Demystifying Mental Toughness

In this episode, David Charlton and his colleague Colm O'Donoghue discussed a case study of a 12-year-old tennis player who struggled with her emotions on the court.   She often became overwhelmed by with anger and frustration or disappointment after making mistakes or losing points, leading to a loss of focus, poor performance and less enjoyment.  Her parents also found it very difficult to watch her play and contain themselves as a result too.  David and Colm go on to offer some advice for managing these strong emotional responses so that she can perform better and enjoy her tennis more.  Key Learning Points: ·       Improving her emotional regulation is key to her success and enjoyment. ·       Find ways to focus on the present such as breathing techniques can be useful. ·       David emphasizes the importance of consistent practice and viewing breathing as a life skill. ·       Seeing the alignment of the parasympathetic nervous system as a vital component in playing your best by strategically finding ways to slow down can be helpful. ·       Plan B thinking by using visualisation, where she sees herself making mistakes and feels the emotions that comes with this, then recovering more positively can help her improve her composure in difficult moments. Connect with David Charlton Join David @ The Sports Psychology Hub Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIN Podcast Episodes To Help You Regulate Your Emotions Ep071 - James Lau: Mastering The Mental Side Of Tennis Ep232 – Andy Elleray - How To Remain Composed As a Goalkeeper Under Pressure Ep256 – David Charlton - The Immature Brain: How To Help An Emotional Child Other Valuable Resources To Help Children, Young Athletes, Parents and Youth Sport Coaches Youth Sports Psychology Library Conversations With Kids Ideas Frequently Asked Questions - Sport Psychology for Children and Parents Resources To Support Tennis Players Perform Better How To Regain Momentum In Tennis So That You Win More Matches How to Let Go of Mistakes when Playing Tennis How Tennis Players Can Stay Confident Under Pressure

Does the perfect golf swing exist? NO.  Does the perfect golf swing equal lower scores in golf? NO – Yet many golfers continue to strive to attain the “perfect swing.”  This is the topic of conversation today, where David and colleague Colm O'Donoghue talk about the problem with this approach and the implications for your golf game.  They also share some advice on what you could consider doing to improve your scores and your enjoyment of the game.  Key Learning Points:  Studies suggest that the variation in technique between low handicap amateurs and professional golfers is similar.    Consider how you practice your golf, if you practice solely in a technical manner it is likely to tie you up in knots and show in your golf scores.  Split your practice into technical, performance, process and creative practice.  Do you ever consider how you can access a flow state and what a flow state is for you on the golf course?  Connect with David Charlton  Join David @ The Sports Psychology Hub  Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIN  Podcast Episodes To Help Golfers Improve Their Scores  Ep017: Gio Valiante – How to Play Fearless Golf  Ep089: Will Shaw – How To Transfer Your Golfing Skills To The Course   Ep101: Compilation – 25 Mental Game Secrets to Improve Your Golf  Other Valuable Resources To Help Children, Young Golfers, Parents and Youth Sport Coaches  Youth Sports Psychology Library   Conversations With Kids Ideas  Frequently Asked Questions - Sport Psychology for Children and Parents  Resources To Support Golfers So That They Score Better  Frequently Asked Questions on Golf Psychology and Golf Mental Skills   Golf Psychology and Mental Skills for Golf Library  8 Better Ways to Practice to Your Golf  Do You Obsess over the Perfect Golf Swing?  Are You Missing Shots Before You've Started Your Swing 

David Charlton hosts the Demystifying Mental Toughness podcast with his colleague and a fellow competitive amateur golfer, Colm O'Donoghue today.  Colm discusses his journey from playing golf as a child to returning to the sport in his mid-20s, driven by an interest in the psychological aspects of golf.  He shares his struggles with perfectionism and the importance of maintaining a present-focused mindset. Together they talk about a case study of a young golfer, who excels in match play but struggles with stroke play due to focusing too much on the score.  Colm and David emphasize the importance of a pre-shot routine in maintaining his focus and staying present, which can help manage his arousal levels, in turn, lowering his scores. Key Learning Points: ·        Trying to play perfect golf and focusing too much on the score can impact enjoyment of the sport. ·       Colm explains the difference between match play and stroke play, emphasizing the reset nature of match play and the need to focus on the process in stroke play. ·        Self-awareness is critical, recognising and being able to reset when you are ahead of yourself and predicting future holes, shots or score and identifying when you are stuck in the past, dwelling on mistakes. Connect with David Charlton Join David @ The Sports Psychology Hub Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIN Podcast Episodes To Help Golfers Focus On The Process Ep243 David Charlton - How I Would Help Rory McIlroy Win The British Open Ep099 Trevor Jones - How to Deal with Overthinking on the Golf Course Ep167 Karl Morris - How To Manage Your Emotions To Improve Your Golf #BITESIZE Other Valuable Resources To Help Children, Young Golfers, Parents and Youth Sport Coaches Youth Sports Psychology Library Conversations With Kids Ideas Frequently Asked Questions - Sport Psychology for Children and Parents Resources To Support Golfers So That They Focus Better Frequently Asked Questions on Golf Psychology and Golf Mental Skills Golf Psychology and Mental Skills for Golf Library Control Your Thoughts on the Golf Course Play Your Best Golf More Often

