Épisodes

  • Day 22: Accepting Conditions

    Day 22: Accepting Conditions
    Jul 16 2025

    Accepting conditions for what they are is probably our greatest challenge, because our surface-level mind is almost always active and almost always looks to the past for evidence of the apparent future. If you take time to contemplate it, you’ll realise that neither the future nor the past exists in reality. Our experience only exists now, all we have is this moment that seems to be both fleeting and yet eternal. Thinking creates the past and the future, and time is merely a social convenience. This is so well established in philosophy and science that it hardly needs discussion, and yet, our society and everyone in it is bound by thoughts of the future or the past, and rarely the present.

    Developed from behavioural and cognitive therapies, Acceptance and Commitment Theory (ACT) (Hayes, 2006) emphasises the importance of being psychologically flexible. This includes the capacity to remain present and take action in accordance with one's values despite obstacles. Primarily employed in clinical contexts, ACT is now being applied in non-clinical settings, such as workplaces and sports, to help people improve performance, cope with stress, and support overall well-being.

    The ACT model is grounded on six core psychological processes

    * Embracing thoughts, emotions, and physical sensations without attempting to suppress or avoid them is referred to as Acceptance.

    * Reframing thoughts as mental events rather than absolute truths is referred to as Cognitive Defusion.

    * Developing a mindful, present-focused awareness of the ongoing experience is termed as Being Present.

    * Understanding the concept of self-as-context involves recognising a consistent sense of self that observes thoughts and feelings without being controlled by them.

    * Defining personal Values helps in identifying what holds significance for an individual.

    * Engaging in actions aligned with one's values despite the presence of unwanted thoughts or emotions is known as Committed Action.

    These strategies aim to enhance psychological adaptability, which is strongly correlated with improved mental well-being and achievements in various aspects of life (Kashdan & Rottenberg, 2010).

    Kashdan and Rottenberg say that psychological flexibility spans a wide range of human abilities to: recognise and adapt to various situational demands; shift mindsets or behavioural repertoires when these strategies compromise personal or social functioning; maintain balance among important life domains; and be aware, open, and committed to behaviours that are congruent with deeply held values.

    Applying ACT in Your Daily Work

    Engaging in an Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) process may help you feel less overwhelmed in challenging situations and improve your ability to navigate your thoughts constructively. The core principle involves recognising that your thoughts and feelings are integral to who you are and committing to behaviours that align with your values. A professional will collaborate closely with you to help you achieve your goals, as ACT is highly individualised. Similar to other forms of intervention, you may encounter uncomfortable emotions or memories during the process. This is why it’s best to work with a trained ACT professional.

    Free Resources

    I have a growing collection of free resources to help you develop the psychological skills necessary to achieve your goals, regardless of the domain of work you find yourself in. The mental skills I teach are fundamental to peak human performance. Hit the blue button to download free mental skills resources.



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    14 min
  • Day 21: Understanding Stress

