Suggestions For Dealing With Disappointment

We all have to face defeat at some point in our lives. Sports fans go through a lot of ups and downs while following their favorite teams, feeling their teams' wins as their own, and their team's losses as a personal defeat. Some people tend to lose their temper after a loss whereas for other people, any kind of disappointment is a definite mood spoiler.

Given below are some suggestions for coping with a defeat in a healthy way:

• Do not get over-involved with the outcome of the game: One of the best ways of dealing with the loss of your favorite sport team is by not getting over involved with your team right from the very beginning. Take it as a game and not as something on which your self-esteem depends. Try to avoid getting too much emotionally involved. A win or a loss in a game does not pose any threat to your self-esteem and certainly not if you are not over-involved in the outcome of the game. Think through and set your priorities right. You have more important things to focus on – your wife, kids, job, etc.

• Try to be proactive: After going through the loss of your favorite team, be proactive and do not feel dominated by negative feelings of powerlessness and hopelessness. Try to get involved with a cause or activity that you are really passionate about and that will take your mind off the loss. It could be working out in a gym, gardening, or volunteering for a charitable cause. You could try going and helping in a homeless shelter.

• Take a break: Try to turn off a news channel or watch a movie to get over the feeling of the loss. Avoid getting exposed to sources of information that might make you feel even more depressed as your team's loss is played over and over again, focusing on the worst moments. You can also try exercising or going for a run. Exercising can be a great stress buster and you tend to benefit both mentally and physically by exercising.

• Share your feelings: Share your feelings with someone close. You could also try calling in to a local sports radio station and share your opinion with others. You can also consider spending time with your friends who support the same team and are feeling the same way after the loss.

• Try meditation: Meditation can be extremely relaxing and can help in soothing your mind and body. Meditation can help you find inner peace. Some meditation techniques that can come in handy include breath watching and focusing your mind on something that you would want to do or thinking about a place where you would want to be.

• Reminiscence: Take a while and think about some pleasant moments such as the last time when your favorite team won a big championship. Focusing your thoughts on positive things and ideas can be a great way of dealing with the loss of your favorite team.

• Choose to operate with dignity: Before a match, make a list of ways how people behave inappropriately while handling disappointment. Pledge to be mentally tough and not to engage in such acts of violence or hostility in the event of a loss. Try to set your own personal goals and see how people handle disappointment with dignity. Try to always be in control of your feelings and emotions and find ways to handle your stress in a dignified manner.

You must always remember that disappointment is an integral part of sports. The key to succeed is to learn how to cope with disappointment and not allow your emotions to rule your mind.