Tag: Asian Games

Manu Bhaker made a name for herself in shooting at just the age of 22. She has shaken the world through her phenomenal skills and has won multiple gold medals at major events like the Olympics, the Commonwealth Games, and the ISSF World Cup. Manu Bhaker, a trailblazing Indian shooter, has accumulated an impressive array of medals, including two Olympic bronze medals, 21 World Championship and World Cup medals, one Commonwealth Games medal, and five Asian Games and Asian Championship medals. Therefore, it is important to know how she is managing to excel in her field and how her strong mental game is one of the reasons behind her getting so much success.

Let us take a sneak peek at the mind of Manu Bhaker to know how she tackles all the pressure in this competitive field

Accepts the Pressure

In sports, pressure is one of the main aspects that breaks or makes the person. Despite this, Manu takes pressure as an opportunity to do much better rather than a hurdle. On the contrary, she believes that the adrenaline rush she gets from the sports associated with such high-stakes situations in the field helps her to enhance her performance. Shooting requires a highly focused mindset; therefore, Manu embraces it, and the pressure pushes her to break all records. 

This mindset is developed due to her sporting family; Manu has been used to being around in a competitive environment since she was small. This is why she has developed a resilient attitude and understands how to take advantage of something others find overwhelming. She finds her true joy in sport while constantly reminding herself that every shot she takes is an opportunity to express her deep passion for shooting. 

Staying Focused 

In today’s day and age, distractions have become part and parcel of life. Manu is quite strong-headed when it comes to following mindfulness. She has adopted regular breathing exercises and meditation into her training routine, which makes her stay focused even in the chaotic environment of the competition. These practices have helped her develop a great awareness of her body and mind, which helps her to stay present, which is quite important during crucial events. 

During the stressful times of competition, Bhaker puts all her attention solely on the present moment. She diverts her mind from worrying about her past performance or what her future holds; she concentrates on the task that she has at hand and takes one shot at a time. The method adopted by Bhaker helps her to significantly reduce her anxiety and also enables her to give the best performance. She has worked hard to cultivate a mindset that helps her to be present and minimize the distractions that will take any attention from her. 

Manu Bhaker Makes History with Multiple Olympic Medals for India

Advance Mental Preparation

Another technique of Bhaker’s that has helped her to develop a strong mindset is visualization. Before the competition begins, she uses her time imagining herself in the shooting range, and she goes bit by bit about her performance, which starts from her stance to her breathing patterns. This technique, which she uses, is excellent for her to prepare mentally before the match begins, and it also makes her familiar with the scenario. 

Due to visualization, she rehearses her technique, which enables her to mentally get over the potential challenges that may come her way. Through visualization, Bhaker builds her confidence and also conditions her brain to react positively in such high-pressure situations. This practice goes beyond shooting, as she is also equipped to overcome setbacks, like missed shots or unexpected disturbances that may come up during competitions. 

Pillar-like support system 

Manu is quite open about how important it is to have coaches, family, and friends who will understand the pressure of such competitive sports. The support that she gets is a strong emotional backing, which leads her to navigate through the highs and lows of her sports career. 

She is more open about openly talking to her coaches about her thoughts and feelings about competitions. This open talk helps her to get more valuable insights and strategies from experienced mentors in the field. She feels much more grounded due to the strong support system, which is quite necessary for strong mental health. 

Learning from past failures 

When it comes to the competitive environment of sports, failure is a part of it. Bhaker has a great mindset for it, as she understands that the setbacks are not what reflects her abilities; instead, they are a way for her to grow. Instead of beating herself up for the failures, she takes her time to analyze what went wrong and how she can improve from her mistakes. This process is key for her to gain resilience, which is a difficult hurdle that she crosses to gain success. 

She does not dwell on her mistakes and has adopted a skill to go forward to new opportunities by putting her focus on training and preparing for the next big challenge. The mindset is not only best for her confidence, but it also gives her a sense of being hopeful and motivated. 

The success that Manu Bhaker has achieved in shooting is a result of having such an inspirational mental game. She does not fear away from pressure, visualizes her techniques, consciously practices mindfulness, has a great support system, and also learns from her failures. Her journey is a true inspiration for many, and her approach to her mental game can be adopted by anyone if they are looking to succeed in their field!