Today, in episode #279 David and Gerard discuss the challenges faced by a 12-year-old cricketer named Amir (pseudonym), who is a leg spinner struggling with inconsistent selection due to the club's preference for pace bowling.  Amir's fluctuating motivation and confidence, as well as the potential for dropping out of cricket are attributed to poor communication from coaches and his own difficulty in expressing frustrations.  Key Learning Points: ·         Helping the cricketer develop psychological flexibility to separate his self-worth from the selection decisions made by the coaches is key. ·         Encourage the cricketer to focus on the controllables, such as his attitude, effort, and the key ingredients that make up a good performance, rather than the uncontrollable factors like the perfect delivery. ·         Coaches should consider carefully how they communicate to prevent young cricketers and athletes from feeling undervalued and potentially quitting the sport.  Connect with David Charlton Join David @ The Sports Psychology Hub Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIN Podcast Episodes Related To The Youth Sport Experience Ep176 Camilla Knight: How To Help Enhance The Psychological Wellbeing Of Children In Sport #BITESIZE Ep168 - Andrew Simpson: How To Navigate Youth Sports So That Children Enjoy The Experience More   Ep141 -David Charlton: How to Help a Child Who Wants to Quit Sport   Other Valuable Resources To Help Children, Young Athletes, Parents and Youth Sport Coaches Youth Sports Psychology Library Conversations With Kids Ideas Frequently Asked Questions - Sport Psychology for Children and Parents Resources To Support Cricketers So That They Play With Confidence Cricket Psychology Library 7 Questions to Ask Yourself Before You Bowl Every Delivery Make Bowling Simple by Avoiding these 3 Common Mental Game Errors

In today's episode, #278 David and Gerard discuss the impact of a shouty coach on an 18-year-old rugby player named Tom (pseudonym).  They explore how such coaching styles can lead to self-doubt, low self-esteem, and increased self-criticism, affecting both on-field performance and confidence levels.   They emphasize the importance of coaches fostering a supportive environment where players can express themselves freely. Key Learning Points: ·        The conversation highlights the broader issue of youth sports participation and the need for a supportive coaching culture. ·        Develop standardised behaviour routines for young athletes, focusing on the attributes of their favourite players (e.g., work rate, commitment, shooting of Ronaldo). ·        Ask the athlete questions to understand their perspective on what behaviours mean to them personally (eg. work rate and commitment).  Often a coaches' or parents' interpretation can be very different. ·        Focus on solutions to help young footballers and athletes manage their emotions effectively. Connect with David Charlton Join David @ The Sports Psychology Hub Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIN Podcast Episodes Related To The Youth Sport Experience Ep055: Natalie Henderson, John Fletcher & James Maurice – How to Develop Mental Strength in Young Athletes Ep064: Edu Rubio – How to Support Young Footballers Ep074: David Charlton – How Can I Make My Child Feel Confident Other Valuable Resources To Help Children, Young Athletes, Parents and Youth Sport Coaches Youth Sports Psychology Library Conversations With Kids Ideas Frequently Asked Questions - Sport Psychology for Children and Parents

In episode #277 David and Gerard Fitzgerald discussed how to help shift the focus of an extra competitive footballer or athlete, using the example of a boy named Joe who hates losing.   Key points included the importance of harnessing anger positively, as seen with Wayne Rooney's iconic goal in 2005 for Manchester United versus Newcastle United.  They also share the need to normalise emotional responses like anger where footballers may kick out, tackle over aggressively, shout at team-mates or display poor body language.   Parents and coaches are advised to avoid adding to the child's stress and activating their sympathetic nervous system anymore by shouting and yelling at them, instead helping them regulate emotions. Key Learning Points: ·        Develop standardised behaviour routines for young footballers, focusing on the attributes of their favourite players (e.g., work rate, commitment, shooting of Ronaldo). ·        Ask the athlete questions to understand their perspective on what behaviours (work rate, commitment) mean to them as often a coach or parents' interpretation can be very different. ·        Accept and seek to understand individual perspectives, traits and subsequent behaviours without being overly judgemental. ·        Focus on solutions to help young footballers and athletes manage their emotions effectively. Connect with David Charlton Join David @ The Sports Psychology Hub Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIN Podcast Episodes Related To The Youth Sport Experience Ep082: David Charlton – Supporting Children in Sport with Positive Feedback Ep122: Prof Camilla Knight – Helping Your Children Get The Most From Their Sporting Experiences Other Valuable Resources To Help Children, Young Athletes, Parents and Youth Sport Coaches Youth Sports Psychology Library Conversations With Kids Ideas Frequently Asked Questions - Sport Psychology for Children and Parents   Helpful Resources For Young Football and Soccer Players, Parents and Youth Sport Coaches Frequently Asked Questions - Goalkeeping Psychology Frequently Asked Questions - Football Psychology Ep276: How To Help A Footballer Who Focuses Too Much On Other People Ep049: James Maurice – How Does Sport Psychology in Elite Football Academies Help 

