Abstract
Competitive sport is rife with self- and other-focused evaluation, and high levels of self-criticism can undermine performance, well-being, and mental health. In this context, self-compassion provides an adaptive means for athletes to relate to themselves, particularly during times of competition stress or performance failure. As evidenced by available research, self-compassion among athletes is associated with a range of adaptive outcomes, including less shame, anxiety, and rumination, and more positive body image, adaptive coping, and self-determination. However, there are challenges for the application of self-compassion in sport, including fears of self-compassion and the potential for perceived incongruence between being compassionate toward oneself and pushing oneself toward optimal performance. This chapter discusses these complexities in the context of available evidence documenting the role of self-compassion in competitive sport, with suggestions for future research and translation in the field.
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Notes
- 1.
While initially conceptualized from a trait perspective (Neff, 2003a, b), there is evidence to support that self-compassion can also be prompted or applied as a resource or strategy (e.g., Mosewich et al., 2013). Some people engender self-compassion automatically as a function of their disposition, while others adopt or engage in the approach when coping with difficult events and pursuing goals (Ingstrup et al., 2017). Most research in sport positions self-compassion as a resource or an approach, and such a conceptualization is adopted in the present chapter.
- 2.
Masters-level athletes are typically over the age of 35 and compete in events designed for older participants.
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Mosewich, A.D., Ferguson, L.J., Sereda, B.J. (2023). Self-Compassion in Competitive Sport. In: Finlay-Jones, A., Bluth, K., Neff, K. (eds) Handbook of Self-Compassion. Mindfulness in Behavioral Health. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-22348-8_13
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