Demystifying Mental Toughness

In episode 142 of Demystifying Mental Toughness, Dr Alessia Bruno and David discuss perfectionism in gymnastics as well as across other sports and walks of life. We go on to look at healthy perfectionism, as well as the downsides to the trait where we share some advice for gymnasts, athletes in general, coaches and parents. Key Learning Points Gymnasts are judged on their performances which can go on to impact their self-esteem. The intensity of their lives can mean some gymnasts run the risk of burnout. Characteristics of rigidity and control can lead people to be more vulnerable to other people's judgments. Perfectionist traits can suck the fun out of sport. Social approval can be a big problem for some athletes where they spend a lot of time worrying about what others think. Striving for perfection can lead to excessive self-criticism. Connect with Professor Alessia Bruno 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 Ep014: Alessia Bruno – The Yips, Crashes, Trauma in Sport there is hope for Athletes Ep122: Prof Camilla Knight - Helping Your Children Get The Most From Their Sporting Experiences 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 Other Relevant Blogs and Resources Blog: How to Stay Relaxed as a Gymnast When the Pressure is On Blog: How to Overcome Psychological Blocks in Gymnastics Blog: Body Image in Sport Blog: Bullying -The Dark Side of Sport Gymnastics Psychology Library

In this short solo episode, I answer a question posed by a parent. "My son has had a tough time recently and often talks about not wanting to continue with football." Sadly, this question appears to be a common one at present and shows no signs of going away potentially down to the pressures placed on children at a young age, both in their sport and education. I do my best to give sporting parents one idea on how you can help them and open up a conversation on the topic. Key Learning Ask your child why they play football or sport. Find out what they love about sport. Check-in with yourself, why would you like your children to play sport? Now check if you share common ground, if there is a big difference in your motivations I'm hoping you'll question your approach and consider how you communicate with them. 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 Relevant Podcast Episodes Ep067: David Charlton - Supporting Children to Transfer their Skills from Training to Competition Ep074: David Charlton - How Can I Make My Child Feel Confident? Ep082: David Charlton - Supporting Children in Sport with Positive Feedback Ep085: David Charlton - David on Being Tough Vs Being Comfortable in Your Own Skin Part 4 Ep122: Prof Camilla Knight - Helping Your Children Get The Most From Their Sporting Experiences Other Relevant Blogs and Resources Blog: A Confidence Checklist for Parents Blog: Pre Match Tips for Parents Blog: How Do You Give a Young Golfer Self-Confidence? Blog: 5 Reasons Why Being Released from a Football Academy is Difficult Children and Youth Motivation for Sport Quiz Child and Youth Motivation Quiz for Parents

In this episode double Olympian and former Commonwealth champion swimmer, Chris Cook joined me. We discussed his journey to becoming an Olympian and his role now as a motivational speaker and executive coach. Different obstacles that he overcame were also talking points, as were how he sets goals and works to achieve them. Chris also shares many great questions that you can ask yourself and what sports performers can learn from CEOs in the business world. Key Learning Points: Having people that I was accountable to as a child was important. My biggest fear was getting to the end of something and realising I hadn't tried hard enough. There were times when I got over-anxious because I wanted it too much. I realised to progress I needed to become great the stuff I wasn't good at, goal setting was one thing. People in the business world would benefit from looking at how they view their recovery and make necessary changes. How can I swim 2 lengths of the pool faster was a question I often asked myself. Seeing difficult moments as growth opportunities and being brave enough to face them is vital. Connect with Chris Cook Website LinkedIn 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 To Listen to Relevant Podcast Episodes Ep033: Aly Dixon – Mental Toughness Lessons from a World Champion Ep048: Natalie Hurdley – How to Build Mental Toughness through Powerlifting Ep066: Marilyn Okoro – Mental Health and Resilience: Lessons from an Olympic Medalist Ep110 - Dan Steele - How to Increase Mental Fortitude: Secrets from an Olympian Other Helpful Resources Driscolls Model of Reflection Blog – Do You Really Want to Succeed Blog – 12 Reasons Why You Won't Achieve Your Potential – Sports Psychology Blog: 9 Tips for Children from Olympians

