Psychology of Physical Competence

"I can do that"

A deep-rooted belief in one's physical ability fosters a strong sense of self-reliance within our environment. 



In our day-to-day lives much of what we encounter or experience is beyond our control, but harnessing physical competence brings a calm and confident feeling of self-control. This can best be described as self-efficacy. When we tell ourselves "I can do that," we're much more likely to participate in and enjoy the process. Our self-efficacy increases our persistence, effort, and resilience.

Training forms the basis for physical competence and is best practised regularly. Getting started is the hardest part; it's when we often overweigh the immediate costs to our lives (e.g. discomfort) and undervalue future rewards - This is known as 'present bias'. Every time we overcome the resistance to training, we come to know ourselves and our confidence to overcome the doubts grows, making participation and enjoyment much more likely. For me, confidence is simply the result of keeping all those little promises we make to ourselves. Doing the workout is a perfect example of those small promises. 

Building physical competence enhances our sense of self. Taking the time to do something beneficial for our bodies and leaving us with a sense of achievement magnifies psychological well-being. When we have a strong sense of self, we have far more to offer others. 

When we develop physical competence, we increase the likelihood of making better choices with regards what we eat, prioritsing where to focus our energy and how much we sleep we need. This positive loop enriches our state of mind - we're focused on what's possible, instead of dwelling on the regrets of having missed our training, over-eaten or stayed up too late the night before. 

Training takes us out of our heads and into our bodies, de-cluttering our psychological load - reducing stress or anxiety. Other psychological benefits of physical competence include an improved mood and emotional well-being, enhanced cognitive functioning and concentration, as well as reinforced self-discipline and resilience. 

"I can do that"

If we believe we can, we're right and if we believe we can't, we're still right. Physical competence amplifies what we perceive as possible. By regularly overcoming discomfort and physical hardship, we develop a gleeful indifference to hard things. Make life easier by practising hard things.