Demystifying Mental Toughness

Today in episode #162 of the Demystifying Mental Toughness Podcast I chat with Sun Sachs and Ed Gibbins, owners of Rewire Fitness about flow states. When you have a sense of control, are at peace, have a quiet mind and an inner calmness about you. We discuss the characteristics and importance of flow states, as well as touching on how you can find "flow." Key Learning Points: Understanding self-care can help perfectionist athletes. The perfectionist can be relentless in their pursuit of excellence impacting negatively on their relationships and other areas of their life. Taking yourself and situations too seriously can be a trap perfectionists fall into. A flow state is where your mind is calm, your awareness is increased and you make quick smart decisions. When you are in flow you aren't thinking about the past or future, it is the here and now. A quality of flow is a loss of self-consciousness and a task only focus. Visualisation, Mindfulness and Sports Hypnosis are great ways to get into the Flow. What is your "flow trigger?" If you haven't got one, create one! Connect with Sun Sachs and Ed Gibbins @ Rewire Fitness Website Instagram 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 Flow State Related Podcast Episodes Ep002: Steve Judge – How to Deal with Adversity Ep007: Toby Flood – How Elite Athletes Mentally Prepare Ep063: David Charlton – 7 Reasons Why Golfers Should Visualise Ep 081: Stuart Wade – Mental Toughness in Combat Sports Ep099: Trevor Jones – How to Deal with Overthinking on the Golf Course Blogs to read to induce a Flow State 3 Ways to use Visualisation so that You are Mentally Prepared to Win How to Quieten the Mind when Fighting My Child Can't Find "The Zone" Using ACT and Mindfulness to Improve Your Sporting Performances Why You Should Meditate To Improve Your Sport Performance? 3 Great conversations to have with your kids that relate with flow states Conversations with Kids - Relax and Unwind Conversations with Kids - Gratitude 1 Conversations with Kids – Gratitude 2

In episode #161 I chat with Author, Coach Educator and Performance Rugby Consultant, Paul Phillips. We discuss his experiences of developing high performance cultures in professional rugby. Paul also shares some research on tackling and how to overcome fears with helpful triggers as well as other fascinating insights. Key Learning Points: In Rugby at the lower levels fear is very prominent. Establishing values and behaviours that are coupled with a vision for the team and club is an essential part of culture development. Why can't we generate behaviours before thoughts and emotions? James Clear's two-minute rule in the book Atomic Habits is a good way to start to develop habitual behaviours. The size of the opponent in rugby can be a big factor in activating fear. Visual, kinaesthetic and auditory cues and triggers are helpful in dealing with fear when tackling. Using metaphors such as images of animals or superhero's is a helpful trigger for adults and children. The development of positive relationships between players and coaches is a hallmark of high performing teams. Extrinsic environments are rife largely down to the way messages are communicated from senior staff and coaches in clubs and organisations. Too much focus on external factors results in lower emotional control. Connect with Paul Phillips LinkedIn Book: How to Create Culture: In Rugby Union Connect with David Charlton Sign Up to The Mental Edge Join David @ The Sports Psychology Hub Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn To Listen to Rugby Orientated Podcast Episodes Ep039: John Fletcher – How to Develop Fearless Athletes Ep094: Professor Adam Nicholls – How to Develop Mentally Strong Rugby Players Ep104: Seb De Chaves – The Psychological Demands of Elite Professional Rugby Ep127: Paul Trainor – The Application of Mental Toughness Training in Elite Professional Rugby League EP147: Aaron Walsh – The Application of Mental Performance Coaching in Elite Professional Rugby Ep153: Rugby Psychology Compilation - 25 Ways You Can Improve Your Performance Helpful Rugby Orientated Resources Blog - Overthinking on the Rugby Pitch Blog - Are You A Rugby Player With Perfectionist Tendencies? Case Study – Supporting a Rugby Player to Overcome Self-Doubt Blog - Playing Rugby at Your Best Under Pressure Blog – 5 Ways to Create a Psychological Safe Sporting Environment Rugby Psychology | Mental Skills for Rugby Resources

