Demystifying Mental Toughness

In today's episode I chat with author and Business Growth Expert Kevin Stansfield where we discuss what the golfer or sports enthusiast can learn from business and what the business owner can learn from golf or sport in general. We discuss Mental Toughness and Resilience in a sporting and business context. Business planning, strategy and goal setting are considered as well as the commitment levels to succeed where Kevin goes on to share some fascinating insights. Key Learning Points: Learning to say no and making sacrifices is essential to be successful. Having a resilience and bloody-mindedness to carry on when there are difficulties is essential. How clear are your goals? To win in sport or business you need to understand the "be", "do" and "have." Those that concentrate on doing are also known as busy fools. Playing to your strengths is a fundamental key. Being able to delegate and trust other people is a skill that we can all develop to help us. Connect with Kevin Stansfield: LinkedIn Book - The Great Game: How lessons from the great game of golf can help you win the, equally great, game of business Connect with David Charlton Download THE FOCUSED ATHLETE CHECKLIST Join David @ The Sports Psychology Hub Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn Useful Podcast Episodes Ep011: Dave Algeo – Mental Toughness, Mental Health and High Performance Ep050: Doug Strycharczyk, Peter Clough MBE & Dr John Perry - Mental Strength Does Not Guarantee Success Ep 061: Paul Lyons – Why You Should Build Your Mental Toughness 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 Ep124: Richard Dorney MBE – Supporting People: What Can You Learn About Resilience From The Military 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

This episode is the final part of a three-part series where I've tried to help people recognise that to develop Mental Toughness it is not simply about "being tough" or "egotistical" there is more to it than that. The series of episodes have looked at self-criticism, which we can all find difficult at different times and in different situations, from a variety of angles. I've shared sporting case studies, and why and how having a self-compassionate approach can be helpful. This time we look at competitiveness and I highlight when things go wrong how hard it is for some people and how they internalise losses. Also featured is an exercise to help you in these circumstances – "How you would treat a friend" which you can apply to yourself so you can move on from defeats in a different manner and sleep a little better that evening! Key Learning Points Competitiveness is a strong desire to be more successful than others. People who are competitive dream about winning, they love the feelings of beating rivals. Real competitors thrive off pressure in clutch situations. They love the challenge too, for example taking the decisive penalty kick to win a tournament, they'll out their hand up. The downsides of being extremely competitive include jealousy of others, very high emotions in sport and corresponding outbursts. A large degree of self-criticism can also be a common behaviour of "the serious competitor" which can work for and against them. To counter the self-criticism, self-compassion is a very helpful approach and can help people relax more quickly in emotional circumstances. Kristin Neff, who has done extensive research in this area suggests that self-compassion consists of three main elements: kindness, a sense of common humanity, and mindfulness. Research has shown that most people are kinder to others than they are to themselves. Throw in events or situations that are beyond our control, such as sporting matches and competition – the same is true. Then exercise "How you would treat a friend" is a helpful reminder to help you be kinder to yourself, to see things from a fresh perspective as well as helping you look in the mirror and be honest with yourself. Connect with David Charlton Download THE FOCUSED ATHLETE CHECKLIST Join David @ The Sports Psychology Hub Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn Relevant Podcast Episodes 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 Other Relevant Blogs and Resources A Common Mental Game Error Many Footballers Make Beating Perfectionism as a Goalkeeper Perfectionism in Cricket Mental Training Resources for Gymnasts Kristin Neff Website on Self-Compassion

