Overcoming Mental Blocks

Mental blocks can be frustrating, but they don't have to hold you back. I'll share proven strategies for pushing past fear and rebuilding confidence.

If you’ve ever stepped onto the mat, stood at the end of the tumble track, or prepped for a skill on the beam, only to feel like your body just won’t do what your mind is telling it to—congratulations, you’ve met the dreaded mental block. And if you haven’t yet? Just wait, it happens to the best of us. Mental blocks are frustrating, confusing, and honestly, they can make you feel like you’re losing your skills overnight. But the good news? They’re completely normal, and even better, they’re beatable.

First, let’s get one thing straight—mental blocks are not a lack of effort. If you’ve ever had a coach say, “Just throw it!” and thought, Wow, I wish I could, you know exactly what I mean. A mental block isn’t about being lazy or not trying hard enough. It’s your brain doing its best to protect you, even when you know you’re capable of doing the skill. It’s like your survival instincts suddenly kick in at the worst possible time, leaving you stuck in a battle between logic and fear.

So what causes a mental block? Sometimes it happens after a fall or a close call, making your brain hesitant to put you back in that situation. Other times, it sneaks up out of nowhere—one day you're throwing a back handspring effortlessly, and the next, it feels impossible. Stress, overthinking, and even pressure from teammates or coaches can make the block even stronger. And the worst part? The harder you fight it, the more it seems to dig in its heels.

The trick to overcoming a mental block is patience—and no, that does not mean waiting around for it to magically go away. It means giving yourself grace while taking small, intentional steps forward. Go back to drills, break the skill down into smaller pieces, and rebuild trust with your body. Sometimes, it means stepping away from the skill for a bit and focusing on confidence-building exercises before coming back to it. Rushing through a mental block almost never works—it’s like trying to force a door open when the key is right in your hand.

One of the most powerful tools in beating a mental block is changing the way you talk to yourself. Instead of saying, “I can’t do this,” try, “I haven’t done this yet, but I will.” Instead of thinking about what could go wrong, visualize yourself successfully completing the skill. Your brain believes what you tell it, so feed it positive thoughts instead of fear. And if you wouldn’t say something to a teammate struggling with a block, don’t say it to yourself either. Be your own biggest supporter.

And let’s not forget the importance of having a strong support system. Coaches, teammates, and even family members play a huge role in helping athletes work through mental blocks. The best thing they can do? Listen and offer encouragement rather than pressure. Sometimes, all an athlete needs is a little reassurance that they’re not alone, that they’re still a great tumbler, cheerleader, or gymnast—even if they’re struggling right now. Progress isn’t always linear, and that’s okay.

As a coach, I’ve seen mental blocks shake the confidence of even the most talented athletes. It’s heartbreaking to watch a kid who knows how to do a skill suddenly freeze up. But I also know that every single athlete has the ability to overcome it. My job isn’t to push them past their fear; it’s to guide them through it. I remind my athletes that they are strong, capable, and in control of their progress. We celebrate small wins, even if it’s just going for the set-up of a skill, because progress is still progress.

One of the hardest lessons an athlete can learn is that setbacks aren’t failures—they’re just part of the process. Some days, you’ll feel like you’re getting nowhere, but then one day, things click again, and suddenly, that skill doesn’t seem so impossible anymore. Mental blocks may test your patience, but overcoming them will make you a stronger, more confident athlete in the long run. Trust yourself, take it one step at a time, and keep moving forward.

** If you have made it this far- here is a really good podcast that talks further on mental blocks in athletes ---> https://nextgenowners.podbean.com/e/overcoming-mental-blocks-with-jeff-benson/