There are many mental states and mindsets that you can be in that will affect your game. When most people hear this, they consider being "tilted" after a bad play. Although this is true, in this article I will discuss the 7 mindsets people have about solo queue, and how they affect your games. With each mindset (aside from the last), there are clear problems that must be fixed to achieve an optimal mindset to learn and perform in solo queue. Whichever mindset you think best describes you, it will have some tips to help you achieve the balanced mindset.

1. Solo Queue Only

This mindset is very common and can be seen as something beneficial for the purpose of improving, and competition. However, with a mindset where you only play solo queue, it devalues the pressure that should come with this competitive environment. This can lead to having little-to-no anxiety or "nerves" when you are in each game. Although anxiety is known to worsen player performance, there is a desirable balance that can be achieved known as the Yerkes-Dodson Law. This principle outlines the relation between stress and task performance, where high stress does in fact impair performance, however, low stress has the same effect where the player is not aroused enough to perform optimally. This is something that can definitely happen in solo queue. Additionally, comparing solo queue to traditional sports equivalents, what professional athlete or team would only participate in competitions, and not in practices, or scrimmages and expect to perform well and improve? Not only does designated practice help to work on specific aspects of the game one at a time, but gives an opportunity to try out strategies for the future without impacting the competitive integrity of the game.

The byproduct of this mindset is the idea that improvement and climbing the ranks comes down to grinding games. With a solo queue only mindset, the devaluation of consequences of an individual game leads you to believe that you'll just climb the more you play. Although this can be true, by decreasing the quantity of solo queue games in favour of quality of the solo queue games, you become a more efficient learner and climber.

If this is you, I suggest reevaluating why you play solo queue. If you really want to improve, remind yourself that you can learn just as much from a normal/flex game as you can from a solo queue game. A simple rule to follow can simply be: Normal/Flex queue is where you learn how to win, and solo queue is where you know you will win. Other helpful tips for you are to limit your champion pool to what you understand best and create a game plan to maximize your chances of winning. Additionally, you can reduce the number of games you play of solo queue in each session and VOD review to see how you did compared to your game plan created before you even loaded onto the Rift.

2. Ranked Anxiety

Using the same principle of Yerkes-Dodson Law, having too much anxiety will diminish your performance. This anxiety creates a mindset where you go into each solo queue game playing not to lose, rather than playing to win. Additionally, you must consider where your anxiety comes from. A possibility is that you focus too much on what your teammates think of you, so you avoid making decisions or playing actively. This anxiety is a very easy way to fall into the "rabbit hole" of stress and underperformance, ultimately leading you to becoming more easily fatigued, anxious, and minimizing your ability to think and perform optimally.

If this is you, consider what causes the anxiety. If it is a fear of toxicity, "/mute all" and don't look back! If it's a fear of losing, limit your champion pool and push yourself a little bit each game (limit test). If it is a fear of being a certain rank, consider not playing ranked, or at least reevaluate what a rank means to you. Realistically, your rank should just be seen as an indicator of your progress. Do not consider it to be a true representation of what you deserve or what you are capable of.

3. The Duo Abuser

The Duo Abuser mindset is when you feel that the game is only fun when you are playing with someone else you know, but you also only want to play competitive. A common reason for this is when you blame your teammates too much for the outcome of the game. As a result, you think that duoing with someone is one less bad player on your team and so there's less of a chance of a doomed game as there's 3 bad players instead of 4. This is obviously a very toxic mindset, but it does exist. If you genuinely only have fun playing with a friend, for the sake of your sanity and others, play other game modes, or other games all together with those friends. If the only thing keeping you playing solo queue is when you duo, you realistically aren't in the solo queue environment for the right reason.

If this is you, but you still believe that you should play solo queue, consider reminding yourself of what you could have done better to have prevented a loss. Avoid blaming your teammates for losses (even if an obvious mistake may result in the game ending), consider what you could do to help your teammate do better next time, or what you could have done to have prevented that situation from even happening. The more of an emphasis you place on your own play, the more control you will feel you have over the game's outcome, and the more solo queue can be bearable. Finally, remember that you cannot win every game, so don't expect to.