Today is the second part of a 3-part series, where I share 2 more clips, this time from former England Cricketer and Senior Leadership Coach, Jeremy Snape and multiple World Champion Martial Artist and Clinical Hypnotherapist, Stuart Wade. Jeremy highlights the importance of the psychological side to sport and Stuart defines Mental Toughness in Combat Sports. Again, I go on to share a case study and another tool that a lot of my clients have found useful, from compassionate focused therapy to help you or your clients manage the voice in their heads. Key Learning Points Jeremy states "how my biggest opponent wasn't India, or the crowd or Harbhajan Singh's doosra, it was actually the voice in my head which was louder than all 100000 people put together." Stuart mentioned how "if you take a good shot, it hurts, immediately we're hard wired to retreat and protect ourselves and not go forward" When we're activated by fear, it's similar to the sight of a predator, which goes on to trigger a fear response in the amygdala. It then messes with our motor functions, our heart may beat crazy fast, our breathing speeds up and our mind can go into overdrive. In this state a lot of people's thoughts are self-defeating where they get caught in the past thinking about what has happened, and focus on their weaknesses or they flip forward to the future worrying about what may happen, again looking at it from a negative angle. Some people get into blame mode too, blaming themselves and have a very harsh thought process. Self-compassionate focused therapy and some of the tools from this approach can come to their rescue such as the one I discuss in this episode, when looking at releasing thought balloons. Connect with David Charlton Download THE FOCUSED ATHLETE CHECKLIST Join David @ The Sports Psychology Hub Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn Relevant Podcast Episodes Ep129: David Charlton - How to Deal with Self-Criticism using Self Compassion – PT1 Ep115: Jeremy Snape - Mental Strength to Succeed: Learning Lessons from International Cricket Ep081: Stuart Wade – Mental Toughness in Combat Sports Ep072: Tom Jones – Mastering the Mental Side of Cricket Ep083: Billy Schwer – Life Lessons from a World Champion Boxer Other Relevant Blogs and Resources 3 Ways to use Visualisation so that You are Mentally Prepared to Win Do you focus too much on your opponent before or during a boxing match? 7 Questions to Ask Yourself Before You Bowl Every Delivery Perfectionism in Cricket Kristin Neff Website on Self-Compassion

This is a short solo episode and the first of 3 episodes where I share 2 reminders of what Mental Toughness is and apply it to different domains. The first clip is from Mental Toughness pioneer, Doug Strycharczyk which was recorded in our very first episode and the second clip comes from Sebastian De Chavez an elite professional rugby player for Newcastle Falcons who appeared in episode 104. I then go on to share a case study and one helpful exercise taken from compassionate focused therapy to help people who experience self-criticism and are very hard on themselves off the back of failing or making mistakes in sport or life. Key Learning Points Doug states that Mental Toughness is about "how we respond mentally to things that happen to us." Seb confirms this in a professional rugby setting and considers mental toughness as "being able to get your job done, when things aren't going your way." In sport when someone makes a mistake, often as an onlooker or spectator we are better placed to say "they're only human" and display compassion. Yet, when we are the culprit making the mistake, we often find displaying self-compassion very tough. For many it is virtually impossible, especially in sport when you and your performances are being judged or at least you think they are. And your emotions are so up and down because you are striving for competence. A common thing people get wrong when thinking of being self-compassionate or being kind to yourself is that it equals self-pity or that you are being "soft". Self-compassion doesn't mean that you are lacking in motivation either. Understanding the pain that you are put yourself through by being self-critical is vital and by trying to feel compassionate you can empower yourself to make better decisions. Encouraging, loving and supportive language is a much more powerful motivator than negativity and fear which is often a habit a lot of people can slip into, especially in a sporting environment. Connect with David Charlton Download THE FOCUSED ATHLETE CHECKLIST Join David @ The Sports Psychology Hub Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn Relevant Podcast Episodes Ep001: Doug Strycharczyk – The Importance of Mental Toughness Ep104: Seb De Chaves – The Psychological Demands of Elite Professional Rugby Ep065: Dr Amy Izycky – Encouraging Mentally Healthy Cultures in Sport Ep128: Paula Eddy-Wilcox - Can You Show Vulnerability and Be Mentally Tough? Yes! Ep105: Hannah Bromley – Overcoming Psychological Challenges in Professional Women's Football Other Relevant Blogs and Resources Blog - 5 Coaching Tips To Develop Mentally Tough Footballers Blog - Coach Development Helping Athletes Overcome Fear Of Failure Blog - Mental Health Guidance For Coaches When Supporting Athletes Blog – 5 Ways To Create A Psychological Safe Sporting Environment Blog – 3 Tips To Deal With Bullying In Sport Kristin Neff Website on Self-Compassion

