The Zone

“You need to get in The Zone”. How often have you heard that statement? But what is The Zone and where is it?

The Zone is a place that exists in your head. It is an ambience, an elevated state of mind you achieve when all the thing's you’ve learned (physical, technical and psychological) come together, allowing you to perform with excellence in an environment where your actions flow and you sense no distraction from your task.

Some people describe being in the zone as “being in a bubble”. The reference to bubble relates to a feeling of being in an imaginary sphere or exclusion zone where no external influence or other person can affect or distract you from the performance of a task.

Getting into The Zone usually requires pre-event mental routines that elevate and condition the senses to a higher level. Once in The Zone your mind acquires consistency and flow.

The strange thing with The Zone is the fact you often don't know you've been there until you snap out of it - rather like daydreaming. It can therefore be likened to a trance-like state (almost spiritual) where your awareness of external distraction is so diminished that you become almost oblivious to everything else.

Think of the times when your mind is elsewhere and somebody says "Did you hear what I said?" or "Are you still with us?" Your mind can genuinely be somewhere else.

Being in The Zone is an altered state of consciousness. It is a state where the sensation of pleasure becomes heightened and your mood is mellow. Where noise becomes distant and muffled, and peripheral movement becomes irrelevant or unnoticed. Your body is relaxed yet your mind is alert. You feel warm and 'at one' with your surroundings.

Do not confuse ‘The Zone’ with a Comfort Zone.

Comfort Zone is a term used to denote a set of beliefs or mental boundaries within which an individual feels safe. In a comfort zone, beliefs may not necessarily correspond with to the facts, but the believer takes comfort in the perceived security of those beliefs.

An example could be a recognised need to leave an unsatisfactory job but the fear of doing so as it would result in losing the sense of security the individual derives from having the job.

The Comfort Zone and excellence in sport do not make good companions. A competitive sportsperson must move far outside the Comfort zone and be confidently prepared to take risks in the quest for excellence.

The Zone has been defined as:

A special place where performance is exceptional and consistent, automatic and flowing, where you can ignore all pressures and perform the skills you have learned so well. Your zone is a happy place in which you are glad to be.