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8 Tips: How to Avoid Stress for Poker Athletes

10/11/2024

stress

The stress is one of the biggest challenges for poker players. Maintaining emotional control and focus during long gaming sessions is key to ensuring a good performance. 

Playing poker at a professional level requires more than technical knowledge. Constant pressure, uncontrollable variables and inevitable losses can generate a high level of stress. The stress can impair thinking and decision-making, directly impacting long-term results. That's why learning to avoid stress is crucial for anyone who wants to succeed at poker.

Poker is a mental sport that requires more than just technical and strategic skills, it is directly linked to the balance of your personal life. 

If your personal life isn't right, it's unlikely that you'll be able to perform at the highest level at the tables. Building a winning mindset starts with a solid foundation and a balanced life. Next, let's explore essential strategies to strengthen the mindset and maintain the stress under control.

Mindfulness

Mindfulness comprises various meditation exercises that aim to bring you to full attention. Meditation can help you in all spheres of your life, from reducing stress levels to becoming more self-aware. 

Before, during or after each poker session, try simple breathing techniques: close your eyes and breathe deeply or maintain regular, slow breathing for one minute. This exercise helps to improve your focus, calm your mind and prepare you for rational, objective decisions. Find out more here.

Healthy eating

Control what goes into your body. A balanced diet free of sugars and simple carbohydrates is essential for staying focused and avoiding lethargy and depression. Foods rich in tryptophan (bananas, dairy products, chickpeas, honey, chocolate >70% cocoa) and omega-3 (fish such as salmon, trout, sardines, tuna) help improve your mood and mental health, contributing to a clearer and more resilient mind in poker.

Have you read the article Nutri. Fabiana Teixeira: Is creatine supplementation an ally in poker??

Choose the People Around You Well

“You're the average of the five people you spend most of your time with.” 

In poker, surround yourself with people with similar goals and the ambition to improve. Being surrounded by dedicated players who want to learn more will inspire and motivate you to evolve. Cultivating a network of support and sharing is crucial to long-term success.

Prevents self-sabotage

One mindset winning requires responsibility and action. Self-sabotage occurs when you create excuses for not studying, not following a game plan, ignoring the leaks or leave the tilt bring out the worst in you. Take inspiration from Rui's quote “RuiNF” Ferreira: “To be successful, you have to put in an incredible amount of hours and not be afraid to fail.” Replace excuses with strategies and commitments.

Prioritizes sleep quality

The quality and quantity of sleep are crucial for top-level mental and physical performance. Sleeping well helps the mind stay alert, reduces stress and improves the ability to make quick and efficient decisions. 

Physical exercise

Before a whole grind session sitting in front of the computer, physical exercise is the best thing you can offer your body.

It's essential to recognize the benefits of physical exercise for your health and your performance at work. grind. You will play much more focused and concentrated, increasing your capacity for analysis and decision-making at the tables. In other words, doing some physical activity is very important for staying physically and mentally healthy.

Set SMART objectives

SMART is a framework of best practices for defining objectives. Therefore, a SMART objective it must be specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and time-bound. So when you set a goal, you're building a roadmap to a specific goal!

Having defined objectives and staying focused on the process is essential in poker. Set clear goals and work consistently to achieve them. In poker, as in any other sport, the luck factor exists, but consistency in the process is what guarantees long-term results.

Base your decisions on reason

The best poker players think and act logically, breaking down decisions into clear steps. Adopting a realistic and logical mindset helps to avoid emotional mistakes, ensuring that every move is thought through. 

Our athletes are accompanied by top professionals in the fields of Mental Coaching and Psychology, who prepare and guide them so that they know how to deal with negative emotions and develop their confidence. Join our community!

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