    Day 21: Understanding Stress
    Jul 14 2025
    Stress is a normal part of life. It represents the challenge that being alive presents, and without it, life would be very boring. What do you want, an easy and challenge-free existence? Best of luck with that. Yes, I know that pretty much every marketing campaign out there promises you an easier life, a hedonistic life, even, but the truth is that it is idealistic and naive. To live a life full of pleasure and ease, without pain and discomfort, is unrealistic. Instead, you’ve got to embrace whatever life throws at you and, in the meantime, cultivate the skills you need to survive and grow.Aristotle wrote that most people are slaves to their desires. They crave the easy life and run away from difficulty. He stated that pursuing the hedonic lifestyle was detrimental to the good life. Instead, he advocated for the Eudaimonic life—a life spent engaged in things that were inherently challenging and interesting. It was there that he said the meaning and purpose of life could be found. In contemporary terms, we refer to this as flourishing wellbeing. It is the doing of things for their own sake rather than for their outcomes. There is no ulterior motive in our actions, and we accept whatever life sends our way because we possess the mental skills to cope and to flourish regardless.Stress and burnout are significant psychological phenomena with wide-ranging implications for health, well-being, and occupational functioning. While stress is often a short-term response to perceived threats or challenges, burnout is a chronic state of physical and emotional exhaustion that develops gradually in response to prolonged stress, particularly in work contexts. Understanding the pathways from stress to burnout involves examining both dispositional (personality-related) and environmental factors.The Yerkes-Dodson Law (1908) describes the relationship between arousal (or stress) and performance. It proposes that performance improves with increasing arousal, but only up to an optimal point, beyond which performance deteriorates. This relationship is typically represented as an inverted U-shaped curve, as seen below. The curve illustrates that both low arousal levels (leading to boredom) and high arousal levels (leading to anxiety) impair performance, while moderate arousal levels are associated with optimal performance.Originally based on experiments with mice, Yerkes and Dodson found that simple tasks benefited from higher arousal, while complex tasks required lower arousal for a longer time. This idea has since been applied across various domains, including work, education, and sport. In work psychology, the Yerkes-Dodson Law explains how moderate stress can enhance motivation and productivity. Chronic or excessive stress, on the other hand, contributes to burnout—a syndrome marked by emotional exhaustion, cynicism, and reduced professional efficacy (Maslach et al., 2001).Dispositional Stress: The Role of PersonalityDispositional stress refers to an individual's inherent predisposition to stress, as observed in research in personality psychology. High levels of neuroticism—a trait characterised by emotional instability, proneness to anxiety, and sensitivity to adverse situations—have been strongly correlated with higher perceived stress (Ebstrup et al., 2011). If you score high on neuroticism, you may interpret ambiguous situations as threatening, experience greater physiological arousal, and struggle with emotional regulation. In other words, your typical reaction to difficulty is not very productive.Maladaptive perfectionism, in particular, has been linked to chronic stress and increased risk of burnout, especially in achievement-oriented domains (Hill & Curran, 2016). These individuals set unrealistically high standards for themselves and experience distress when they fail to meet them. Influential research by Lazarus and Folkman (1984) highlighted that those who predominantly use emotion-focused coping strategies (avoidance, denial) rather than problem-focused strategies (planning, seeking support) are more susceptible to stress. This highlights the significance of dispositional variables in influencing how individuals perceive and respond to stressors.Environmental StressEnvironmental stressors are external conditions or demands that challenge your ability to cope. In occupational settings, high workload, time pressure, low autonomy, lack of support, and role uncertainty are familiar sources of stress (Karasek & Theorell, 1990). The Effort-Reward Imbalance (ERI) model (Siegrist, 1996) further explains how chronic stress arises when the effort invested in work is not matched by adequate rewards, resulting in a sense of unfairness and a lack of equity. This imbalance can lead to persistent stress and a sense of injustice, fostering emotional exhaustion and depersonalisation, two hallmarks of burnout.Outside the workplace, environmental stress can also stem from team or group conflict, aggressive forms of ...
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    12 min
  • Day 20: What Is Anxiety?