Today marks the start of an 8-episode series where David Charlton is joined by a colleague.  Gerard Fitzgerald features in this episode, as well as the next 3 episodes.  They go on to discuss a case study of a young female footballer, 11 years old with a pseudonym name called Carly who is a sensitive soul who worries too much about other people (team-mates specifically in this case).  We go on to normalise emotional sensitivity in young athletes, highlighting that it can be a strength if managed properly.  We also talk about the challenges of emotional sensitivity where young athletes often face mental drain and self-doubt.  David and Gerard then go on to share some advice for parents and coaches to manage emotionally sensitive players who can focus too much on their team-mates. Key Learning Points: ·        Explore ways to normalize the emotional experiences of young athletes and help them manage the mental demands of the sport. ·        Develop strategies to shift the focus from negative self-criticism and comparison to a more positive, responsibility-based approach. ·        The conversation explores how a neutral third party can provide a fresh perspective and help both parents and children understand each other better. ·        Constant comparison to teammates can lead to self-doubt and criticism in young athletes and footballers. ·        The discussion concludes with a reminder that the win-at-all-costs attitude can sometimes drive young athletes away from sport emphasising the need for fun and enjoyment. Connect with David Charlton Join David @ The Sports Psychology Hub Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIN Podcast Episodes Related To The Youth Sport Experience Ep049: James Maurice – How Does Sport Psychology in Elite Football Academies Help  Ep082: David Charlton – Supporting Children in Sport with Positive Feedback Ep122: Prof Camilla Knight – Helping Your Children Get The Most From Their Sporting Experiences Ep131 David Charlton – How to Deal with Self-Criticism using Self Compassion – FINAL PART Ep141: David Charlton – How to Help a Child Who Wants to Quit Sport Other Valuable Resources To Help Children, Young Athletes, Parents and Youth Sport Coaches Youth Sports Psychology Library Soccer and Football Psychology Library Conversations With Kids Ideas Frequently Asked Questions - Sport Psychology for Children and Parents

After a short break from creating and broadcasting episodes of the Demystifying Mental Toughness Podcast, in episode #275, David discusses a change in format to the podcast for the rest of 2025.  He also highlights the benefits of having a support system and the benefits of reading and acting on advice from The 12 Week Year, book written by Brian F Moran and Michael Lemmington.  Key Learning Points: ·         Taking a break can revive our motivation and creativity similar to the power of periodisation in sport or strength training. ·         The next episode will be published on Friday 04 April. ·         An 8-week series of episodes focusing on the youth sport experience will follow. ·         David's Irish based colleagues Gerard Fitzgerald and Colm O'Donoghue will provide support for David in these episodes sharing their perspective. ·         Challenges that youth athletes, sporting parents and youth coaches regularly come across will be a feature of our discussions. Connect with David Charlton Join David @ The Sports Psychology Hub Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIN Podcast Episodes Related To The Youth Sport Experience Ep049: James Maurice – How Does Sport Psychology in Elite Football Academies Help  Ep082: David Charlton – Supporting Children in Sport with Positive Feedback Ep122: Prof Camilla Knight – Helping Your Children Get The Most From Their Sporting Experiences Ep131 David Charlton – How to Deal with Self-Criticism using Self Compassion – FINAL PART Ep141: David Charlton – How to Help a Child Who Wants to Quit Sport Other Valuable Resources To Help Children, Young Athletes, Parents and Youth Sport Coaches Youth Sports Psychology Library Conversations With Kids Ideas Frequently Asked Questions - Sport Psychology for Children and Parents

In this week's episode of the Demystifying Mental Toughness Podcast #274, we focus in on the control and challenge measures from Professor Peter Clough's 4C's model of Mental Toughness.   David highlights how US tennis player Danielle Collins' managed fans heckling at the Australian Open to aid her performance.   Insightful guests, Sport Psychologists, World Champion Athletes and Olympians also offer tips: where they focus on self-care for perfectionists, emphasise why getting clarity on your "why" is important, stressing present-moment awareness and a lot more. Key Learning Points: ·         Incorporate self-care practices, such as taking breaks from screens, doing breathwork, or a gratitude practice to aid your emotional control. ·         Danielle Collins showed a degree of emotional control and a sense of humour to turn negative fan comments into motivation, rather than letting them affect her performance. ·         Many driven athletes can take things too seriously impacting their emotional control and ability to challenge themself. ·         Play the observation game to improve your awareness of behaviours that you carry out, focusing on your reactions, inadvertently the outcome can then be improved performance. ·         To help children in sort, parents should lead with love and care, avoiding pointing out flaws, focusing on positive reinforcement. Connect with David Charlton Join David @ The Sports Psychology Hub Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIN Relevant Podcast Episodes To Help You Improve Your Control and Challenge Levels as Relayed in Episode 274 Ep172: Brandon Epstein – Working With Your Subconscious Mind To Achieve Better Results Ep168: Andrew Simpson – How To Navigate Youth Sports So That Children Enjoy The Experience More Ep162: Sun Sachs & Ed Gibbins: How to Find a Flow State to Improve Your Performance Ep099: Trevor Jones – How to Deal with Overthinking on the Golf Course Ep083: Billy Schwer – Life Lessons from a World Champion Boxer Ep081: Stuart Wade – Mental Toughness in Combat Sports Ep033: Aly Dixon – Mental Toughness Lessons from a World Champion Ep013: Karl Morris – How to Stay Present like a Major Champion Ep017: Gio Valiante – How to Play Fearless Golf Other Valuable Resources To Help You Improve Your Control and Challenge Levels Challenge Podcasts Bravery Podcasts Emotional Control Podcasts Emotional Control Blogs Emotional Intelligence Blogs Emotional Regulation Blogs

