The next time you find yourself in a situation where you feel that you are about to explode from excessive tension, a very simple trick could help you manage this feeling: close the fist of the left hand.
This conclusion was reached by a team of German psychologists who state that when we close the left fist, our right hemisphere is activated immediately, which allows us to better manage the tension.
Obviously, these researchers put their theory to the test. In this regard, they recruited 30 professional footballers and asked them to take some penalties. Obviously, this is a task that generates the same tension as when playing a real game.
But the real purpose was to promote the idea that closing the fist (left or right, as appropriate) for about 30 seconds would help them concentrate. They were later asked to do so when they were on the pitch during a real match.
Thus it was observed that, regardless of the strength of the suggestion, the players who closed the right fist did not report more confidence and better concentration, but those who closed the left fist did.
This experiment was repeated with taekwondo and badminton athletes, always achieving the same results.
Where is the secret?
Researchers are convinced that closing the left fist activates our right brain hemisphere, the very one that is responsible for processing information in a more complete and specialized form in the processing of non-verbal data, as well as automatic behaviors, those that are necessary. in sport.
This is not the first experiment that demonstrates the power of closing the left fist. Indeed, in the past, some Israeli researchers have shown that playing with a ball in the left hand can foster more creative solutions, which is not surprising since the right hemisphere is associated with creativity.
Therefore, what seems to be out of the question is that closing the left fist or playing with a ball in the left hand activates certain areas of the right hemisphere, and this makes us more creative by allowing the accumulated tension to be dissipated.
