Indian international cricketer Smriti Mandhana laid emphasis on the power of positivity and “shifting focus” amidst her appearance on the ‘Humans of Bombay’ podcast. She shared, that “One negative thing that happens that ruins your day…if they lose a match, they always see that they have lost it, but there are lots of positives in that loss also. Same, she thinks in a day, if there is one negative thing that has happened, but there are lots of positive things which have happened as well, so if focus is shifted from that negative to positive, then maybe, it might just brighten your day.”
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To help understand this issue with clinical clarity, Dr Pavitra Shankar, Associate Consultant–Psychiatry at Aakash Healthcare, explains the underlying factors and offers her expert insights.
From a sports psychology perspective, how does shifting attention from a single negative event to accumulated positives influence an athlete’s emotional resilience and performance?
Dr Shankar explains, “The process Smriti Mandhana describes aligns closely with one of the most powerful tools in sports psychology: cognitive reframing through positive self-talk. Athletes who consciously shift attention away from a singular negative event and toward a collection of positive cues strengthen emotional resilience and improve performance.”
She elaborates that positive self-talk — widely researched in cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT) — helps regulate the inner voice, reinforcing confidence and providing corrective instructions during high-pressure moments.
“Evidence across disciplines shows this kind of internal dialogue enhances execution in skill-based sports like tennis or football, improves endurance, and supports muscular strength tasks,” Dr Shankar further notes.
What mental-training tools can help individuals avoid letting one negative moment dominate their day?
Dr Shankar highlights that several CBT-based tools can help individuals consistently neutralise the emotional weight of setbacks. Cognitive restructuring, a core CBT technique, trains people to identify distorted thoughts like she failed,” “she always mess up,” or “this ruins everything,” and replace them with balanced, realistic assessments.
“This reduces emotional reactivity and prevents spiralling. Mindfulness practices, she explains, are equally effective because they anchor attention in the present moment rather than replaying a mistake or anticipating worst-case outcomes. When practised regularly, mindfulness improves mental clarity, emotional regulation, and the ability to reset between stressful moments.”
She also emphasises the value of cognitive defusion — a technique that helps individuals observe thoughts as mental events rather than unquestionable truths. By learning to say “this is just a thought” instead of “this is reality,” people can interrupt emotional loops before they escalate.
News Edit KV Raman