The "Demystifying Mental Toughness" podcast episode #273, hosted by David Charlton, features insights from various team sports coaches and athletes, on commitment and confidence.  Key points include the importance of individual motivation in team sports, maintaining a balance in life, and the necessity of standing out in training and matches.  Guests emphasize the need for authenticity and surrounding oneself with positive influences, as well as many other great points. Key Learning Points: ·         Prioritize your own performances and progress, saying no to activities that are incompatible with your development. ·         A combination of confidence and commitment characteristics can lead to optimistic and challenging goal-setting. ·         To overcome fear and procrastination you could chunk down, planning goals in small steps towards your larger goals. ·         Cultivate a brave and determined mindset when it comes to goal-setting, where failure is not an option. Connect with David Charlton Join David @ The Sports Psychology Hub Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIN Relevant Podcast Episodes To Help You Improve Your Commitment and Confidence Levels as Relayed in Episode 273 Ep104: Seb De Chaves –  The Psychological Demands of Elite Professional Rugby Ep091: Jarrod Leathem -  How to Transfer Your Cricket Skills to Matches Ep077: Danny Thomas – Before, During and After Professional Football Ep072 Tom Jones: Mastering the Mental Side of Cricket Ep043: Jamie Forrester – Thriving in Professional Football Ep029: Lome Faatau – How to Play Professional Rugby with Confidence Ep018: Kieron Brady – From Professional Football to Alcoholism Consultant Ep007: Toby Flood –  How Elite Athletes Mentally Prepare Ep003: Peter Ramage – Developing a Premier League Mindset Other Valuable Resources To Improve Your You Improve Your Commitment and Confidence Levels Podcasts for Sport Coach Development Cricket Psychology Resources Goalkeeping Psychology Resources Hockey Psychology Resources Rugby Psychology Resources Soccer Psychology Resources

Today's podcast episode #272, focuses on helping coaches develop themselves and improve their relationships with their athletes, in turn, positively influencing performances.  Many different guests from the Demystifying Mental Toughness Podcast emphasize the following points when considering self-improvement: sport coaches should be open-minded, focus on continuous learning and film themselves frequently.  In developing their athletes: the importance of high support in coaching, understanding athletes have lives outside of sport, adapting their communication to athletes different learning styles and process-oriented coaching are also touched on, as well as a lot more. Key Learning Points: ·       Develop a psychosocial plan for your athletes/players and consider how to deliver it in a language they can understand and engage with. ·       As a coach, start where you are, considering your skills and personality and look to make the environment better. ·       When coaching focus on developing all aspects, including the psychological, biomechanical, technical and tactical, to help athletes fall in love with their role. ·       When coaching film yourself regularly and review the footage to understand how you are interacting with athletes/players. ·       Focus on the process, not just the outcome, and help athletes stay committed to the process, especially under pressure. Connect with David Charlton Join David @ The Sports Psychology Hub Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIN Relevant Podcast Episodes To You Help You Become A Better Sport Coach as Relayed in Episode 272 Ep249: Dr Edward Hall – Understanding Workplace Collaboration In Coaching In Team Sports Ep209: Felix Lehmann – How To Create Better Decision Makers On The Football Pitch Ep166: Mark Bennett MBE – How To Help Athletes and Coaches Reflect On Their Performances Ep165: Andy Elleray – How To Master the Mental Challenges Goalkeeping Throws at You EP147: Aaron Walsh – The Application of Mental Performance Coaching in Elite Professional Rugby Ep105: Hannah Bromley – Overcoming Psychological Challenges in Professional Women's Football Ep096: Gary Curneen – Developing Mentally Strong Footballers Ep094: Professor Adam Nicholls – How to Develop Mentally Strong Rugby Players Ep093: Dan Abrahams – How to Overcome Mental Blocks in Football Ep087: Carl Bell – From Professional Football and Goalkeeping to Physiotherapy Ep039: John Fletcher – How to Develop Fearless Athletes Ep027: Natalie Henderson – How to Develop Mental Toughness with Young Footballers Other Valuable Resources To Improve Your Level Of Sport Coaching Podcasts for Sport Coach Development Cricket Psychology Resources Goalkeeping Psychology Resources Hockey Psychology Resources Rugby Psychology Resources Soccer Psychology Resources

Happy New Year! Why not make 2025 one of your best years to date? To do so if you focus some attention on improving your mental toughness by creating better routines and habits you can give yourself a great chance.  In this NEW episode, a number of our excellent guests offer many helpful and inspiring suggestions.  Points of note relate to understanding the stories that you tell yourself about certain situations, events and abilities, how to find your passion and purpose, being authentic and true to yourself, considering who you surround yourself with and many more things.  Key Learning Points: ·         Reflect on your own narrative and find ways to make it more empowering. ·         Create a real and imaginary "board of directors" of mentors and inspirational figures to provide guidance. ·         Identify your routines and habits, how you spend your time, and make relevant adjustments. ·         Embrace fear and use it as a tool for growth. ·         Identify and manage your character traits that can hold you back. ·         Prioritise personal development and spend time working on yourself. Connect with David Charlton Join David @ The Sports Psychology Hub Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIN Relevant Podcast Episodes To Improve Your Mental Toughness as Relayed in Episode 271 Ep001: Doug Strycharczyk – The Importance of Mental Toughness Ep028: Peter Clough MBE – Why is Mental Toughness Important? Ep035: Dr John Perry – Thrive, Don't Just Survive 2021 Ep037: Penny Mallory – World Class Thinking, World Class Behaviour Ep041: Paul McGee – How to Develop Interpersonal Confidence Ep065: Dr Amy Izycky – Encouraging Mentally Healthy Cultures in Sport Ep066: Marilyn Okoro – Mental Health and Resilience: Lessons from an Olympic Medalist Ep068: Andrew Nicholson – How Hard Is It To Become A Tour Professional Golfer?  Ep075: Grant Phyphers – How to Rebuild Your Identity Ep098: Jon Bartlett – Do You Know Your Why? Ep113: Polly Brennan – The Relationship Between Mental Fitness, Mental Health and Mental Toughness Ep213: Sandro Forte – How To Set Yourself Up For Success In 2024? Ep250: Ruth Chiles and Alessia Bruno Optimising Your Potential By Understanding Your Nervous System Better Other Valuable Resources To Improve Your Mental Toughness Resilience in Sport Blogs Resilience in Sport Podcasts Mental Toughness in Sport Podcasts Mental Toughness in Sport Blogs