    Day 20: What Is Anxiety?
    Jul 11 2025
    We’ve all felt anxiety at some point in our lives, the apprehension associated with possible adverse future outcomes. It’s usually associated with something important to us, like performing well in a job interview, going to a social event with people that we’re uncomfortable being around, or running our first marathon. We hope things will go well, but we’re uneasy about the unknown and imagine something different. Depending on the person, it can be mild, like butterflies in your stomach. To others, is can become chronic and completely debilitating. Individual differences count, and so too does past experience. Still, essentially, it is our thoughts about the future and our perceived potential for failure that have the most significant influence on the intensity and duration of anxiety we feel. If you want to perform to your best, understanding and managing anxiety is critical.What Is Anxiety?Anxiety is a natural response to perceived threat or danger, characterised by a range of emotional, cognitive, and physiological symptoms. While short-term anxiety can be helpful, allowing you to respond quickly to potential harm, chronic or excessive anxiety impairs healthy functioning. At its worst, prolonged anxiety can lead to physiological illness and psychological disorders. If we can understand anxiety, we may be better able to mitigate against it. Perspectives include neurological, psychological, and physiological mechanisms at work in its presentations. Each perspective offers distinct insights into how anxiety arises, how you experience it, and how you can effectively treat it. Cognitive Behavioural approaches can be very helpful, and you don’t necessarily need a professional practitioner to help you here; you can execute these strategies yourself. Exercise can also have a positive effect.A paper by Severinsen & Pedersine (2020) reported that physical exercise has positive health effects on cognitive function and brain health. Through the muscle’s production of Myokines, they say that physical activity can decrease the rate of cognitive decline in healthy people and in people with neurodegenerative disorders across the life span. Physical exercise has a positive impact on stress, anxiety, and depression, they report. Other studies have shown that an active lifestyle is associated with improved learning and memory, enhanced executive functions, better language skills, faster reaction times, higher academic achievement in children, and increased intelligence in adolescents. Physical activity also has beneficial effects on appetite, sleep, and mood. Difficult and challenging workouts also build resilience to stress.The Neurological Perspective on AnxietyFrom a neurological standpoint, anxiety is rooted in the functioning of several brain structures and neurotransmitter systems responsible for emotional regulation and threat detection. The amygdala, the fear centre, plays a central role in the processing of apparent threat. In anxiety disorders, hyperactivity in the amygdala leads to exaggerated responses to perceived dangers, even in safe situations (Etkin & Wager, 2007). This over-activation is often accompanied by insufficient regulation from the prefrontal cortex, which is responsible for executive control and emotional regulation (Bishop, 2007). When the prefrontal cortex fails to inhibit the amygdala effectively, anxiety symptoms can intensify. What we mean here in practical terms is, the capacity to become accept conditions as they are, and to realise the threat is mostly imagined, not real.The hippocampus, which plays a crucial role in contextual memory and learning, is also implicated. Dysfunction in the hippocampus may lead to overgeneralisation of fear responses—responding with anxiety to cues that resemble, but are not identical to, previous threats. Neurotransmitters such as gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), serotonin, and noradrenaline are also key. GABA is the brain’s primary inhibitory neurotransmitter and is responsible for dampening neural excitability. Low levels of GABA are associated with heightened anxiety. Similarly, imbalances in serotonin and noradrenaline systems can lead to increased arousal, poor mood regulation, and hyper-vigilance. Diet can impact neurotransmitter regulation. Exercise also impacts their production in the brain.Summary:* Amygdala hyperactivity and poor prefrontal regulation contribute to anxiety.* Hippocampal dysfunction leads to fear generalisation.* Low GABA and serotonin levels increase emotional reactivity.The Psychological Perspective on AnxietyPsychological theories of anxiety focus on the mental and behavioural processes that contribute to the onset and maintenance of anxious states. Cognitive theory, as proposed by Beck (1976), suggests that individuals with anxiety disorders engage in maladaptive thinking patterns, such as catastrophising or selectively attending to threat-related information and ignoring information that supports ...
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    16 min
  • Day 19: Mental Imagery For Rehabilitation

