Esports coach Mia Stellberg on mind over misclicks

Your mind needs to be sharp if you want to perform at your best. That’s a fact, and mental fitness helps gamers to have the mind of a champion.

Mentally strong competitors don’t underachieve. They’re skillful, on point and measurably ahead of their peers who don’t take care of themselves. Still, even the most experienced players don't necessarily master the mental side of gaming.

I’ve had the pleasure of working with some of the best teams and players in the world, including teams that have won multiple championships**.** There are many learnings and lessons I’ve taken away from working with these pros that I’d like to dive into today.

Know the pitfalls in Esports

The world of competing can be all-consuming and easy to get caught up in. But mental strength is just as important as raw skill, especially in Esports where matches can go for an hour or more. One professional Dota 2 match between Cloud9 and ScaryFaceZ went over three hours, while many Counter-Strike matches can hit the multi-hour mark as well. You can't control the game if you don't have control of yourself.

Mental endurance is vital if one needs to keep focus for sustained periods.

When I am working with my teams the goal is always to bring home the trophy. To achieve that, the first step is to help my clients be self-aware. You must be aware of your overall mood. Mastering your mood during gameplay requires self-knowledge. That is fundamental to mental wellbeing and impacts performance. Try observing yourself and learn how your emotions activate specific thoughts and reactions. Absorb feedback from your teammates and coaches – what do they say or how do they react to you in certain situations? Find your strengths and weaknesses in that department. Find out what boosts your mood and emotions, and tap into those factors.

The more you’re in a stable mood, the longer you’ll maintain a good level of performance.

Lastly, when you are passionate about something, why shouldn’t you spend a lot of time pursuing that passion?

Unfortunately, that mentality can be detrimental. Burnout is one of the biggest dilemmas in Esports, and in the early days it cut many careers short. It’s a state where you might find yourself after extended stressful periods, such as weeks or months on the road at tournaments or rigorous practice schedules.

There are things that ambitious gamers should be mindful of. That is the importance of mental well-being, which can help protect gamers from possible stress factors and enhances performance.

Address the pitfalls

Improving mental fitness requires you to adopt routines that help you become healthier, happier and more in tune with yourself. The brain works like your biceps – it needs regular work just to be stronger and maintain that way.  

Some easy ways to improve your mental wellbeing starting today are:

• Enough quality sleep every night
• Healthy eating – you’d be surprised how much bad eating habits can impact your mental wellness
• Physical activity releases dopamine, a.k.a the happy hormone, which increases your mood
• Social activities – gaming can be a healthy outlet for this, but outside of a practice environment

To address these, first ask yourself: 

• How is your sleep quality?
• Do you feel that you can maintain your focus well?
• How is your physical and mental health?
• Do you find yourself often irritated or giving up easily?
• Do you often feel stressed?

If you answered “poor” to more than two questions you should evaluate your situation and find a better balance. Be brave enough to make a change in your routines to make sure you are feeling better in the future. An unbalanced player that is underachieving frequently might make them even more stressed, leading to a downward spiral in output.

Acknowledging the mental side of gaming and improving your self- knowledge you can learn how to work with your own thoughts. You’ll vastly improve your ability to cope with pressure, which leads to enhanced gaming performance.

Mia has become a legend in pro gaming for her pioneering work as a psychologist and the many titles she has helped teams win. Among her achievements, winning the Major with Astralis CS:GO team, and helping Dota 2 Team OG become the first-ever repeat TI champions.  She also has coached teams to reach titles in League of Legends and mobile games. She also works with many Olympians and others in pro sports. A graduate of the University of Helsinki, she lives in Finland.