<p>Mental träning blir alltmer beprövat för att öka prestation och resultat inom idrottsvärlden. Det handlar om tekniker för att med hjärnans hjälp skapa bättre förutsättningar för idrottare att nå framgång. För elitsatsande idrottare börjar fenomenet bli en självklarhet men gäller detsamma för motionärer och icke-idrottare? Denna enkätstudie kartlägger hur individer resonerar kring mental träning utifrån deras idrottsliga bakgrund och erfarenheter. 91 kvinnor och 99 män i åldern 18 till 51 år deltog. Resultatet visar att elitsatsande idrottare har mest positiv attityd till mental träning och icke-idrottare har lägst. Träningsformen individen utövar inverkar på om personen känner till mental träning. De som tränar individuellt har mest kännedom om mental träning. Elitsatsande idrottare förväntar sig mer av mental träning än motionärer och icke-idrottare. Ingen skillnad fanns mellan könen gällande att söka hjälp av mentala tränare vilket tidigare utländsk forskning visat. Svenska män är öppnare till fenomenet.</p>

Mental träning blir alltmer beprövat för att öka prestation och resultat inom idrottsvärlden. Det handlar om tekniker för att med hjärnans hjälp skapa bättre förutsättningar för idrottare att nå framgång. För elitsatsande idrottare börjar fenomenet bli en självklarhet men gäller detsamma för motionärer och icke-idrottare? Denna enkätstudie kartlägger hur individer resonerar kring mental träning utifrån deras idrottsliga bakgrund och erfarenheter. 91 kvinnor och 99 män i åldern 18 till 51 år deltog. Resultatet visar att elitsatsande idrottare har mest positiv attityd till mental träning och icke-idrottare har lägst. Träningsformen individen utövar inverkar på om personen känner till mental träning. De som tränar individuellt har mest kännedom om mental träning. Elitsatsande idrottare förväntar sig mer av mental träning än motionärer och icke-idrottare. Ingen skillnad fanns mellan könen gällande att söka hjälp av mentala tränare vilket tidigare utländsk forskning visat. Svenska män är öppnare till fenomenet.

In addition to the written report, my debut album The Light of Christmas is included in this Master thesis. The album was released 15th. November 2014 and it was a success. I worked as an artist and as a producer in this album project. The album consists of thirteen songs. It includes three different Ave Maria songs from Schubert, Bach-Gounod and Caccini and other Mary songs in Finnish (Kalliokoski, Reger) and in Swedish (Hahn). I also recorded traditional Finnish Christmas songs. The written report of this thesis describes the most important part of this project, the production of the CD from the beginning till the end. The artistic self-esteem is also in focus. My instrument, voice, is in me. It develops all the time. It is never the same. I needed to accept this fact and believe in my skills as a professional singer. I am a mentally stronger singer today than I was a year ago. I believe in what I am doing and I also believe in my future as a professional singer. The feedback from my album supported me as an artist and in my career. / <p>Appendice;</p><p>Bilaga: 1 CD - The Light of Christmas</p>

