Demystifying Mental Toughness

In today's episode we look at working with the subconscious mind to improve self-awareness, overcome self-doubt and reduce your chances of choking when performing. My guest, Mental Performance Coach, Brandon Epstein shares his wisdom and gives you some ideas and strategies to keep moving forwards. Key Learning Points: Our subconscious mind can be programmed to help us win or lose. A lot of people are unconsciously incompetent, they lack self-awareness and don't live in the present moment. Self-awareness is crucial to be able to grow and overcome performance plateaus. Start by asking yourself the question - how does my emotional experience start? A lot of athletes crave the feeling of confidence when they perform – it is possible to experience this when working with the subconscious. Self-hypnosis can help you reprogram patterns of behaviour that you repeat. Understanding your limiting beliefs and changing them is a helpful approach. By being proactive and using psychological skills training you can give yourself a better chance of thriving under pressure. Connect with Brandon Epstein Website Instagram Connect with David Charlton Sign Up to The Mental Edge Join David @ The Sports Psychology Hub Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn Relevant Podcast Episodes Ep013: Karl Morris – How to stay present like a major champion Ep012: Alessia Bruno – The Yips, Crashes, Trauma in Sport there is hope for Athletes Ep 081: Stuart Wade – Mental Toughness in Combat Sports Ep092: Dr James Hegarty – ACT in Sport, Improving Performance through Mindfulness Ep156: Ruth Chiles – There is Hope: How to Overcome Focal Dystonia Relevant blogs Blog: Mental Preparation for Combat Sports Blog: Would You Like A Secret Weapon in Your Armoury? Blog: Do you try too hard on the golf course? Blog: Why You Should Meditate To Improve Your Sport Performance? Blog: My Child Can't Find "The Zone"

In episode #171 of the Demystifying Mental Toughness Podcast, former Professional Australian Rugby League player and now an inspiring speaker and personal trainer, David Lindsay talks to me about ways you can improve your vitality to improve your chances of success. We also touch on Mental Toughness in a Professional Rugby League as well as discussing the psychological side to martial arts. Key Learning Points: When you are smaller than others learning to play to and improve your strengths is important. "The mental game beats the physical game every day." You can control yourself not your opponent, so don't waste time focusing too much on them. Mental Toughness in a Rugby League setting is all about your ability to keep moving forwards despite pressures that exist. A bigger picture mentality without too much emotion is necessary to perform at the peak of your powers. To psych yourself up, consider energising music or rituals like the All Blacks "Haka." Visualisation and self-talk are other useful tools to improve your energy and intensity levels. Ensuring you look after yourself with adequate rest and recovery is essential to raise your vitality. Connect with David Lindsay Website LinkedIn Connect with David Charlton Sign Up to The Mental Edge Join David @ The Sports Psychology Hub Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn 5 Relevant Podcast Episodes Ep015: Nick Grantham – Essential Elements of Rest and Recovery Ep106: Amy Rowlinson – Why is knowing my WHY important? Ep112: David Charlton – How to Deal with Physical Insecurities as a Young Athlete Ep134: David Charlton - Observations: 3 Things That Stop You Achieving Your Goals EP138: Nick Littlehales – Why do the Mentally Tough see Sleep and Recovery as Important 4 Relevant blogs Blog: How To Play Well When You Aren't Feeling Great Blog: Mental Preparation for Combat Sports Blog: Does Your Warm Up Influence How You Perform? Blog: Helping Young Rugby Players Mentally Prepare Before Matches 3 Valuable resources Understanding yourself better – The 4Ts. Timing, Thoughts, Tension and Temperature Combat Sports Psychology Library Rugby Psychology Library

