Many athletes contact a sport psychology consultant when they’re having trouble during the season.  This is understandable; yet mid-season is the worst time to learn new skills.  Frequent competitions and the pressures to do well leave little time to practice anything new.  Now, the off-season, is the best time to learn new mental skills, because there is no pressure to attain unrealistically quick improvement.  Since the holidays can be a major source of stress, why not start improving your mental skills with some relaxation training.  A good book on relaxation training is The Relaxation Response by Harvard cardiologist, Herbert Benson.  Learning to relax now will help you manage your holiday stress.  With continued practice it will help you regulate your pre-competition jitters and speed your recovery next season.