In today's episode I speak to a well respected leadership coach, The Natural Leadership Coach and host for The Game of Leadership Podcast, Paula Eddy Wilcox. Paula and I discuss how you can regain clarity on your purpose and passion when you've lost your way, we chat about vulnerability and how being true to yourself can be frightening, we also touch on links between mental toughness, vulnerability and psychological safety too. It's a great listen for those interested in leadership, and the business world though it does roll over to life in general and sport too. Key Learning Points: When you face challenges and you come out the other side it's important to recognise what strengths you used. Being around people who are aligned with your values aids your sense of well-being. Having the guts to show up as your true self can be daunting. Putting yourself out there, showing your true self makes you vulnerable. As you get older, a lot of people seem to care less what others think. Some elements of Mental Toughness, eg, risk orientation and interpersonal confidence will explain whether you make yourself vulnerable in different situations. A fixed mindset can prevent you from showing vulnerability. There are links with showing vulnerability and psychological safety. Connect with Paula Eddy-Wilcox LinkedIn Website Connect with David Charlton Download THE FOCUSED ATHLETE CHECKLIST Join David @ The Sports Psychology Hub Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn Other Useful Podcast Episodes Ep065: Dr Amy Izycky – Encouraging Mentally Healthy Cultures in Sport Ep075: Grant Phyphers – How to Rebuild Your Identity Ep113: Polly Brennan - The Relationship Between Mental Fitness, Mental Health and Mental Toughness Ep114: Tim Bradshaw - Because I Can – How To Get Out Of Your Own Way Ep123: Richard Dorney - What Can You Learn About Resilience From The Military Other Useful Resources linked to Mental Health Blog - 5 Ways to Create a Psychological Safe Sporting Environment Blog – 3 Tips to Deal with Bullying in Sport Blog - How to Find Your Why Blog - Mental Health Guidance for Coaches When Supporting Athletes

In episode #127 I chat with fellow Mental Toughness Licensee, Paul Trainor. Paul is a former professional rugby league player, currently a director for Super League team, Salford Red Devils Rugby League Club and a director for Positive Synergy. We go on to discuss Mental Toughness in professional rugby league, how Mental Toughness applies to his current role as a director. We also touch on his consultancy work. If you're looking to learn more about Mental Toughness, the 4 C's model and its application, this is a great podcast episode to listen too. Key Learning Points: The definition of mental toughness has changed over the years in Rugby where it was more about bravado, not being seen to be injured, seeing how many knocks you could get through to now where it is viewed as the ability to respond well to challenges that we face in the game, to be fully prepared for the challenges, to have trust in the process and to be able to take risks. When injured it's very important as a player to be honest with yourself and others around you. Salford Red Devils reached the Super League Grand Final in 2019 and pride ourselves on the way as a club, both on and off the field that we approach what we do. We have a very strong culture of maximising everything you've got whether it be players on the field or the resources we've got off the field. I lead on building future strategy, which looks at developing the next generation of Salford Red Devils players and leaving a legacy in different areas of work. We go into schools and community clubs and are not only concerned about rugby, but we're also doing work around mental toughness, raising achievement and positive mental health. Mental toughness is a crucial life skill that we help develop in youngsters. Everyone plays a key role in creating culture and the key behaviours that are expected from people. Connect with Paul Trainor Twitter LinkedIn Connect with David Charlton Download THE FOCUSED ATHLETE CHECKLIST Join David @ The Sports Psychology Hub Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn To Listen to Rugby Orientated Podcast Episodes Ep21: Steve Hackney – How to Reach Your Full Potential Ep29: 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 Ep104: Seb De Chaves - The Psychological Demands of Elite Professional Rugby Helpful Rugby Orientated Resources Blog - How To Play Well When You Aren't Feeling Great Case Study – Supporting a Professional Rugby Player Rehabilitating from Injury Blog - 3 Tips for Playing with Confidence Under Pressure Blog – 5 Ways to Create a Psychological Safe Sporting Environment Rugby Psychology | Mental Skills for Rugby Resources

