techniques like visualization, staying calm under pressure, and setting clear goals, anyone can develop mental resilience and achieve their own version of success.

Do you have any role models or tactics you use under pressure? Let me know your thought!