    Day 19: Mental Imagery For Rehabilitation
    Jul 8 2025
    The paper "Mental Imagery and Its Potential for Physical Therapy" by Warner and McNeill (1988) reviewed the existing literature on mental imagery (MI) and mental practice (MP) and their effects on physical skills. The authors aimed to explore the feasibility of these techniques as a supplement to physical therapy. The core premise is that mental processes, particularly imagery, have a tangible influence on physical functions, reflecting a strong mind-body relationship.In 1954, Roger Bannister became the first person to run one mile under four minutes, after which 52 others followed suit the same year. According to pentathlete Marilyn King in a 1985 interview, Bannister had a mental image of being able to surpass the then-existing record, despite "irrefutable" evidence that it was impossible. Olympic champion King trained athletes to utilise Mental Imagery and advocates for a shift in attitude that creates possibilities beyond what individuals think they are capable of. In other words, it is unlikely that one's body will do more than one's mind believes is possible.Mental Imagery can be defined as "cognitively reproducing or visualising an object, scene, or sensation as though it were occurring in overt, physical reality". Mental practice is defined as the "symbolic rehearsal of a physical activity in the absence of any gross muscular movements," achieved through the repetitive use of MI to reach a desired outcome. The paper presents compelling evidence for this mind-body connection as follows;* Perception and Visualisation Similarities: Research by Finke found that mental images exhibit visual properties much like the perception of actual objects, supporting the use of MI for practical purposes like athletic training, which I discussed on Day 17 and Day 18.* Brain Activity Beyond Visual Cortex: Studies using brain electrical activity mapping and positron emission tomography have revealed that mental imaging activates brain areas involved in movement execution (e.g., parietal cortex) in addition to regions involved in visual processing. This suggests MI "mimics actual performance to a greater degree than had been thought previously".* Measurable Muscle Activation: Early electromyography (EMG) studies by Jacobson (1932) demonstrated slight, transitory muscle contractions during MI. While some initial reviews suggested general body activation rather than mirroring specific movement patterns, later research by Harris and Robinson (1986) provided evidence for site-specific muscular activity.Crucially, kinaesthetic imagery, or "visuomotor behavioural rehearsal (VMBR)," which involves mentally recreating the total "feel" of an activity, has been shown to generate EMG activity that matches actual physical performance—we’ve mentioned this before. This muscle activation, in conjunction with Motor Imagery, underscores the direct link.The effectiveness of MI and MP has been extensively studied, particularly in sports and motor learning:* Skill Enhancement: Numerous studies demonstrate that MP can enhance skillfulness. Classic research showed that groups mentally practising basketball free throws or dart throwing improved similarly to those physically practising. More recent studies have replicated these findings.* Cognitive vs. Motor Tasks: Mental practice showed the most pronounced effects and quickest improvement for cognitively oriented tasks (e.g., maze learning, card sorting), while motor skills required more trials and longer sessions for less dramatic improvement.Key variables influencing the successful outcome of MI and MP include:* Vividness and Clarity: Superior results are associated with strong, clear images, which tend to improve with experience and by keeping images simple.* Kinesthetic Imagery: Focusing on the internal "feeling" of the movement, as in VMBR, is critical.* Practice Over Time: Achieving significant results depends on consistently conducting Mental Imagery sessions over time, rather than sporadically or in single instances. A minimum of five sessions, held on separate days, is recommended.* Nondirected Instructions: Allowing subjects to create their own personalised, active mental images is generally more effective than using audiotaped or directed instructions.* Combining Practice Methods: Integrating physical practice (PP) with Mental Practice often leads to the most significant gains in performance.* Positive Outcomes: Visualising successful outcomes and perfect movements also contributes to effectiveness.The paper extends the discussion to health care services, citing evidence for MI's physiological impact:* Cancer Therapy and Psychoneuroimmunology: Mental Imagery has been used to influence immune responses, with patients visualising symbolic ways to fight cancer cells, correlating with increased survival rates and enhanced white blood cell counts.* Biofeedback: Individuals can mentally influence autonomic functions, such as heart rate, muscle tension, and skin temperature, ...
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    18 min
  • Day 18: The PETTLEP Model of Mental Imagery