Supporting athletes with perfectionist tendencies is a large part of our work at Inspiring Sporting Excellence. They often display the following characteristics: Difficulties transferring their practice or training to competitive events or matches. Trying too hard. Focusing intensely on results and outcomes. Unable to trust themselves under pressure. High, rigid and often unrealistic expectations of themselves and others. Impatience and a tendency to demonstrate poor body language in the face of difficulties and for some to give up too easily. Being frightened of letting other people down. Having brittle confidence. Letting their own self-worth and self-esteem be influenced by poor sporting performances. Additionally, the perfectionist athlete can be very hard on themselves which informs the content in today's episode where I share a case study and a helpful exercise relating to recovering from mistakes and errors. Key Learning Points When we're not emotionally involved it's easier to be kind and compassionate. Often athletes find it easier to be kinder to team-mates than themselves when difficulties arise. The pressure of being judged and critiqued in sport can impact on an athlete's ability to deal with mistakes. Being kind to yourself as an athlete doesn't mean that you are going soft. Learning how to be more self-compassionate can help you motivate yourself more than fear- based motivational methods. Connect with David Charlton Download THE FOCUSED ATHLETE CHECKLIST Join David @ The Sports Psychology Hub Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn Relevant Podcast Episodes To Help Perfectionist Athletes Ep129: David Charlton – How to Deal with Self-Criticism using Self Compassion – PT1 Ep130 David Charlton – How to Deal with Self-Criticism using Self Compassion – PT2 Ep131 David Charlton – How to Deal with Self-Criticism using Self Compassion – FINAL PART Ep142: Alessia Bruno – Is Striving for Perfection a Good Thing in Gymnastics? Ep156: Ruth Chiles – There is Hope: How to Overcome Focal Dystonia Other Relevant Blogs And Resources To Benefit the Athlete Who Desires To Be Perfect Coach Development Helping Athletes Overcome Fear Of Failure 5 Ways To Create A Psychological Safe Sporting Environment Are You A Rugby Player With Perfectionist Tendencies? How to Trust Your Skills When You're a Goalkeeper How to Help Children Overcome Fear of Failure How To Play Well When You Aren't Feeling Great Conversations with Kids - Dealing with Criticism Kristin Neff Website on Self-Compassion

One of the hallmarks of Mentally Toughness is the ability to perform well under pressure. Whether you play golf or cricket, or enjoy gymnastics or netball. It's the same in your job if you have to stand up and deliver presentations at work. So why do many people struggle with this? Why does thriving under pressure separate the great from the good on occasions? Many things can prevent people to be able to perform in the manner they'd like to when the pressure is on for a host of reasons, including: Performance anxiety A failure to learn from past mistakes Focusing on the wrong things Making practice sessions too comfortable Personality traits, for example your Mental Toughness Off field pressures Today's short bite taken from episode 94 of Demystifying Mental Toughness, touches on this topic where Professor Adam Nicholls shares with you a few ideas to be able to improve the way that you perform under pressure. Enjoy tuning in! Key Learning Points: Mental Toughness is about an athlete's ability to be able to perform well under pressure, so that their performance is not adversely affected by pressure. Typical signs that someone struggles with pressure are that their routines change, that they speed up or slow down or that they fail to carry out tactics and get caught up in emotion. Experience is an important factor in making good decisions under pressure. Simulating pressure in training and practice is another helpful approach to take. Seeking to improve your self-awareness, being open-minded to learn is also essential so that you can make smarter decisions at critical times. Connect with Adam Nicholls Book: Psychology in Sports Coaches: Theory and Practice LinkedIn Email Connect with David Charlton Sign Up to The Mental Edge Join David @ The Sports Psychology Hub Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn 6 Relevant podcast episodes Ep166: Mark Bennett MBE - How To Help Athletes and Coaches Reflect On Their Performances Ep094: Professor Adam Nicholls - How to Develop Mentally Strong Rugby Players Ep093: Dan Abrahams - How to Overcome Mental Blocks in Football Ep091: Jarrod Leathem - How to Transfer Your Cricket Skills to Matches Ep089: Will Shaw - How To Transfer Your Golfing Skills To The Course Ep050: Compilation - Mental Strength Does Not Guarantee Success 5 Relevant blogs Blog: How To Play Well When You Aren't Feeling Great Blog: 5 Coaching Tips to Develop Mentally Tough Footballers Blog: Mental Preparation for Combat Sports Blog: Does Your Warm Up Influence How You Perform? Blog: 3 Tips to Help You Overcome Setbacks 4 Valuable resources Gibbs Reflective Cycle Understanding yourself better – The 4Ts. Timing, Thoughts, Tension and Temperature Understand your mental toughness tendencies Driscoll's Model of Reflection 3 Great conversations to have with your kids to help them perform better under pressure Conversations with Kids – Fixed Mindset Conversations with Kids – Emotional Rollercoaster Conversations with Kids – Bravery