In today's podcast episode #270, many of our fabulous guests share some tips so that you can build your mental fortitude and consistently perform well in 2025.  Key points relate to rest, recovery and well-being where they identify; managing fatigue, nasal breathing, the importance of rest days, nutrition, hydration, cold water and much more to ensure you attack the new year.  If you're looking to get into good habits and maintain optimal well-being and performance this podcast episode is a must to listen to. Key Learning Points: ·         Identify the types of fatigue that you are susceptible to and develop a plan to address it. ·         Keep a training diary to track how you are feeling day-to-day. ·         Ensure you are taking regular rest days and incorporating activities to nurture your well-being. ·         The importance of staying hydrated cannot be understated. ·         Incorporate cold exposure, such as cold showers, to aid recovery. ·         Circadian rhythms and the importance of sleep for growth and regeneration should be factored in. Connect with David Charlton Join David @ The Sports Psychology Hub Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIN Relevant Podcast Episodes To Build Your Mental Fortitude as Relayed in Episode 270 Ep015: Nick Grantham – Essential Elements of Rest and Recovery Ep037: Penny Mallory – World Class Thinking, World Class Behaviour Ep065: Dr Amy Izycky – Encouraging Mentally Healthy Cultures in Sport Ep046: Kate Mackay – Why Snowboarding is a Metaphor for Life Ep113: Polly Brennan – The Relationship Between Mental Fitness, Mental Health and Mental Toughness Ep138: Nick Littlehales – Why do the Mentally Tough see Sleep and Recovery as Important Ep210: Anna Parker-Naples - Why Breathwork is so Powerful - Sports Psychology Ep214: Ellen McDermott – How To Create Helpful Eating Habits To Benefit Your Sport Performance Ep215: Fenwick Ridley – How Ice Swimming And Cold Immersion Can Help You Take Control Of Your Destiny Other Valuable Resources To Build Your Mental Fortitude  Resilience in Sport Blogs Resilience in Sport Podcasts Mental Toughness in Sport Podcasts Confidence in Sport Blogs Mental Health Blogs  

In episode #269 David addresses the question, “What Can I Expect When Working With A Sport Psychologist” for the final time as this episode marks the end of an 8 part series.  This time he focuses on the following statements “Performance Enhancement: The sports psychologist will help you identify and overcome mental barriers that may be hindering your performance” and “Feedback and Reflection: Expect regular discussions about your progress, experiences in training or competition, and adjustments to your mental training plan.”  David highlights that a high percentage of athletes who contact sports psychologists are reactive often acting on emotion seeking to deal with challenges they are going through.   Whilst proactive clients, especially top performing elite athletes, contact sports psychologists when they are in a good place, seeking continuous improvement and looking to embrace a marginal gains approach.  He concludes by encouraging listeners to reflect on their 2024 achievements, failures, and lessons learned, offering a blog post with additional questions for self-analysis so that you can make 2025 a great year. Key Learning Points One typical challenge athletes bring to sports psychologists, link to not performing at the level that they train at, which can be caused by the need for social approval, perfectionist tendencies, questionable culture and processes at a club or organisation, with fear then kicking in for the athlete. Sharing surprising statistics about elite athletes such as Harry Kane's goal scoring success rate and Trent Alexander-Arnold's cross accuracy can help perfectionists recognise how many times elite performers do actually miss or fail, forcing athletes to revisit their own expectations. He shares a case study of a proactive top cricketer who used detailed performance profiling to benchmark and measure progress, therefore challenging them to get out of their comfort zone. A skill of a sports psychologist is to ask athletes great questions so that they go on to assess how they can continually strive to improve their methods and performance levels. Connect with David Charlton Join David @ The Sports Psychology Hub Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIN To Listen to Related Podcasts To Help You Improve Your Performances Next Year Ep264: David Charlton - How to Enhance Focus, Motivation and Confidence Ep260: David Charlton - What Can I Expect When Working With A Sport Psychologist Ep144: Jon Watkins – Mental Strength: What You Can Learn About Resilience From The Special Forces Ep106: Amy Rowlinson – Why is knowing my WHY important? Ep086: David Charlton – Observations: How to Learn from Setbacks Relevant Blogs and Resources To Help You Make Next Year a Great Year Blog: How To Learn From Last Year  Blog: What Did You Learn From Last Year?  Motivation for Sport Quiz Blog: Make Better Decisions to Help Your Sport Performance including VALUES LIST David Charlton, Sport Psychologist: Why I Do What I Do