In episode 139 of Demystifying Mental Toughness I had the pleasure of speaking to the head of The Newcastle United Foundation, Steve Beharall. Steve shared his inspiring journey from being a part time football coach to where he is today. Lessons that he has learned, challenges he's overcome as well as insights into initiatives that the foundation are involved in and what the future holds. Steve also passes on some advice to the future generation of coaches on opportunities for them. Key Learning Points: Whilst as an academy coach at Newcastle United, I realised that all I wanted was to help kids with football. When I decided to take a different direction in the Newcastle United Foundation I spent the first three years of my time here working closely with my predecessor learning valuable lessons. Since I started we've gone from 65 to 240 full time staff and 60 sessional staff. In 2022, we've grown the turnover from £3 million to £6 million and expanded on programs, by 80% in the last three years. Newcastle United Foundation Case Studies NUcastle is an important part of the community and service sector across the North East of England. Whether you're a coach or a leader, relationships have to built on trust, respect and honesty. It's important to be mindful of your mental health. Connect with Steve Beharall The Newcastle United Foundation Website LinkedIn 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 To Listen to Relevant Podcast Episodes Ep027: Natalie Henderson – How to Develop Mental Toughness with Young Footballers Ep064: Edu Rubio – How to Support Young Footballers Ep 084: Dr Jim Afremow and Phil White – Mental Toughness and The Leaders Mind Ep092: Dr James Hegarty – ACT in Sport, Improving Performance through Mindfulness Ep111: Michael Caulfield – How to be an Effective Sports Psychologist in Elite Professional Football Other Helpful Resources Psychology in Football or Soccer Library Blog: How Mentally Healthy is Your Clubs Sporting Environment Blog: Does Your Warm Up Influence How You Perform? Blog: 5 Ways to Create a Psychological Safe Sporting Environment Blog: 3 Tips to Deal with Bullying in Sport Vlog: How Mental Toughness Helps us Understand Psychological Safety with Doug Strycharczyk

If you're Mentally Tough you don't need to sleep you can simply push through… Wrong! The mentally tough person, as research suggests is more likely to deal with fatigue better than a mentally sensitive person however they do need to sleep. Being committed to your goals, making sacrifices, taking challenges head on and dealing with pressure requires a clear head, focus and perspective, as well as adequate rest and recovery. In this episode, I chat with Nick Littlehales, a well respected Sleep Coach to many elite sports performers. Nick goes on to share more on the topic of sleep, where he tells you about his experiences supporting Manchester United and Arsenal football clubs, as well as the England National Team. We also touch on other sports and the intricacies that need to be considered when you think of sleep and recovery. Key Learning Points: At Manchester United I was with the club and exploring myths and misunderstandings about sleep, where I looked to redefine their approach to recovery. Understanding your sleep chronotype is important. Focusing on circadian rhythms can be beneficial. Tracking and collecting data can be helpful but it can also cause anxiety and added stress. Napping is very helpful to remain fresh and focused, aiding your decision making and recovery. Consider your environment and think about light, dark and temperature exposure can improve your sleep quality. A message for parents, make sure your kids spend some time outside, away from the tech to improve their sleep quality. Connect with Nick Littlehales Website LinkedIn Book - Sleep: The Myth of 8 Hours, the Power of Naps...and the New Plan to Recharge Your Body and Mind 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 To Listen to Football or Soccer Podcast Episodes Ep015: Nick Grantham – Essential Elements of Rest and Recovery Ep065: Dr Amy Izycky – Encouraging Mentally Healthy Cultures in Sport Ep092: Dr James Hegarty – ACT in Sport, Improving Performance through Mindfulness Ep137: David Charlton - Mindfulness and ACT in Sport: Helping Athletes Perform Better Other Helpful Resources Blog: How Mentally Healthy is Your Clubs Sporting Environment Blog: Does Your Warm Up Influence How You Perform? Blog: Using ACT and Mindfulness to Improve Your Sporting Performances Blog: Why You Should Meditate To Improve Your Sport Performance?

