Keeping Your Mind Fresh

[kreatture]

One of the toughest things to overcome in Sports Betting is your own emotional state. It's easy to become overwhelmed with so many games on the board each day and betting night after night can easily take it's toll on your mentality. As you gain more experience Sports Betting, the easier this should hopefully become. Even on a Heater, you can wear yourself out and mentally drain your mind.

When you first started Sports Betting, did you have any emotional rollercoasters such as burn-out, or mental fatigue? If so, how did you manage to cope with these issues? If you were fortunate enough to not experience anything like this, what advice could you give for novice to intermediate bettors who occasionally experience these issues?

Thanks for your time.

[DOP]

When I'm really pouring over information (winning or losing) I get mentally drained. I can remember going on a huge (for me) winning streak a few years ago in MLB but thinking to myself "even though this is the greatest run of my life, i'm exhausted and miserable"

I ended up taking several days off anf struggled for awhile. I think its a fine line between researching too much and burning out and researching too little and throwing darts at a board. HELP ME!!!

[mount187]

I know we're waiting on a response from So_Money_Sports here, but a few things that help keep me thinking clearly are sleep and exercise. Those two things aren't generally associated with us degenerates, but you can't make good decisions w/o having your brain functioning properly. Research also shows that drinking more water helps keep your body (and brain) functioning the way it's intended. Keeping your "temple" in good shape will lead to less frustration / ill temper, and should help keep you from going "on tilt" as often.

[@So_Money_Sports]

Hey Parker,

Unfortunately mental fatigue is a major aspect of this game regardless of how "seasoned" you are. I still feel it now from time to time and have found ways to deal with it over the years that work for me.

I never feel like I HAVE to bet a game. If I'm not feeling it, I just won't bet it, take a day or 2 off, etc. I find a lot of people feel as if they must bet and don't realize that if they are doing so with a distorted frame of mind (ie. mental fatigue) their final decision on plays may become distorted as well. If they make a decision they normally wouldn't make and lose the bet, the next step may be to think about how they will get it back, and we all now about the vicious cycle that ensues. It is never a bad decision take days off.

It is also important, in my opinion, to be well-rounded so that you're not "living and dying" with your bets. I've always said I don't care about individual wins and losses, they simply don't matter to me in the long-term. Talk to me about my last 1000, 2000, 3000 plays and you'll see me take more interest in records. While sports is obviously a MAJOR aspect of my life, it is not my whole life. I love spending time with Mrs. So Money, have great friends and family, and have other interests outside of sports. A lot of you are aware of my "annual shutdown" that usually occurs mid to late-summer where Mrs. So Money and I go away for a couple of weeks. This is also a great way for me to keep my mind fresh in that even though I still may have plays from time to time, these are usually "information" plays where there is very minimal work required from me.

I agree with Mount as well. Even though I don't sleep much, I need a night every couple of weeks where I sleep a good 10 hours or so. Again, this is what works for me personally, and it is probably different for others. You guys know I always stress being honest with yourself, and this is just another extension of that. If you are constantly going on an emotional roller-coaster, on tilt, etc. it is important to identify why its happening and how you can prevent it since these things don't create an environment conducive to long-term success.

I understand its difficult and we always walk a fine line with our mentality, but when you feel like you are getting to that point, its never a bad idea to take time off and/or "distract" yourself from sports.

Thanks for the question, Parker. I think its an important one where we can all learn. Guys, feel free to post what works for you, maybe something good for you can be adopted by others as well.