Golf Psychology is only for top, elite professionals such as Rory McIlroy or Jon Rahm. Only work with a Golf Psychologist if you have a problem. A Golf Psychologist will fix you in one session. Working with a Golf Psychologist will take place on a "couch." These statements are all myths that some golfers believe are true yet couldn't be farther from the truth. The role of a Sport Psychologist who supports golfers is varied. It includes sitting down strategizing and going "deep" at times with the use of psychological skills training. However, it also includes considering more helpful ways to practice and how to manage your time on and off the golf course. Sessions can take place in a club houses, in confidential spaces, on putting greens, chipping greens, driving ranges and on golf courses. In today's episode of the Demystifying Mental Toughness Podcast, Dr Brian Hemmings joins me where we discuss his work as a Sports Psychologist in golf, the importance of the relationship between the practitioner, the coach and client, as well as frequent challenges faced by golfers, quiet eye training and a lot more. Enjoy Tuning in! Key Learning Points: There is less of a stigma of working with a psychologist in golf than a lot of sports. The golf environment is a lovely place to work for a golf psychologist. Many golfers lose confidence so quickly when playing competitively. The relationship you form with the golfer is critical. Experiential knowledge of working with players on putting greens and seeing them behave differently in practice has helped me in my work. Expectations that people place on themselves can mean they make golf a lot more difficult than it needs to be. Quiet eye training is very helpful for improving short putting. Many golfers find transitions very challenging, from the step up to national squads to, turning professional to moving up to the DP World Tour. Connect with Dr Brian Hemmings LinkedIn Website Golf Psychology Coaching Certificate - PROMO CODE - David Charlton 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 Ep017: Gio Valiante - How to Play Fearless Golf Ep068: Andrew Nicholson – How Hard Is It To Become A Tour Professional Golfer? Ep089: Will Shaw - How to Transfer Your Golfing Skills to the Course Ep099: Trevor Jones – How to Deal with Overthinking on the Golf Course Ep101: Compilation - 25 Mental Game Secrets to Improve Your Golf Ep118: Dr Bob Winters – How to Help Golfers Overcome their Mental Game Challenges 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? Golfers Mental Scorecard Golf Psychology FAQs Psychology of Golf Library

If you've got to the point where you've experienced physical, emotional and mental exhaustion you may have experienced burnout. This can happen to people who are subjected to high levels of stress and pressure over a sustained period of time. In elite sport prolonged and intense involvement as an athlete, coach or support member can push you in this direction where your motivation and performance levels can naturally decline. In addition, your psychological well-being and mental health can also be a cause for concern where you can lack enjoyment in what you do, become more irritable with others and have difficulty sleeping at night. In today's episode Dr. Andrew Shafik, a club doctor at Millwall and Chelsea Football clubs goes on share some fascinating insights where we chat about what players, coaches and support staff, can go on to experience. We also share solutions to some of the challenges that people face. Key Learnings Sports medicine side is connected with understanding injuries and illness. As a doctor of performance medicine, Andrew seeks to work out how we can utilise our experiences of working within a multi-disciplinary team to maximise the performance and well-being of athletes, coaches or staff. Sports psychologists can be very helpful in assisting medical staff to manage players to an optimal level during their rehabilitation and recovery. Recent research tells us in the NHS, in healthcare settings, one in three practitioners at any one time often experience burnout due to the demands put on them. Culture and the environment can play a huge part in burnout and the well-being of staff. Your age, stage of career, gender, culture and relationships can impact your mental health. Understanding your levels of mental toughness and other characteristics can be helpful from a self-awareness angle and ensure that you make smarter decisions. Connect with David Charlton Sign Up to The Mental Edge Join David @ The Sports Psychology Hub Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn Connect with Dr. Andrew Shafik LinkedIn Football Medicine and Performance Association Podcast with Steven Reid Burnout and well-being in football online event – 06 March 2023 Relevant Podcast Episodes Ep065: Dr Amy Izycky – Encouraging Mentally Healthy Cultures in Sport Ep066: Marilyn Okoro – Mental Health and Resilience: Lessons from an Olympic Medalist Ep113: Polly Brennan – The Relationship Between Mental Fitness, Mental Health and Mental Toughness Ep123: Richard Dorney MBE – Supporting People: What Can You Learn About Resilience From The Military Ep158: Dr Paul Gorczynski - How to Develop and Implement Mental Health Literacy Strategies Relevant Blogs Blog – Make Better Decisions to Help Your Sport Performance Blog – 5 Ways to Create a Psychological Safe Sporting Environment Blog – 3 Tips to Deal with Bullying in Sport Blog - Creating a Mentally Healthy Sporting Environment Blog - Life After Professional Sport and its Challenges