In today's episode David explores the importance of confidentiality when working as a Sport Psychologist when supporting clients.   He discusses how various environments, such as cafes, public spaces, and formal meeting rooms, can impact a client's comfort and confidentiality.   He also emphasizes the need for tailored settings, considering factors like social anxiety, neurodiversity, and the client's familiarity with the space.   The episode also covers the ethical considerations in working with athletes, including transparency with coaches, the involvement of parents with young clients, and the use of well-known names.  David underlines the significance of confidentiality in building trust and facilitating effective behaviour change development. Key Learning Points: ·         Reminding yourself who is your client when you work as a Sport Psychologist is important especially in organisational settings or when supporting children. ·         Obtain written consent when using well-known names or client reviews for marketing purposes. ·         Establish clear processes when working with clients in an organisational setting. ·         When training to become a fully accredited sports psychologist the importance of maintaining ethical practices is covered in depth. Connect with David Charlton Join David @ The Sports Psychology Hub Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIN To Listen to Related Podcasts To Help You Improve Your Understanding of Sports Psychology Ep260: David Charlton - What Can I Expect When Working With A Sport Psychologist Ep249: Dr Edward Hall - Understanding Workplace Collaboration In Coaching In Team Sports Ep166: Mark Bennett MBE – How To Help Athletes and Coaches Reflect On Their Performances Ep138: Nick Littlehales – Why do the Mentally Tough see Sleep and Recovery as Important Ep065: Dr Amy Izycky – Encouraging Mentally Healthy Cultures in Sport   Relevant Blogs And Resources To Help Your Understanding of Sports Psychology 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: How to Stay Calm as a Coach in Big Matches Blog: 5  Reasons Why Being Released from a Football Academy is Difficult

In episode #267 of Demystifying Mental Toughness, David discusses the role of a Sport Psychologist in helping coaches manage anxiety. He differentiates between state anxiety, which occurs in specific situations, and trait anxiety, a personality trait influenced by factors such as childhood, genetics, trauma and environment.   David goes on to share to insights to aid the understanding of coaches on the topic, with some solutions discussed too. Key Learning Points: ·       State anxiety can be managed through understanding triggers and subsequent thoughts, and behaviours. ·       Trait anxiety may require referrals to clinical or counselling psychologists. ·       Understanding and managing bodily experiences of anxiety, such as heart racing and tension, can help coaches navigate their emotions better. ·       Techniques associated with Self-Compassion Focused Therapy, Acceptance Commitment Therapy and Mindfulness can help coaches stay present and manage their anxieties better. Connect with David Charlton Join David @ The Sports Psychology Hub Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIN To Listen to Related Podcasts To Help You Improve Your Coaching Methods Ep266: David Charlton - How to Help Sports Coaches Cope With Pressure and Stress Better Ep265: David Charlton - How to Help Sports Coaches Self Regulate Their Emotions Ep260: David Charlton - What Can I Expect When Working With A Sport Psychologist Ep249: Dr Edward Hall - Understanding Workplace Collaboration In Coaching In Team Sports Ep166: Mark Bennett MBE – How To Help Athletes and Coaches Reflect On Their Performances Relevant Blogs And Resources To Help You Improve Coaching Methods Stress, Appraisal, and Coping Book : Lazarus PhD, Richard S., Susan Folkman PhD Online Course for Sports Coaches developed by Professor Sophia Jowett – Empowering the athlete: The coach-athlete partnership Anxiety and panic attacks - Mind The Mental Edge - Enhancing Coach-Athlete Relations Blog: How to Stay Calm as a Coach in Big Matches Blog: Helping Confident Coaches Progress

Today David considers the statement: “Coping strategies: You'll develop tools to manage pressure and stress” where he focuses on supporting coaches to improve themselves, and in turn, improve their athletes.  This is a continuation of his examination into ChatGPT and its response to the question “What Can I Expect When Working With A Sport Psychologist.” David shares many insightful thoughts about the topic to be able to support coaches.  With some great questions for coaches to ask themselves. Key Learning Points: How do you want your athletes to behave around your club? Do you as a coach help your athletes mind and body to work in harmony? How can you activate your parasympathetic nervous system more to influence your athletes?  Coach pressures come from managing athletes, senior management, coaching colleagues, sport science staff and parents goals, expectations and personalities and much more. Fear can play a big part and influence coaches; fear of failure, fear of judgement, fear of pain, fear of regret and fear of rejection. Connect with David Charlton Sign Up to The Mental Edge Join David @ The Sports Psychology Hub Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIN To Listen to Related Podcasts To Help You Improve Your Coaching Methods Ep265: David Charlton - How to Help Sports Coaches Self Regulate Their Emotions Ep264: David Charlton- How to Enhance Focus, Motivation and Confidence Ep260: David Charlton - What Can I Expect When Working With A Sport Psychologist Ep249: Dr Edward Hall - Understanding Workplace Collaboration In Coaching In Team Sports Ep166: Mark Bennett MBE – How To Help Athletes and Coaches Reflect On Their Performances Relevant Blogs And Resources To Help You Improve Coaching Methods Stress, Appraisal, and Coping Book : Lazarus PhD, Richard S., Susan Folkman PhD Online Course for Sports Coaches developed by Professor Sophia Jowett – Empowering the athlete: The coach-athlete partnership The Mental Edge - Enhancing Coach-Athlete Relations Blog: How to Stay Calm as a Coach in Big Matches Blog: Helping Confident Coaches Progress

