How the Edmonton Oilers use mindfulness to stay focused — and how you can, too

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Any athlete knows that being in top form is as much a mental as a physical game. 

The Edmonton Oilers — approaching Game 4 of the Stanley Cup finals Saturday — are relying on George Mumford to help them stay in good shape mentally. 

The sports psychology consultant — who has helped such stars as NBA giants Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant — is behind the bench this season, working with the team on their mental performance, including mindfulness. 

"I help people be in a moment more effectively and efficiently," said Mumford. "Just be here now." 

Mindfulness is the practice of being present and observing what's happening — both within yourself and in your environment — with curiosity and without judgment. 

Mumford and other experts in the field say that mindfulness techniques can help both pro athletes and the rest of us work with self-doubt, negative thoughts and fear to perform their best. 

Whether you're facing office politics or an opposing NHL team, mindfulness can help us be self-aware, said Mumford, because it "creates space between stimulus and response."

Instead of reacting automatically to things, mindfulness allows us to step back and assess what's really going on, he told Dr. Brian Goldman, host of CBC's The Dose. 

Research shows that athletes who practice mindfulness can stay more focused during stressful moments of competition. 

For example, said Mumford, it helps the Oilers focus on winning one game at a time — instead of thinking negatively about what happened in past games. 

"The only thing that matters is this moment, what's in front of you now," he said. 

"You got to play the next game. That's it. And you got to win the next game, regardless of what the score is." 

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