In today's solo episode I talk about golf and what my role as a Sport Psychologist or Golf Performance Psychologist looks like, common challenges that golfers bring to me, difficulties that we experience as Sport Psychologists when working with golfers and a case study to highlight more about my approach to helping golfers shoot lower scores and enjoy the game more. Enjoy tuning in! Key Learning Points: Typical challenges that golfers bring to me are; hitting the ball well on the range however they're not able to transfer this on to the golf course and score well, not being able to stay present and convert after good starts, dealing with feeling anxious and slow starts and temper tantrums. Generally 6 hours+ support with a golfer can make a huge difference to them. Many golfers lack commitment when working with a Golf Psychologist. Learning from mistakes is a common difficulty for golfers who simply think that the answer is to try and improve their technique. I always ask myself the question, is this tool going to help the golfer attain their goals and shoot lower scores? It is possible to break through a glass ceiling and turn 69s into 65s. Connect with David Charlton Download THE FOCUSED ATHLETE CHECKLIST 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 Ep047: David Charlton– Mental Game Tips for Putting 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 Case Study – Supporting a Professional Golfer Go Really Low Golfers Mental Scorecard Golf Psychology FAQs Psychology of Golf Library

Today I chat with HCPC Registered Sport Psychologist, Jack Hicks- Flynn about his love for the profession. He goes on to offer helpful insights into to the role of a sport psychologist in professional football clubs, drawing on experiences of working as an applied practitioner and a researcher in Southampton FC, Luton Town FC, Portsmouth FC and West Ham United FC. We go on to discuss the complexity of our role, cultural beliefs in football, common misconceptions about the role of sport psychology, we also chat about interpersonal confidence and the importance of it in a football environment and a lot more. What You Will Learn In This Episode: It is vital to gain a deep understanding of the football club values and culture. A sport psychologist spends time on the pitch working collaboratively with coaches to improve players. Building relationships with the multi disciplinary team (MDT) is essential. Jack highlights the 3 R'S, rapport, relationships and respect as important aspects to succeed in the role. He helps players raise their level of self-awareness so that they have the ability to think more flexibly in different situations (psychological flexibility). Players have to deal with selection biases, relationships with coaches, parental influences, contractual issues, agents which can have a huge impact on their experience within the sport. It's ok to be vulnerable at times which culturally go against what people consider mental toughness to be. Statistics are a vital part of football, tracking distance covered, walking distance etc, however how this is communicated with individual players is vital unless confidence can be eroded. It's worth considering that statistics can provoke comparisons with other players and a level of toxicity. Mental health screenings, mental health action plans and a clear referral process is vital in clubs. Connect with Jack Hicks-Flynn: Website Twitter LinkedIN Connect with David Charlton Download THE FOCUSED ATHLETE CHECKLIST Join David @ The Sports Psychology Hub Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn Helpful Podcast Episodes Ep027: Natalie Henderson – How to Develop Mental Toughness with Young Footballers Ep064: Edu Rubio – How to Support Young Footballers Ep096: Gary Curneen – Developing Mentally Strong Footballers Ep102: 30 Mental Game Secrets to Improve Your Soccer Ep105: Hannah Bromley - Overcoming Psychological Challenges in Professional Women's Football Ep111: Michael Caulfield - How to be an Effective Sports Psychologist in Elite Professional Football Other Useful Resources Blog - A Common Mental Game Error Many Footballers Make Blog - Coach Development: Helping Athletes Overcome Fear of Failure Blog - 5 Tips to Help You Perform Fearlessly When You Compete Case Study - Supporting a Young Footballer to Overcome his Fears Library - Soccer Psychology | Mental Skills for Football