Mental Health in sport is a topic which over the last decade has become more significant and a big talking point with many elite athletes and coaches openly talking about their personal challenges and struggles. Yet do clubs and organisations take their needs seriously? In some cases, this is arguable. Though, thankfully it is changing for the better. Today's guest, Dr Paul Gorczynski and I discuss this topic where he talks about his interest in mental health, his research in the development and implementation of mental health literacy strategies. He shares some great advice for decision makers in organisations as well as useful ideas for Sport and Exercise Psychologists who have an interest in mental health and psychological well-being. Key Learnings Mental health literacy refers to the knowledge and understanding of mental health, including the ability to recognize signs and symptoms of mental illness, understand the causes and risk factors, and know how to access appropriate resources and support. Mental Health Literacy projects Paul has been involved with include work with the International Olympic Committee (IOC) where he looked at improving diagnosis and treatments for elite athletes and shifting the culture in relation to how mental health was viewed. Athletes have a life outside of sport therefore a holistic approach is required. As a Sport and Exercise Psychologist it is essential to recognise the limits of what you know and can help someone. Having a clear referral process to more qualified mental health practitioners is essential. Helping people in sporting clubs and organisations to engage in open and informed conversations about mental health and reducing the stigma surrounding mental health and well-being is a large part of mental health literacy policies. Having mental health literacy is important for individuals to take care of their own mental health. Mental health literacy can support athletes or coaches who may be struggling with mental health issues. It can also help by increasing awareness and understanding, promoting early intervention and treatment, and improving overall mental health outcomes. Connect with David Charlton Sign Up to The Mental Edge Join David @ The Sports Psychology Hub Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn Connect with Dr Paul Gorczynski Website Email Relevant Podcast Episodes Ep065: Dr Amy Izycky – Encouraging Mentally Healthy Cultures in Sport Ep066: Marilyn Okoro – Mental Health and Resilience: Lessons from an Olympic Medalist Ep113: Polly Brennan – The Relationship Between Mental Fitness, Mental Health and Mental Toughness Ep123: Richard Dorney MBE – Supporting People: What Can You Learn About Resilience From The Military Ep128: Paula Eddy-Wilcox – Can You Show Vulnerability and Be Mentally Tough? Yes! Relevant Blogs Blog – Make Better Decisions to Help Your Sport Performance Blog – 5 Ways to Create a Psychological Safe Sporting Environment Blog – 3 Tips to Deal with Bullying in Sport Blog - Creating a Mentally Healthy Sporting Environment