4. The Border Hunter

The Border Hunter, as the name suggests, is focused on the results. This means that your goals are based on rank results, and not improvement. Although this motivation can be enough for you to strive to improve, it is unsustainable because it is only rewarding when you reach the end goal. For example, if your goal is to reach diamond, your satiety is only satisfied when the goal is achieved. However, if your goal is to work on certain aspects of the game that will lead you to reach diamond, you will then be able to easily see your progress, and as a byproduct you will climb (Ex: Consistently farming 8cs/min. This leads to more gold, and gives you a better chance to win. Eventually winning more as you get closer to that goal, and as a byproduct, closer to diamond).

Having such a strict results-oriented outlook on solo queue, you are likely very passionate about achieving the result. As a result, you are more likely irritated when something gets in your way. If this is you, control that passion in a positive way and understand how it can be your downfall at the same time. Stay driven to achieve your results, while minimizing what irritates you (consider "/mute all").

5. The Doomed Mental

The doomed mental mindset is exactly that. You're tilted. Maybe because you're having a bad day and you want to blow off some steam, or you just got out of a really tilting game (we've all been there). Before I can give some tips to improve, it's important to better understand what a doomed mental mindset does. You objectify your teammates (you see them as bots, rather than real people), and you treat them as they are part of the thing you must overcome in order to climb. You neglect their needs and prioritize your own, after all, it is called solo queue for a reason, right? Wrong. Understand that although it is indeed solo queue, it is a team game, and minimizing the impact your teammates can have on a given game just makes the game harder to win. Remember that there are real people behind the characters you see on your screen. If you're tilted from a previous game, take a break. If you're having a bad day and want to blow off some steam, play other game modes. Even in other game modes, if you really want to have fun, consider /mute all to minimize the opportunities for others to impede that, and just play the game you enjoy!

6. The Multitasker

The Multitasker is like a mixture of "Solo Queue Only" and "Doomed Mental". The Multitasker has low-to-no anxiety from a solo queue game and therefore you think you can perform just as well while watching a show on Netflix on your second monitor. You are less focused and become strictly a reactive player. Furthermore, you are easily irritable when the game ends up not being as easy as you expected. Additionally, if you do happen to win while multitasking, it only reinforces this toxic behaviour until you get into a game that is not easy. However, when this happens, because you previously won while multitasking, you incorrectly deduce that it was not your fault for the loss and blame teammates (like "Doomed Mental").

If this is you, stop. You do not want to be a robot. You should not like autonomy, and you should strive to be proactive. If you're multitasking, you're only hurting yourself and wasting your own time. If you really want to watch Netflix, then just watch Netflix, don't try and do both at the same time. Multitasking is a really bad habit, and is often a result of you thinking you are being efficient with your time, when in reality it is just the opposite. Value your effort and time and understand how adding more to your plate will make your goal for improvement that much more difficult!

7. The Balanced Mental

The Balanced Mental is the ideal mindset to be in going into a solo queue game. Having a balanced mental means aiming to be proactive in your game. It involves minimizing distractions, self-regulating, and being honest with yourself. You have to work hard to remove ego and emotions from your play and be critical. Remember that you will make mistakes and the important thing is to be prepared to learn from them.

To maintain this mindset, you have to remember the game starts when you click "PLAY" not when you are welcomed to Summoner's Rift or when minions spawn. Create a game plan before each game and think proactively. Remember to take breaks between games and find the number of games that you can play in a single session under optimal mental conditions. Work hard, well, and have fun!

Conclusion

Overall, if you can see yourself in any of these mindsets, try to follow the tips provided to steer you in the right direction towards "The Balanced Mental" mindset, and then use the tips there to try and maintain it. Under the ideal mindset you will maximize your opportunity to learn and progress, and the results will show with enough dedication.