In this short solo episode, I explain 5 reasons why you should look in more detail at the use of mindfulness and ACT in sport. How and why this approach goes on to free up mental space in your mind to enable you to perform better. I also summarise how Mindfulness and ACT can be used in harmony to develop a more mentally tough individual. 5 Key Benefits of Mindfulness and ACT This approach can help you become a more psychologically flexible person. It helps you gain a bigger picture perspective on life and sport, recognising that perfection does not exist and that mistakes, losses or negative experiences are inevitable. Mindfulness and ACT can help you trust your skills more. The methods help to decrease your levels of stress. Mindfulness and ACT can safeguard you against being bullied. 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 Relevant Podcast Episodes Ep013: Karl Morris – How to stay present like a major champion Ep092: Dr James Hegarty – ACT in Sport, Improving Performance through Mindfulness Ep099: Trevor Jones – How to Deal with Overthinking on the Golf Course 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 Other Relevant Blogs and Resources 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? How to Overcome Mental Challenges When Rock Climbing How to Play Great Golf Under Pressure 5 Tips to Help You Perform Fearlessly When You Compete

In this episode I was joined by professional footballer Charlotte Potts where we had a deep and fascinating conversation about different challenges that she has faced so far in her life and when playing Professional Women's Football. We went on to discuss Discrimination, Mental Health and Mindfulness too as well as a whole lot more. It's well worth a listen! Key Learning Points: Charlotte's mental health has suffered from time to time therefore she has looked to develop a high degree of self-awareness to help herself. Her family was pulled apart when she was young which was difficult for everyone concerned. Discrimination exists in football and in life, however progress is being made. Mental Toughness in football is about coping with pain and being able to push through barriers. Charlotte has an interest in Mindfulness and regularly practices the approach. Being able to take a step back has helped her with anger issues. Mindfulness has also helped Charlotte see things from a fresh perspective. Connect with Charlotte Potts Instagram LinkedIn 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 To Listen to Football or Soccer Podcast Episodes Ep038: Taz Bricknell – Playing Professional Women's Rugby Ep092: Dr James Hegarty – ACT in Sport, Improving Performance through Mindfulness Ep105: Hannah Bromley - Overcoming Psychological Challenges in Elite Professional Women's Football Ep111: Michael Caulfield – How to be an Effective Sports Psychologist in Elite Professional Football Other Helpful Resources Psychology in Football or Soccer Library Blog: How Mentally Healthy is Your Clubs Sporting Environment Blog: Does Your Warm Up Influence How You Perform? Blog: 5 Ways to Create a Psychological Safe Sporting Environment Blog: Supporting a Professional Footballer during Challenging Times Blog: 3 Tips to Deal with Bullying in Sport Vlog: How Mental Toughness Helps us Understand Psychological Safety with Doug Strycharczyk Guided Mindfulness Meditation Practices with Jon Kabat-Zinn

In today's episode, I chat with Grant Henderson a former professional rugby player, Chief Operations Officer at The MCG Group and Co-Founder of i3profiling. Grant goes on to ask me many questions about the Demystifying Mental Toughness podcast, mental toughness, personality and environment. By listening to the episode you'll learn more about how I work as a Sports Psychologist, about the complexities that surround sport performance, reaching your potential and a whole lot more. Key Learning Points: Podcasting is a big commitment and has been challenging at times however I really enjoy recording the episodes and the feedback that we get highlights that it makes a positive difference to people's lives, which is my objective. As a Mental Toughness license holder, where I qualified through AQR International's training. I sometimes use the MTQ Plus psychometric to measure clients Mental Toughness at the start and end of programs. Incorporated into some programs are personality assessments too, where I find i3Profiling compliments the MTQ Plus. An i3 profile presented in the right way can be a big confidence booster, I particularly like the environmental analysis which looks at task and social leadership styles. This can tell me a lot about how a person should train and mentally prepare themselves. Both psychometric and profiling tools aid self-awareness and can be a quick way of finding out about a person's complexities and save an enormous amount of time in the consultancy process. Without self-awareness you'll continue to make poor decisions and not be as successful and happy as you could be. Mental toughness can be a good thing, however even the mentally tough fall into traps, again highlighting the need for self-awareness. Connect with Grant Henderson LinkedIn i3 Profiling Website The MCG Group Website 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 Other Useful Podcast Episodes Ep034 - David Charlton Gets Grilled By Nathan Sherratt Ep050: Doug Strycharczyk, Peter Clough MBE & Dr John Perry – Mental Strength Does Not Guarantee Success Ep084: Jim Afremow and Phil White – Mental Toughness and The Leaders Mind Ep121: Doug Strycharczyk and Dr John Perry – What Is New? Developments in Mental Toughness Research and Practice Ep133: Christina Flach - Why Mental Toughness is Important: Lessons from Sport, Business and Loss Other Useful Resources Blog - 5 Ways to Create a Psychological Safe Sporting Environment Blog - Mental Health Guidance for Coaches When Supporting Athletes Blog – Mental Toughness is a Hugely Valuable Trait Blog – Make Better Decisions to Help Your Sport Performance Sport Psychology for Children and Parents