Aim: The aim of this study was to implement a psychological skills training program for dancers and evaluate the dancers’ use of psychological skills training techniques, and possible effects of the course. Specifically, the present study examined: 1) to what extent the dancers were using psychological skills training techniques; 2) whether a short course in psychological skills training for dancers made any difference to their use of psychological skills training techniques; 3) whether differences existed between groups of dancers regarding year at the dance academy, previous education in psychological skills training, and attendance; 4) the dancers’ response to psychological skills training during the course. Method: 51 dancers (45 female and six male aged 18-26 years) at a dance academy in Sweden participated in the study. The course in psychological skills training stretched over four months with four to six lessons. A shortened version of the Test of Performance Strategies was completed by the dancers at the first and last lesson. Descriptive statistics, one-way between-groups analysis of variance (ANOVA), and paired-samples t-tests were used to analyze the data. Memoing was practised to document the dancers’ direct response to the course. Results: The dancers used self-talk, emotional control, goal setting, imagery, activation, and attentional control “sometimes” in connection with their dance practice, whereas relaxation was used “rarely”. The total score for the dancers’ use of psychological skills training techniques only showed a marginal increase between pre- and post-intervention data. The only statistically significant difference found was an increase in the scores for relaxation. No statistically significant difference was found between groups regarding total score. The results from the memoing indicated that active participation during the lessons resulted in a more positive attitude towards psychological skills training, and that the dancers used different vocabulary regarding psychological skills training. The dancers also expressed difficulties implementing psychological skills training techniques on their own outside the classroom. Conclusions: The dancers in the present study had very similar scores on the questionnaire compared to athletes in previous research. For future research it would be of interest to see if a longer psychological skills training program for dancers, or a course with higher intensity, could further facilitate the dancers’ use of psychological skills training techniques, as well as integrate psychological skills training more in their dance practice. The results from this study could provide valuable information for further development of a psychological skills training program for dancers and might serve as a guide for areas that could benefit from extra attention in order to help dancers evolve both professionally and personally.

This master’s thesis examines different mental training tools that musicians can utilize in order to be more comfortable on stage and to let the music flow unobstructed. The study focuses to a great extent on the art of visualizations in order for the musician to redirect their attention from intruding performance thoughts towards a defined musical and emotional expression. In addition, the study explores how other tools such as singing, meditating, dancing, breathing and positive affirmations can affect the performance, as well as how the audience experience the concert. The study was carried out with the help of artist- and performance coach Christine Löfgren, and with the help of Kenny Werner's book “Effortless Mastery: Liberating the Master Musician Within”. The work observes the musical and personal development the author Ludvig Dahlström has undergone during his last semester at the master's program in classical viola at Edsberg, Royal College of Music, Stockholm. The final result was performed at an graduation recital on May 29, 2023 and is documented with an audio recording. The study concludes that the mental training has been successful, resulting in measurable differences such as a bigger sound, a more natural musical flow and an increased well-being on stage and in general, as well as an improvement in focus and quicker learning. In addition, the study has resulted in a general improvement of self-esteem of the writer and a closer communication with the audience. / Det här masterarbetet undersöker olika verktyg inom mental träning som musiker kan använda sig av för att bli bekväma på scenen och fria i musicerandet. Extra vikt läggs vid att visualisera känslor och karaktärer i musiken för att rikta uppmärksamheten bort från distraherande tankar, och istället mot det musikaliska och känslomässiga uttrycket. Studien har även utforskat hur andra verktyg såsom sång, meditation, dans, andning och positiva affirmationer kan påverkar framträdandet, och hur publiken upplever konserten. Studien genomfördes tillsammans med Christine Löfgren, artistcoach, föreläsare och regissör samt med hjälp av Kenny Werners bok “Effortless Mastery: Liberating the Master Musician Within”. Arbetet observerar den utveckling som författaren Ludvig Dahlström har genomgått under den sista terminen på masterprogrammet i klassisk viola på Edsberg, Kungliga Musikhögskolan i Stockholm. Slutresultatet redovisades i en examenskonsert den 29 maj 2023 och har dokumenterats med ljudinspelning. Studien kom fram till att dessa verktyg har haft en positiv musikalisk effekt i form av större klang, naturligare flöde i musiken och ett ökat välbefinnande, men även ett förbättrat fokus, och effektivare inlärning. Dessutom har studien resulterat i en allmänt förbättrad självkänsla samt en närmare kontakt med publiken.

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Thesis (M Sport Sc (Sport Science))--University of Stellenbosch, 2007. / Sport analogies are constantly used in business settings, perhaps due to some of the surface similarities between sport teams that strive to win competitive leagues and business teams striving to be successful in a competitive environment. The similarities between the sports and business worlds are highlighted by various authors who share “winning strategies” with managers and team leaders. However, the psychology of sports performance may be very different from the psychology of the business world. The main purpose of this investigation was to determine if the principles of sport psychology are indeed applicable to the environment of the workplace. Due to the emphasis on performance output in the corporate environment, which to a large extent is similar to the challenges encountered by elite sport persons, it is proposed that sport psychology rather than clinical psychology could be utilised as a way to assist employees to cope with the demands of the workplace. It is believed that by adopting the principles of sport psychology, employees can learn how to use mental skills, not only to enhance their performance in the work place, but also to deal with daily life stressors. The main focus of the study was to develop a mental skills programme based on sport psychology principles and to determine its effectiveness in the corporate world.