Today's guest, trainer, coach and author Andrew Simpson and I chat about the youth sport experience today for kids, parents and coaches. We discuss pressures on kids, coaching and parental pressures and stressors. We also look at parents who also coach and the difficulties involved in that role, in particular. Common mindset traps kids fall into are also part of the conversation including the perfectionist kid who has high and unrealistic expectations of themselves and others, social comparisons and kids who carry their sporting identity so that it impacts their self-esteem. Parents, and coaches in youth sport and teachers may find this episode helpful. Key Learning Points Two big pressures that a lot of kids put on themselves in sports include trying to please others (coach and parents) through their performances. Between 9 and 11 years old children go from focusing on the task at hand to being more aware of others and their thoughts, emotions and behaviours. It is easy as a coach to lose sight of why you coach. Showing kindness and compassion as a coach and parent is a helpful way to help children regulate their emotions. For parents who also coach their children setting boundaries of when you're a coach and a parent is vital. Children can find it difficult to regulate their emotions in sport due to performance demands. Parents can consider themselves as role models whilst standing on the sidelines. If they get animated their children may follow suit. Bribery when parenting is unhelpful in trying to promote intrinsic motivation. Sports are what you do and are not who you are. Connect with Andrew Simpson Instagram Website Connect with David Charlton Sign Up to Conversations with Kids Join David @ The Sports Psychology Hub Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn Relevant Podcast Episodes Ep154: David Charlton – How Do I Go About Controlling The Controllables To Help My Sport Performance? Ep145: David Charlton – How Can I Help My Children Who Suffer With Nerves Before They Compete? Ep141: David Charlton – How to Help a Child Who Wants to Quit Sport Ep122: Camilla Knight – Helping Your Children Get The Most From Their Sporting Experiences Ep082: David Charlton – Supporting Children in Sport with Positive Feedback Relevant Blogs Blog: Helping a Critical Child When You're a Parent Blog: How to Help Children Overcome Fear of Failure Blog: How to Support an Angry Young Athlete Blog: How to Help Kids Overcome Performance Anxiety Blog: 9 Tips for Children from Olympians Relevant Resources Sports Psychology Resources for Youth Sport (Blogs, Podcasts, Video's) Sport Psychology for Children and Parents Child and Youth Motivation for Sport Quiz Parent Motivation for Sport Quiz

In today's episode of Demystifying Mental Toughness we dip back into the archives and take a short bite from episode 13 where leading performance coach Karl Morris and I chat about emotional control an essential ingredient of Mental Toughness. Karl goes on to share a very simple and effective strategy for those people who find it hard to let go of mistakes, stay calm and level headed. Or the golfer or athlete who gets too excited and finds they can think too far ahead when they're performing well. It's a strategy for golfers however if you get creative this concept can be applied to any sport or setting. Enjoy Tuning in! Key Learning Points Play a round of golf and look to observe your behaviour. Make a note of your reactions to shots or how you you spend time between shots. Why not use a mental scorecard to engage your competitive side by scoring your reactions on the course? Tick if you remained present or cross if you could have handled things better. If you train yourself to react well and you go on to swing it well, you start getting very close to playing to your full potential. Good players get ahead of themselves, everyone does. However good players are quick at noticing when their mind is stuck in the past or when they get caught trying to predict the future. They are then quick to move on after recognising it. Connect with Karl Morris Website LinkedIn Connect with David Charlton Sign Up to The Mental Edge Join David @ The Sports Psychology Hub Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn To Listen to Relevant Podcast Episodes to Help You Lower Your Scores Ep013: Karl Morris – How to stay present like a major champion Ep099: Trevor Jones – How to Deal with Overthinking on the Golf Course Ep160: Brian Hemmings - Golf Psychology: What You Can Expect and Why It Can Help You Blogs To Improve Your Golf How to Play Great Golf Under Pressure 5 Tips to Help You Perform Fearlessly When You Compete Do you try too hard on the golf course? For More Resources so You Can Shoot Lower Scores on The Golf Course Golfers Mental Scorecard Golf Psychology FAQs Psychology of Golf Library Podcasts to Help You Manage Your Emotions Better Ep092: Dr James Hegarty – ACT in Sport, Improving Performance through Mindfulness Ep124: Dr Keagan Hadley – Long Term Injuries: How to Confront Difficult Thoughts and Emotions EP136: Charlotte Potts – Overcoming Tough Times in Professional Women's Football and Bouncing Back Stronger Blogs to Help You Master Your Mind Guided Mindfulness Meditation Practices with Jon Kabat-Zinn Using ACT and Mindfulness to Improve Your Sporting Performances Why You Should Meditate To Improve Your Sport Performance?