In this short solo episode, I share 2 short clips from the previous 2 episodes where I chat with Kevin Stansfield and Christina Flach to inspire and motivate you to reflect on your journey. My hope is that you will pick up some nougats of advice from the business world and then go on to adapt your approach and take some action so that you give yourself the best chance of achieving your goals and using the time and resources that you have available much better. Key Learning Points A key question to ask yourself is - HOW CAN I REACH MY POTENTIAL? 3 things that stop people from achieving their full potential: Failure to take ownership and be honest with themselves Not understanding why you do what you do Fear of what may or may not happen if you do or don't do… Connect with David Charlton Download THE FOCUSED ATHLETE CHECKLIST Join David @ The Sports Psychology Hub Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn Relevant Podcast Episodes Ep21: Steve Hackney – How to Reach Your Full Potential Ep100: Compilation - 50 Secrets for Optimal Performance and Positive Mental Health Ep106: Amy Rowlinson - Why is knowing my WHY important? Ep132: Kevin Stansfield - How Lessons from the Great Game of Golf can Help You Win the, Equally Great, Game of Business Ep133: Why Mental Toughness is Important: Lessons from Sport, Business and Loss Other Relevant Blogs and Resources Motivation for Sport Quiz Performance Profile Blog: For Better Golf Use a Growth Mindset - Sports Psychology Blog: Coach Development – Helping Athletes Overcome Fear of Failure Blog: Supporting Children in Sport with Positive Feedback Blog: How to Find Your Why

Following on from last week, again we look at what we can learn from the business world, entrepreneurship and sport and how they overlap. Mental Toughness is discussed in different contexts where I chat with Christina Flach, CEO of Pretty Girl Makeup. Christina was married to former Wimbledon champion and professional tennis player Ken Flach who sadly passed away after a brief bout of sepsis in 2018. We also go onto discuss the difficulties faced when you lose a loved one and ways that you can help yourself. Key Learning Points: In business you need to peak a lot longer than a professional athlete does when you look at the life of your career, therefore self-care is vital. You'll be a better CEO or entrepreneur if you take time out to relax too. Mental Toughness for entrepreneurs is about not giving up and learning from mistakes. I learned from being a professional tennis player, goal setting and remaining focused is vital. My life is not tragic, focusing on positive memories and things I'm grateful for helps me. Ken would want me to live my best life and dreams and be happy, loved and laughing. "There are no failures and there are no tragedies." Connect with Christina Flach: Instagram Website Connect with David Charlton Download THE FOCUSED ATHLETE CHECKLIST Join David @ The Sports Psychology Hub Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn Useful Podcast Episodes Ep050: Doug Strycharczyk, Peter Clough MBE & Dr John Perry - Mental Strength Does Not Guarantee Success Ep084: Jim Afremow and Phil White - Mental Toughness and The Leaders Mind Ep114: Tim Bradshaw – Because I Can – How To Get Out Of Your Own Way Ep121: Doug Strycharczyk and Dr John Perry - What Is New? Developments in Mental Toughness Research and Practice Ep124: 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! Other Useful Resources Blog – How to Find Your Why Blog – 5 Reasons team captains should work with a Sports Psychologist Blog – Mental Toughness is a Hugely Valuable Trait Blog - 5 Ways to Create a Psychological Safe Sporting Environment Blog – Mental Health Guidance for Coaches When Supporting Athletes