    Day 18: The PETTLEP Model of Mental Imagery
    Jul 6 2025
    The PETTLEP model of mental rehearsal is a comprehensive framework that enhances the effectiveness of focused and purposeful imagination. The practice of Mental Imagery (MI) is used to enhance performance across various fields and domains of work, including medicine and sports and physical activities. This model, developed by Holmes and Collins in the early 2000s, represents the following components:* Physical aspects* Environmental aspects* Task specifics* Timing of tasks* Learning new tasks* Emotional responses* Perspective of performanceThe PETTLEP approach is rooted in the idea that the more closely mental rehearsal mimics the actual performance, the more effective it will be in enhancing actual performance. What I am suggesting here is that this idea can be extended beyond the sports performance area and into everyday life experience. Here’s some evidence to support my assertion.Extensive research has demonstrated an overlap between active brain regions involved in motor imagery (imagining the behaviour) and motor execution (performing the behaviour). Motor imagery is a simulation of physical activity that relies on similar cognitive representations and shares neural networks (Kalicinski et al., 2016). Neuroimaging studies have shown an overlap in brain regions (Lotze & Halsband, 2006). Decety et al. (1991) found that respiration and heart rate increased during imagined walking. Studies on the real and imagined timing of behaviour have revealed that these are closely aligned (Guillot & Collet, 2005). In other words, participants were able to accurately time imagined behaviours with performed behaviours.“It’s been my dream for as long as I can remember. Every night going to bed, I’d do, I’d slide down the track and go through it, and visualise my dream. But I wouldn’t visualise winning, I’d visualise the process.”Lizzy Yarnold, Olympic Skeleton Gold Medalist 2014“What I do, always before a game, always, every night and every day, is try and think up things, imagine plays, which no one else will have thought of, and to do so always bearing in mind the particular strength of each team-mate to whom I am passing the ball. When I construct those plays in my mind I take into account whether one team-mate likes to receive the ball at his feet, or ahead of him; if he is good with his head, and how he prefers to head the ball; if he is stronger on his right or his left foot. That is my job. That is what I do. I imagine the game”.Former Brazilian footballer, Ronaldinho“This visualisation technique is a sort of clarified daydream with snippets of the atmosphere from past matches included to enhance the sense of reality. It lasts about twenty minutes, and by the end of it, I feel I know what is coming. The game will throw up many different scenarios, but I am as prepared in my own head for them as I can be. If you have realistically imagined situations, you feel better prepared and less fearful of the unexpected.”Former England International, Jonny WilkinsonFor this to be possible, Holmes and Collins (2001) suggested that the actual performance and the environment should be simulated as accurately as possible. The model is based on the work of Jeannerod (1994, 1997), who proposed that specific brain areas are activated during both physical and imagined movements. They suggest that the best results are achieved when mental imagery is combined with physical practice. The PETTLEP Method consists of the following components.* Physical (P): The physical component emphasises the replication of the physical aspects of the performance during mental rehearsal. This includes not only the basic movements but also finer details, such as body posture, specific muscle movements, and even the replication of physical sensations, including touch and proprioceptive feedback (your ability to sense your own movements). The goal is to engage the same neural pathways that would be used during the actual performance, enhancing the mind-body connection.* Environment (E): For the environment aspect, the individual is encouraged to visualise the specific details of the environment where they will perform. This could include the layout of a sports field, the sounds on the field or in a performance hall, or the lighting in a room. The more vividly you can recreate the environment, the more effective the mental rehearsal will be, as this helps you acclimate to the performance context, reduces anxiety, and enhances focus. In this, we develop familiarity with the space.* Task (T): This element focuses on the specific tasks you are to perform, as well as the detailed and precise mental representations of the required skills or activities. It's about breaking down your performance into its constituent parts and rehearsing each one meticulously. This detailed focus helps refine techniques and correct errors, leading to improved execution during your actual performance or situation.* Timing (T): The timing component ...
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    26 min
  • Day 16: Challenging Negative Thoughts