Professor Sophia Jowett's has conducted a lot of research into understanding the interpersonal dynamics between coaches and athletes and is instrumental in raising awareness and changing attitudes around the reciprocity of the relationship and the importance of relational qualities including mutual trust, respect, appreciation, commitment, loyalty, co-operation and collaboration. In today's episode, part 4 of David's investigation into ChatGPT's and its response to the question “What Can I Expect When Working With A Sport Psychologist” he goes on to discuss supporting a coach who receives negative feedback from athletes or players.  The aim is to aid your understanding of applying psychological skills training (PST) techniques such as self- talk, relaxation and visualisation to improve the quality of the coach-athlete relationship, and in turn, positively impact both coaches' and athletes' performance and wellbeing.  There are connections between the points discussed and Jowett's work.  Enjoy tuning in! Key Learning Points: Coaches can benefit from being supported by Sport Psychologists too, not just athletes. As a coach understanding your own emotions and why they occur can benefit your relationships with athletes or players. When you experience negative emotions as a coach does your self-talk become judgemental? Instructional self-talk can benefit coaches to manage situations better. Allowing your self some space to breathe as a coach is useful and can help your behaviour management, as can improving your visualisation skills. Connect with David Charlton Sign Up to The Mental Edge Join David @ The Sports Psychology Hub Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIN To Listen to Related Podcasts To Help You Improve Your Understanding of Sports Psychology Ep161: Paul Phillips – How to Create a Culture of High Performance in Professional Rugby Union Ep166: Mark Bennett MBE – How To Help Athletes and Coaches Reflect On Their Performances Ep180: David Charlton – How To Work With Team Units To Improve Culture In Teams Ep209: Felix Lehmann – How To Create Better Decision Makers On The Football Pitch Ep249: Dr Edward Hall - Understanding Workplace Collaboration In Coaching In Team Sports Relevant Blogs And Resources To Help You Improve Coach Athlete Relationships Online Course for Sports Coaches developed by Professor Sophia Jowett – Empowering the athlete: The coach-athlete partnership The Mental Edge - Enhancing Coach-Athlete Relations Blog: Why You Should Recognise The Power of Your Words Blog: How to Stay Calm as a Coach in Big Matches Blog: Helping Confident Coaches Progress

Ensuring that your focus is placed on helpful things, that you stay motivated during difficult times and that your confidence levels remain steady and intact even when you lose form are seen as vitally important components being a top class athlete. In today's episode, part 3 of David's investigation into ChatGPT's and its response to the question “What Can I Expect When Working With A Sport Psychologist” he goes on to share with you some helpful tools that you can help athletes in this context.  Key Learning Points: Enhancing focus is a skill that can be developed by understanding aspects that are out of your control and to be able to shift your attention purposefully on helpful things/processes that are within your control. A great question to aid your motivation is to go back to the question from time to time – Why do I play my sport? To maintain steady levels of confidence, recognising where you gain confidence from is key. Connect with David Charlton Sign Up to The Mental Edge Join David @ The Sports Psychology Hub Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIN To Listen to Related Podcasts To Help You Improve Your Understanding of Sports Psychology Ep261: David Charlton - Why Are The Sporting Goals That You Set Yourself Not Helping You Ep260 - David Charlton - What Can I Expect When Working With A Sport Psychologist Ep160: Brian Hemmings – Golf Psychology: What You Can Expect and Why It Can Help You Ep146: John Nassoori – What Is The Role Of A Sports Psychologist In Football? Ep111: Michael Caulfield – How to be an Effective Sports Psychologist in Elite Professional Football Relevant Blogs And Resources To Help You Enhance Focus, Motivation and Confidence Motivation for Sport Quiz Download THE FOCUSED ATHLETE CHECKLIST Performance Profile for Long Term Goals Performance Profiling: When You're Looking For A Quick Boost Handout: Marginal Gains Refining Your Approach

Welcome to episode #263 of the Demystifying Mental Toughness podcast. This week's episode features lessons from the world of business and entrepreneurship as well as the military. Psychological well-being, mental health, mental fitness and self care are key topics that are highlighted.  Enjoy! Connect with David Charlton Sign Up to The Mental Edge Join David @ The Sports Psychology Hub Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIN Other Valuable Resources  Sports Psychology Case Studies Resilience in Sport Blogs Performance Anxiety Blogs Communication Skills Blogs Mental Health Blogs Relevant Podcast Episodes in Order and Sequence as Relayed in Episode 263 Ep106: Amy Rowlinson – Why is knowing my WHY important? Ep113: Polly Brennan – The Relationship Between Mental Fitness, Mental Health and Mental Toughness Ep128: Paula Eddy-Wilcox – Can You Show Vulnerability and Be Mentally Tough? Yes! Ep132: Kevin Stansfield – How Lessons from Golf can help with Game of Business Ep133: Christina Flach – Why Mental Toughness is Important: Lessons from Sport, Business and Loss EP138: Nick Littlehales - Why do the Mentally Tough see Sleep and Recovery as Important Ep139: Steve Beharall – Steve Beharall's Journey from Football Coach to CEO Ep143: Lesley Thomas - How Your Money Mindset Influences Your Behaviour Ep114: Tim Bradshaw – Because I Can – How To Get Out Of Your Own Way Ep123: Richard Dorney MBE – Supporting People: What Can You Learn About Resilience From The Military Ep144: Jon Watkins - Mental Strength: What You Can Learn About Resilience From The Special Forces