Today's episode of Demystifying Mental Toughness is where my colleagues at Inspiring Sporting Excellence, Olivia Scott, Aditi Gandhi, Tom Short and Alexandra Harper all share what they feel Sports Psychology is and what Sports Psychology is not. I hope you enjoy listening to their insights and gain a better understanding of the field. Key Learnings Sports Psychology is used to find ways to improve performance. Sports Psychologists help people in a proactive way to improve as well as overcoming mental game barriers and blocks. It isn't possible to think positively all of the time. In gymnastics mental blocks are common and a large role of a Sports Psychologist is to work with the gymnast and coach to ensure everyone is aligned to the same goal. Coaches can benefit from working with Sports Psychologists as they'll improve their self- awareness, learn new things about themselves and gain new tools to support their gymnasts. Backing off from improving skills are important at times despite being very difficult for gymnastics coaches to do. Sports Psychology is a process, it's not a quick fix. Many discussions between parents and children about their sport involvement and development often come from a good place but could be timed better, when emotions are less roused. In football Sports Psychologists can help coaches improve their players by drawing their awareness to specific aspects of their coaching and behaviour. Being a sounding board for coaches is also a key role of a Sports Psychologist. Sports Psychology is not the answer to all of your problems. Sports Psychology is about helping people with their thoughts, feelings and behaviours so that they can reach their optimum performance levels or enhance well-being. The person we work with has the answers within them, it's our job to draw those answers from them. 6 sessions in most cases with a Sports Psychologist will be a big help to clients in reaching their goals. Connect with David Charlton The Mental Edge Newsletter Join David @ The Sports Psychology Hub Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn Relevant Podcast Episodes Ep062: JJ Vallely - Mastering The Mental Side Of Golf Ep071: James Lau - Mastering the Mental Side of Tennis Ep072: Tom Jones - Mastering the Mental Side of Cricket Ep146: John Nassoori - What Is The Role Of A Sports Psychologist In Football? Relevant Blogs and Resources Blog: Mental Toughness is a Hugely Valuable Trait Blog: 5 Coaching Tips to Develop Mentally Tough Footballers Blog: How does Counselling work in Professional Sport? What's the fuss about - Sports Psychology Explained How Sports Psychology for Children works Sport Psychology Impact Stories

In mainstream sports psychology when helping individuals to develop their mental toughness and overcome performance challenges sport psychologists are likely to use interventions such as cognitive restructuring, visualisation, goal setting, mindfulness and other relaxation techniques to help athletes. However, when athletes experience trauma and difficulties such as the yips or mental blocks other tools may be required to help them overcome the challenges that they face. Today I chat with Ruth Chiles, author of The Focal Dystonia Cure, who is a brainspotting practitioner, she goes on to tell you more about focal dystonia and neurological causes of this condition. She also shares some practical tips for those of you who struggle with focal dystonia. This episode is a great listen for those people who suffer from the yips or mental blocks or have experienced trauma in some form. Key Learnings Focal dystonia is a very extreme somatisation in the body of a mental block where the particular movement or a particular part of the body is out of control. What is going on in the nervous system sits underneath the body movements, or body blocks. Fight and flight responses are when you are highly activated in the nervous system whereas a freeze response is when you experience hyper activation. For some people their nervous system has been in a constant state of survival since before child birth. Our very early life history and our attachment to our mother plays a part. Brainspotting was developed by a New York psychologist called David Grand where we rewire parts of the brain so that people can respond differently in specific situations. We connect to the sub cortex through the body not through the thinking mind. When performing we are often in survival mode which can impede fluidity, enlarge muscles and inhibit your fine motor skills. Connect with David Charlton Sign Up to The Mental Edge Join David @ The Sports Psychology Hub Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn Connect with Ruth Chiles Website Book: The Focal Dystonia Cure: Powerful and Definitive Practices to Completely Heal Yourself Ruth Chiles on Facebook Ruth Chiles on YouTube Relevant Podcast Episodes Ep013: Karl Morris – How to stay present like a major champion 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 Ep142: Alessia Bruno - Is Striving for Perfection a Good Thing in Gymnastics? Relevant Blogs Blog: Helping a Critical Child When You're a Parent Blog: How to Support an Angry Young Athlete Using ACT and Mindfulness to Improve Your Sporting Performances Why You Should Meditate To Improve Your Sport Performance? Guided Mindfulness Meditation Practices with Jon Kabat-Zinn