    Day 16: Challenging Negative Thoughts
    Jun 29 2025
    Challenging negative thoughts is a mental skill essential for managing the demands of not only high-stakes situations but also those of everyday life. We talk to ourselves in almost every moment. Except for those situations where we are completely engrossed in something, our minds can be consumed with inner dialogue. Now, that’s not such a bad thing where the thoughts are supportive and encouraging, but where those thoughts are critical and abusive, we are unlikely to create the results we’d like to see.Negative self-talk is often an automatic reaction to stressful events, the extent of which can be primarily influenced by our childhood environment. In youth, we develop or adopt a template for life and relationships. It runs on autopilot; you could say it is a product of System 1 thinking. We’re not stuck with it, however. According to Seaward (2006), reframing is a conscious coping technique that helps us become aware of our internal monologue, widening our perspective on particularly challenging situations. Steps involved in cognitive reframing include;* Becoming aware of our thoughts* Evaluating content.* And challenging negative perceptions by questioning their validity.Modifying negative self-talk is essential in the process of learning to regulate our feelings. Research by Morin (2005) suggests that recognising self-talk helps us consider the perspectives of others in private speech and incorporate multiple perspectives into social and emotional problem-solving. Additionally, self-awareness, monitoring, and communication of our thoughts, feelings, and behaviours are essential prerequisites for healthy emotional functioning, or emotional competence, according to Saarni (1999).I work with male under-18s in an amateur team sport environment. I played the game myself for years, and one of the significant keys to consistent and reliable performance for these lads is composure. If you lack composure, you lose your focus. The voice in your head takes over and tells you you’re a failure, or perhaps that everyone else is to blame. Regardless of where that blame is attributed, the critical voice in your head now runs the show; the game is lost.How To Reframe Automatic Negative ThinkingGet yourself a journal if you don’t already have one. Then, for one week, note down those occasions where your mind jumps to negative judgments. Take time and space to do this exercise where you won’t be disturbed.* First, describe the situation that caused the judgment.* Then, note your initial negative thought about it.* Also note the emotions and feelings that followed this line of thinking. * Next, (and this is the crucial bit) ask yourself, is this thought accurate, could I be wrong about this—how could this situation be different?* Lastly, choose a more positive thought that may be equally true.An example* A friend kept you waiting for 15 minutes.* Your initial thought was that they care only for themselves and not for your time.* You felt irritated and let down.* Then you considered the facts; you were there on time and he was late—that’s it. You elaborated on the possibilities further…maybe someone else delayed them. Maybe they got caught in traffic. Maybe they have an unreasonable boss who keeps them late. Maybe… There could be any number of reasons why your friend was delayed, and entertaining the first thought as fact can be damaging to your state of mind. This is especially damaging if you are in a demanding role that requires composure and emotional stability. Instead of jumping to conclusions and flying off the handle, entertain other possibilities. You might say to yourself, for example;“Hang on a second, does this thought have to be true? What’s an equally possible reason why this may have occurred?”Then continue the conversation with yourself, taking your mind to less dramatic, equally possible scenarios. Couple this with a series of deep breaths, and you’ll notice your mind and body begin to calm down. Now, you may be able to take effective action.This approach can be equally effective when considering both current and future conditions. If you are in the middle of a game, for example, and you feel it slipping away. Instead of catastrophising about the outcome, consider other positive possibilities. After all, it’s what you and your teammates do now that counts, not what you did ten seconds or ten minutes ago. Think differently. Talk differently to yourself. Learn to regulate your emotional state with truthful and positively oriented self-talk, and watch circumstances shift in your direction.Essential Mental Skills Is Launching SoonThe Essential Mental Skills Course is launching soon. It is a structured introduction to mental skill development and contains lecture videos, slides, resources, a workbook, and kicks off with a live group Zoom orientation call. This course brings together what I’ve learned from my 30 years in business, 10 years in psychology, lecturing and ...
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    18 min
  • Day 15: Self-Talk For Anxiety and Instructional Cues