Today's podcast episode looks at long-term serious injuries, the psychological impact and helpful strategies to help you manage your mental health during the rehabilitation process and afterwards. My guest, doctor of occupational therapy, Keagen Hadley has recently released a book called Torn: Overcoming the Psychological Challenges Post-ACL Injury which we go on to discuss too. Keagen shares his backstory, the motivation behind writing his book, his definition of mental toughness when faced with a long term serious injury, like an ACL. We also chat about Acceptance Commitment Therapy (ACT) as a potentially helpful solution and much more. Key Learning Points: Keagen didn't intend to write a book initially however he found it became a cathartic process helping him process his thoughts and emotions. He personally had two long term ACL injuries which occurred whilst playing American Football, as well as experiencing battles with depression and anxiety. Being part of the group was difficult for Keagen when he was injured. His identity of who he was shifted hugely. Mental toughness in this context is about learning to face and sit with difficult thoughts and emotions. Seeking support and discussing your problems is important to process the emotions. Acceptance Commitment Therapy helped Keagen greatly during the difficult times and is something he advocates in his work with athletes too. Connect with Keagen Hadley LinkedIn Website BOOK: Torn Overcoming Psychological Challenges Post ACL Connect with David Charlton Download THE FOCUSED ATHLETE CHECKLIST Join David @ The Sports Psychology Hub Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn To Listen to the Full Podcast Episodes Ep011: Dave Algeo - Mental Toughness, Mental Health and High Performance Ep018: Kieron Brady - From Professional Football to Alcoholism Consultant Ep075: Grant Phyphers – How to Rebuild Your Identity Ep113: Polly Brennan – The Relationship Between Mental Fitness, Mental Health and Mental Toughness Ep124: Richard Dorney MBE - Supporting People: What Can You Learn About Resilience From The Military Other Useful Resources linked to Mental Health 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 – How to Find Your Why Blog - Mental Health Guidance for Coaches When Supporting Athletes

In today's episode I speak to Richard Dorney MBE. Richard served in the military for almost 39 years and has a wealth of experience in dealing with high stress situations. He's now the Director of Strongmind Resiliency Training, a company that works to improve mental health support, trauma management and resilience mainly in public sector organisations exposed to stress and trauma. Richard goes on to share his background and lessons that he's learned. We discuss resilience development and leadership in the military, Trauma risk management (TRIM) in the military and in healthcare and corporate settings. Key Learning Points: Resilience is not innate, it isn't just something you have, you can develop it. The mission comes first in the military. There is a focus on the preservation of quality, power and capability. The military does very well in understanding it's people and their capabilities. Leadership in the military is very good, they invest a great deal of time and effort training leaders at every stage of their leadership development. Peer support is a vital component when dealing with Trauma. A strong mind is about mental resilience, robustness, thinking, attitude and behaviour. A fundamental key of a strong mind is self-awareness. Psychologically informed, empathetic and compassionate leadership is vital when managing people. Connect with Richard Dorney MBE LinkedIn Website Connect with David Charlton Download THE FOCUSED ATHLETE CHECKLIST Join David @ The Sports Psychology Hub Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn Other Useful Podcast Episodes Ep065: Dr Amy Izycky – Encouraging Mentally Healthy Cultures in Sport Ep066: Marilyn Okoro – Mental Health and Resilience: Lessons from an Olympic Medalist Ep075: Grant Phyphers – How to Rebuild Your Identity Ep113: Polly Brennan - The Relationship Between Mental Fitness, Mental Health and Mental Toughness Ep114: Tim Bradshaw - Because I Can – How To Get Out Of Your Own Way Other Useful Resources linked to Mental Health Blog - 5 Ways to Create a Psychological Safe Sporting Environment Blog – 3 Tips to Deal with Bullying in Sport Blog - How to Find Your Why Blog – Mental Health Guidance for Coaches When Supporting Athletes