Think of every pre-game show you’ve seen on tv in the last few years. Look at the players as they sit in the locker room or on the team bus or as they walk through the arena hallway before the game. Anyone remotely into competitive sports has witnessed the frenetic energy that radiates around the players as the minutes before the game tic away. Notice how many of the players are wearing headphones – presumably listening to music, certainly trying to make their overwhelming world smaller.
Now imagine your child (anxious to begin with) walking into his/her first baseball/track/basketball/social skills group/art lesson/new school lunchroom/etc. Maybe these players are onto something. Maybe this minimizing of outside auditory distraction (and control of what sound comes in and at what volume) is a valuable strategy that we need to pay more attention to. If you ask the players why they do this pre-game ritual, they’d probably say something like – “It helps me focus…keep my mind from getting distracted”. But I think it does more. I believe that the headphones reduce the amount of exposure to outside stimuli. And in doing so allow the players to remain more attuned to their bodies. Thus more regulated and able to take on the task ahead.
If you want to test this hypothesis out, put in a pair of earplugs and sit on your bed. Breath in and out slowly and deliberately. You’ll soon notice the sound of your heart beating, your lungs inhaling and exhaling, and you’re body slowly settling down.
If we’re thinking about a tool for new or uncomfortable situations, it may be worth giving headphones/earplugs a chance. It certainly seems to be doing something for these players.
When trying this with your child, use the picture above (or one like it) as an example. This provides a visual of cool looking superstars using the tool we are asking our kids to try.