    Day 15: Self-Talk For Anxiety and Instructional Cues
    Jun 26 2025
    Did you know that referring to yourself by your first name or as "you" (instead of "I" or “my“ or “me”) may help you step back from challenging situations and see things more clearly? Studies have shown that it gives you emotional and psychological distance. For example, after a difficult encounter, I might think to myself, “That was a stressful situation, I really felt under pressure, and I thought I’d never get out of there, but I did, and I’m glad that’s over.” Instead, I might say, “That was a stressful situation, you really felt under pressure, and you thought you’d never get out of there, but you did, and you’re glad that’s over.”In the first case, I’m reliving it in my mind, and as I speak about it, referring to myself as I, I recall the emotional state—I experience it again. In the second case, it’s like I have become a passive, non-judgmental observer commenting on the experience of another. In some ways, that’s true, because the event in time has gone, and that person is gone too. Or rather, I have left them behind, and I am in the present here and now, not in the past. Think about a negative experience. Write it down in the first person, then write it again from a non-first-person perspective. Can you feel the difference?You feel something qualitatively different when referring to yourself in the first person compared to referring to yourself in the non-first person. In the first person, you and the feeling are one—you are it and it is you. You refer to your anxiety, your depression, and your feelings, and you own them. But what if you created some space between the feeling or emotional state and what you refer to as you? What if the you to which you refer is, in fact, something that can observe the situation in which you found yourself?“One thing I didn’t want to do was make an emotional decision. I wanted to do what’s best for LeBron James and to do what makes LeBron James happy.”This quote by LeBron James from 2010 was controversial. Many thought he was losing his mind. However, he was simply applying this principle to his decision-making process and self-reflection. You may not want to engage in this method out loud, but you can do so in your own mind. It may help you stay rooted in the present, observing a past event.A study by Kross et al. in 2014 examined the way people talk to themselves in their minds and how it influences their handling of stressful social situations and social anxiety. They conducted seven studies involving a total of 585 people. They found that those who used their name or "you" in their self-talk did better in creating first impressions and in public speaking (according to outside observers) and felt less stressed. They also didn’t dwell on the event negatively afterwards.Two further studies by Kross et al. looked at how this kind of non-first-person self-talk changes how people view anxiety-provoking situations. Using their name or "you" made people see future stressful events as more of a challenge and less of a threat—remember our session on Growth and Fixed Mindset? Finally, the researchers combined all the results and found that these benefits occurred regardless of whether someone had social anxiety, meaning this method of self-regulation could help almost anyone manage challenging situations and engage proactively in self-reflection.What about the execution of skills?When it comes to executing skills in sport, self-talk can help with preparation and focus. When you're doing precise tasks, like taking a free (let’s take hurling, our national sport in Ireland), talking yourself through your process helps. It’s called instructional self-talk. For example, before taking a free, see yourself perform it perfectly and talk yourself through each aspect; "ok, deep breath, exhale. Approach the ball, clean lift, smooth movement, step into the strike, strike and watch it sail over the bar. Research shows that this works better than just trying to pump yourself up with motivational self-talk, like "let’s go, you're the man" etc. Giving yourself instructions is especially beneficial for fine motor skills, much more so than for larger gross movements.Self-talk is essentially about focusing your thoughts to guide your actions, acting as an internal instruction for what you want to do (Johnson et al., 2004). This mental strategy enhances performance in several ways: it helps you sharpen your focus and direct your attention to crucial cues (Landin, 1994; Nideffer, 1993), allows you to regulate your effort and boost your self-confidence (Zinnser et al., 2006), and can even be effective in managing anxiety and prompting the correct response in the moment (Hardy et al., 1996).Essential Mental Skills Is Launching SoonThe Essential Mental Skills Course is launching soon. It is a structured introduction to mental skill development and contains lecture videos, slides, resources, a workbook, and kicks off with a live group ...
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    14 min