Denna studie syftar till att utveckla kunskap om hur professionella klassiska sångare förbereder sig och hanterar scenframträdanden. Studiens frågeställningar har varit hur klassiska sångare uppfattar vikten av mental förberedelse inför scenframträdanden och vilka funktioner de uppfattar att mental träning och scenisk beredskap har inom sångutbildning på olika nivåer. För att få svar på mina frågeställningar använde jag mig av kvalitativa intervjuer med fyra professionella klassiska sångare.Resultatet visar att informanterna lägger stor vikt på instuderingsprocessen i sin mentala förberedelse inför ett scenframträdande. Instuderingen ska påbörjas i god tid innan en konsert och genomföras metodiskt med fokus på teknik, text, musik och scenisk utformning. Studien visade också att informanterna hade tydliga rutiner under konsert-/föreställningsdagen. Det som mentalt skulle hanteras för att lyckas med ett scenframträdande var att kunna vara i nuet och att omvandla nervositet till en kreativ energi. / The purpose of this study is to develop knowledge about how professional classical singers prepare for and handle performances. The questions of the study have been what classical singers regard about the importance of mental preparation before a performance, and what functions mental training and stage preparation have at different levels in vocal education. To find the answers to these questions I interviewed four professional classical singers.The result shows the importance of an accurate learning of the music, technique and expression prior to performance. The study also demonstrated that the informants had well- developed routines for the day of their performance. To make a mentally well-controlled performance, the informants had to be present on the stage, and be able to transform stage fright into creative energy.

There is a growing interest in brief, low-cost workplace health promotion interventions for wellbeing, which target increasing resilience, mindfulness and positive appraisal. One such health promotion intervention is Positive Mental Training. Three linked studies set out to investigate the efficacy of Positive Mental Training in the workplace. Study 1 used a double blind, randomised control trial design, with healthy volunteer employees randomised to intervention or control conditions. Validated questionnaires measured wellbeing, resilience, mindfulness, burnout and emotional distress at 4 time intervals, over a 6 month period. Multi-level linear modelling showed significant effects of the intervention on wellbeing and depression. ANCOVA analysis revealed these benefits were not sustained at follow up (26 weeks). Study 2 expanded on study 1, with qualitative interviews of purposefully selected participants of study 1. A grounded theory approach was used to explore individual motivations, benefits and limitations of the programme. Study 3 adopted a component research design to investigate one possible underlying aspect of this multi-component health promotion intervention (positive appraisal suggestion) in a student population and examined whether relaxation increased this effect. Positive appraisal suggestions given with or without relaxation were both able to significantly increase levels of positive affect and self-esteem compared to a control. Positive cognitive bias was found to increase in both the active conditions and the control suggesting differential cognitive and emotional processes, in that an increase in positive CB was not associated with an increase in mood. Overall these studies indicated evidence for the efficacy of Positive Mental Training in workplace health promotion, explored experience of participants undertaking the study and investigated the underlying mechanisms of an active component of Positive Mental Training. Theoretical and clinical implications are discussed.

The purpose of this research is to overcome stage fright through different techniques of thorough preparation in the practice room. The main methods discussed are mindfulness and mental training. Five selected orchestral excerpts have been prepared and performed using these methods, then presented as recordings in three different situations and analysed according to the performance quality that is then measured by percentage. From my research I deduct that mental training is an essential part of practising that leads to less stage fright and will increase performance results dramatically. / <p>Eduard Oja Piano Quintet</p><p></p><p>Medverkande: Anna-Lena Ohlwein, Doris Mägi, Viktoria Hillerud, Joline Granath</p>