Many athletes and coaches understand that one measure of Mental Toughness, COMMITMENT, showing maximum effort, making promises and keeping them, setting goals and not getting to side-tracked is vitally important. What this can also mean is a lot of athletes and coaches get carried away with simply being busy and trying to improve. This often results in performance plateaus. Why is that? A trap that many people fall into is a failure to learn from mistakes and performances. This challenge is the motivation for creating this episode with leading performance coach, Mark Bennett MBE, where we discuss live decision making from an athlete and coaches' perspective. We also chat about individual sports and team sports, the differences, working with multi-disciplinary teams, hot and cold review processes and a lot more. Enjoy tuning in! Key Learning Points: Coaches are a huge influence on how athletes go on to make decisions and reflect on those decisions when they're playing their sport in the moment. Helpful processes in decision making link to ensuring emotions are managed, environmental factors are controlled, being able to reflect live whilst understanding how choices in the execution of skills go on to influence the outcome. Helpful questions to ask yourself, start with – Am I in an effective state? Recognising if your ego gets in the way of your performance is essential for both coaches and athletes. Outcomes and too much though on technique can confuse a lot of golfers and impact their performance negatively. Connect with Mark Bennett MBE LinkedIn, Twitter, YouTube and Facebook Performance Development Systems, PDS Coaching Website Connect with David Charlton Sign Up to The Mental Edge Join David @ The Sports Psychology Hub Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn To Listen to Related Podcast Episodes Ep069: David Charlton - David on Being Tough Vs Being Comfortable in Your Own Skin Part 1 Ep086 – David Charlton: Observations – How to Learn From Setbacks Ep121 – Doug Strycharczyk and Dr John Perry What Is New? Developments in Mental Toughness Research and Practice Ep140: Chris Cook - How to Improve Your Mental Strength: Secrets from an Olympian Ep154: David Charlton – How Do I Go About Controlling The Controllables To Help My Sport Performance? 4 resources to read to help you make better decisions 3 Tips to Help You Overcome Setbacks Make Better Decisions to Help Your Sport Performance Resilient And Mentally Tough 9 Things You Can Learn From Tiger Woods Driscolls Model of Reflection 3 Great conversations to have with your kids that relate to reflecting Conversations with Kids - Values Conversations with Kids - Emotional Rollercoaster Conversations with Kids – Sports Coach

Goalkeeping is arguably the most difficult and mentally challenging position on the football or soccer pitch. Common psychological challenges goalkeepers face include; dealing with pressure due to being the last line of defence, coping with mistakes, managing emotions, maintaining focus on the pitch in matches and in training, as well as communicating effectively with team-mates. In today's episode Andy Elleray, an author and goalkeeping coach, who has worked for clubs such as Chelsea and Bristol Rovers, and within the female game for the English and Welsh Football Associations joins me and shares some fantastic insights into the demands of goalkeeping as well as highlighting how to deal with the pressures better. Key Learnings You will have difficult periods in your career as a goalkeeper. Making mistakes as a goalkeeper is inevitable. Goalkeeping coaching can test your communication skills, managing goalkeepers who are the preferred choice and those who are out of the team. Helping goalkeepers manage the controllables is important. Young goalkeeper's brain is not fully developed therefore they can experience big emotions as a result of the challenges of the GK role, which they can struggle to deal with. Trigger words or physical triggers (using sweat bands or super-hero bands) can help goalkeepers move on more quickly from mistakes. Connect with David Charlton Sign Up to The Mental Edge Join David @ The Sports Psychology Hub Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn Connect with Any Elleray Website LinkedIn Twitter: @andyelleray / @lilys_goal Relevant Podcast Episodes Ep08: Brendan Pearson - Academy Football, Professional Football, Injuries and Early Retirement Ep087: Carl Bell – From Professional Football and Goalkeeping to Physiotherapy Ep093: Dan Abrahams – How to Overcome Mental Blocks in Football Ep146: John Nassoori – What Is The Role Of A Sports Psychologist In Football? Ep151: Compilation - Football Psychology: 50 Ways You Can Improve Your Performance Other Valuable Football or Soccer Resources Goalkeeping Psychology | Mental Skills for Goalkeepers Soccer Psychology | Mental Skills for Football Youth Sports Psychology | Mental Skills Training for Kids and Parents Frequently Asked Questions about Football or Soccer Psychology Frequently Asked Questions about Goalkeeping Psychology