Avoiding procrastination and becoming better organised as a young athlete is the topic of today's short solo episode. In Mental Toughness term's we're talking about commitment and sticking to promises as well as life control and having a "can do" attitude. These are much needed skills that many youngsters struggle with, which often means their sporting performance is harmed as well as their self-worth. In this episode, I share 3 ideas to help parents and coaches support children to overcome these challenges. Key Learnings Ask children to write a checklist. Perhaps starting with "3 Things To Do Before training" or "3 things you do in your pre shot routine." By referring to lists on a regular basis your child's ability to strategise tasks and organise time will improve. Consider a child-friendly planner. Purchasing their own planner will help them see that you consider their time valuable, and that being organised is important. Establish training and practice routines. Help your child put to one side an extra half hour, scheduling in at an appropriate time for "extras" on a regular basis. Encourage your child to stick to the schedule even when they don't feel like it or if the weather is poor. 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

In this short solo episode, I discuss an important component of Mental Toughness – control. In sport, business and in everyday life it can be very easy to get distracted by external factors that are out of your control. I go on to use Andy Murray's gutsy recent performances at the Australian Open Tennis tournament to illustrate my points sharing an exercise to help you better understand how to go about controlling the controllables and be able to set yourself process goals. Key Learnings What factors could Andy Murray control in his tennis match against Roberto Bautista Agut? Here are some examples; how he placed his focus, his attitude, tactics, body language, self talk, his pre-serve routines and communication with his team and spectators. What factors were outside of Andy Murray's control? His opponent's tactics, fitness and conditioning, skill level and decision making, scheduling of the match, temperature/weather conditions and umpire calls. Make success all about the things inside your control and set process goals as a result. Control the Controllables Handout Connect with David Charlton Sign Up to Conversations with Kids Join David @ The Sports Psychology Hub Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn Relevant Podcast Episodes Ep144: Jon Watkins - Mental Strength: What You Can Learn About Resilience From The Special Forces Ep135: David Charlton Gets Grilled By Grant Henderson Ep130: David Charlton - How to Deal with Self-Criticism using Self Compassion – Part 2 Ep125: Jack Hicks-Flynn - How is Psychology used in Professional Football Clubs Relevant Blogs Blog: Focusing on the Process as a Team Blog: Focus on the Process Blog: Why You Should Stop Setting SMART Goals Blog: Cricket Psychology Tips: Control the Controllables

Welcome to episode #153 of Demystifying Mental Toughness. This is the final part of four specially created episodes to celebrate reaching 150 episodes! This time the episode is created with rugby enthusiasts in mind where the great guests that have been interviewed on the show to date, and with experiences in rugby union or rugby league, go on to share their key takeaways. As you'll note the majority of insights are linked to the development of mental tough athletes and helping rugby players reach their potential. The episode is a must listen for rugby coaches, players, parents, sport scientists and those interested in the sport. Relevant Podcast Episodes in Order and Sequence as Relayed in Episode 153: Ep104: Seb De Chaves - The Psychological Demands of Elite Professional Rugby Ep127: Paul Trainor – The Application of Mental Toughness Training in Elite Professional Rugby League EP147: Aaron Walsh - The Application of Mental Performance Coaching in Elite Professional Rugby Ep007: Toby Flood – How Elite Athletes Mentally Prepare Ep021: Steve Hackney – How to Reach Your Full Potential Ep029: Lome Faatau – How to Play Professional Rugby with Confidence Ep038: Taz Bricknell – Playing Professional Women's Rugby Ep039: John Fletcher – How to Develop Fearless Athletes Ep094: Professor Adam Nicholls – How to Develop Mentally Strong Rugby Players Helpful Rugby Orientated Resources Blog - Overthinking on the Rugby Pitch Blog - Are you a Rugby Player who Focuses Too Much on the Opposition Blog - Helping Young Rugby Players Mentally Prepare Before Matches Blog - Playing Rugby at Your Best Under Pressure Blog – 5 Ways to Create a Psychological Safe Sporting Environment Rugby Psychology | Mental Skills for Rugby Resources Connect with David Charlton Sign Up to Conversations with Kids Download THE FOCUSED ATHLETE CHECKLIST Join David @ The Sports Psychology Hub Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn Email: info@sport-excellence.co.uk