Trauma refers to a deeply distressing or disturbing experience or event that can overwhelm an individual's ability to cope and potentially cause lasting psychological, emotional and physical effects. In this bitesize episode, my guest, author and motivational speaker Steve Judge tells me about his inspiring journey. In 2002, Steve was involved in a car crash near Sheffield, crushing both of his legs and very nearly losing his life. The episode highlights how Steve learned to walk again, he also shares some advice on how he picked himself up from rock bottom. Enjoy tuning in! Key Learnings Steve highlights how setting short term goals helped him. Benchmarking and measuring his progress he found beneficial. Being kind to yourself during tough times is important. Social support is essential when we suffer difficulties. Connect with David Charlton Sign Up to The Mental Edge Join David @ The Sports Psychology Hub Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn Connect with Steve Judge Website Steve Judge on LinkedIn Relevant Podcast Episodes Ep002: Steve Judge – How to Deal with Adversity Ep014: Alessia Bruno – The Yips, Crashes, Trauma in Sport there is hope for Athletes Ep092: Dr James Hegarty – ACT in Sport, Improving Performance through Mindfulness Ep131 David Charlton – How to Deal with Self-Criticism using Self Compassion – FINAL PART Ep158: Dr Paul Gorczynski – How to Develop and Implement Mental Health Literacy Strategies Relevant Blogs Using ACT and Mindfulness to Improve Your Sporting Performances Why You Should Meditate To Improve Your Sport Performance? Mental Health Guidance For Coaches When Supporting Athletes Bullying – The Dark Side of Sport Creating a Mentally Healthy Sporting Environment

The "yips" is a term commonly used in golf. It describes sudden and unexplained losses of fine motor skills which impact on putting strokes and golfers chipping action. It is argued that somewhere between 32 and 47% of serious golfers have been affected by the yips at some point. The yips can be a very complex challenge to overcome where many golfers simply change technique and equipment numerous times. Sports psychologists are advocates of the use of hypnosis, relaxation and visualisation techniques, as well as carefully thought out practice routines to help golfers regain confidence and trust in their putting stroke. In this bitesize episode, my colleague Dr Alessia Bruno tells you more about the yips, what happens in the brain as well as offering you some hope if you experience this debilitating condition, where she refers to techniques such as Brainspotting and EMDR as a way to help you enjoy your golf or sport again. Key Learning Points: The yips is a type of performance anxiety where motor skills are impacted. Golfers tend to become very rigid and controlling when performing a skill. The yips is a serious problem which can seep into other areas of your sport. The yips can cause many athletes to quit their sport. When the yips occurs, a fight or flight or freeze response occurs. The limbic system is activated when we're fearful, especially the amygdala. Brainspotting and EMDR are techniques that allow us to process the memory without getting activated when we play golf or sport. Connect with Dr Alessia Bruno Website Articles, Videos and Podcasts Connect with David Charlton Sign Up to The Mental Edge Join David @ The Sports Psychology Hub Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn To Listen to Other Useful Podcast Episodes Ep013: Karl Morris – How to stay present like a major champion Ep012: Alessia Bruno – The Yips, Crashes, Trauma in Sport there is hope for Athletes Ep092: Dr James Hegarty – ACT in Sport, Improving Performance through Mindfulness Ep101: Compilation - 25 Mental Game Secrets to Improve Your Golf Ep156: Ruth Chiles - There is Hope: How to Overcome Focal Dystonia For More Resources so You Can Shoot Lower Scores on The Golf Course 10 Mental Game Tips from Leading Experts to Improve Your Golf Do you try too hard on the golf course? Psychology of Golf Library Further resources on the yips and mental blocks Yips Podcasts Mental Blocks Podcasts Mental Blocks Articles