In episode #262 of Demystifying Mental Toughness due to unforeseen circumstances David includes a large number of inspiring take home messages from guests that originated in episode 100 of the podcast. The takeaways that you will hear relate to the development of mental toughness, how you can deal better with stress and adversity. Coping with trauma and mental health challenges are also key features. Enjoy! Connect with David Charlton Sign Up to The Mental Edge Join David @ The Sports Psychology Hub Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIN Relevant Podcast Episodes in Order and Sequence as Relayed in Episode 262 Ep001: Doug Strycharczyk - The Importance of Mental Toughness Ep028: Peter Clough MBE - Why is Mental Toughness Important? Ep035: Dr John Perry - Thrive, Don't Just Survive 2021 Ep037: Penny Mallory – World Class Thinking, World Class Behaviour Ep002: Steve Judge –  How to Deal with Adversity Ep014: Alessia Bruno – The Yips, Crashes, Trauma in Sport there is hope for Athletes Ep065: Dr Amy Izycky – Encouraging Mentally Healthy Cultures in Sport Ep015: Nick Grantham – Essential Elements of Rest and Recovery Ep066: Marilyn Okoro – Mental Health and Resilience: Lessons from an Olympic Medalist Ep041: Paul McGee – How to Develop Interpersonal Confidence Ep011: Dave Algeo – Mental Toughness, Mental Health and High Performance Ep075: Grant Phyphers – How to Rebuild Your Identity Ep098: Jon Bartlett - Do You Know Your Why? Ep046: Kate Mackay – Why Snowboarding is a Metaphor for Life Ep092: Dr James Hegarty - ACT in Sport, Improving Performance through Mindfulness Ep022: Robbie Thompson – How to Feel More Confident Ep019: Paul Smith – 5000 Consecutive Days Running and Counting Ep048: Natalie Hurdley – How to Build Mental Toughness through Powerlift

In part 2 of David's exploration surrounding ChatGPT's and its response to the question What Can I Expect When Working With A Sport Psychologist, David explores the complexities of goal setting.  ChatGPT suggests setting SMART goals for performance and psychological well-being are part of working with a Sports Psychologist, which he is in agreement with. However, David points out that not all Sports Psychology practitioners are comfortable addressing psychological well-being. He goes on to emphasize the importance of goal ownership, discuss athlete's tendencies to set goals, and the distinction between outcome, performance, and process goals as well as a lot more.  Key Learning Points: Goals are more powerful when they align with your personal core values. Management of the number of goals you set is important to avoid overwhelm. Tools such as the MTQ Plus (Mental Toughness Questionnaire) can assist Sports Psychologists and Coaches to recognise if athletes naturally set goals or not. An athlete who sets goals and an athlete who doesn't set goals should be supported differently. Connect with David Charlton Sign Up to The Mental Edge Join David @ The Sports Psychology Hub Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIN To Listen to Related Podcasts To Help You Improve Your Understanding of Goal Setting Ep217: Chris Cook - How A Marginal Gains Approach Can Help You Perform Better Ep213: Sandro Forte – How To Set Yourself Up For Success In 2024? Ep134: David Charlton – Observations: 3 Things That Stop You Achieving Your Goals Ep098: Jon Bartlett – Do You Know Your Why?  Ep021: Steve Hackney – How to Reach Your Full Potential Relevant Blogs And Resources To Help You Set Better Goals Blog: How to Find Your Why  Blog: How To Learn From Last Year  Blog: What Did You Learn From Last Year?  Blog: Make Better Decisions to Help Your Sport Performance including VALUES LIST  Motivation for Sport Quiz

Today David starts the first of a series of episodes where he looks into ChatGPT's explanations about the field of sport psychology and adds further detail to help inform you.   ChatGPT states “working with a sport psychologist can offer a range of benefits and experiences. Here's what you might expect:  1. Assessment - Initial sessions often involve assessments to understand your mental skills, strengths, and areas for improvement.”  David goes on to add the following points to this explanation. Key Learning Points: When assessing a client needs it is important to consider a range of factors. One tool David uses is the Sport-Clinical Intake Protocol (SCIP) which helps practitioners gain extensive information about the client's life within and outside of their sport.  Factors that it takes into account include (1) the presenting problem, (2) life and athletic history, (3) social support, (4) health status, (5) important life events, (6) changes prior to the onset of the presenting problem, and (7) details of the presenting problem. David explains that quick fixes are not his preferred method and that to creating lasting change multiple sessions are required, varying in length and format depending on the client's needs and the sport.  He also highlights the importance of context and the flexibility required when working in team settings, such as football, cricket or rugby clubs, where interactions can be brief and informal on occasions. Connect with David Charlton Sign Up to The Mental Edge Join David @ The Sports Psychology Hub Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIN To Listen to Related Podcasts To Help You Improve Your Sports Psychology Knowledge Ep253: David Charlton - You MUST get up at 4am to be a SUCCESS Ep219: Brian Hemmings – Golfers: How To Improve Your Putting With A Quiet Eye Approach #BITESIZE Ep169: Professor Adam Nicholls – How To Perform Under Pressure Close To Your Best #BITESIZE Ep092: Dr James Hegarty – ACT in Sport, Improving Performance through Mindfulness Ep017: Gio Valiante – How to Play Fearless Golf Relevant Blogs And Resources To Help You Understand More About Sports Psychology Blog: Motivation vs Commitment | There is a big difference  Blog: Make Better Decisions to Help Your Sport Performance including  Blog: How To Learn From Last Year  Blog: Does Your Warm Up Influence How You Perform? Blog: 12 Reasons Why You Won't Achieve Your Potential Helpful Sports Psychology Resources That Can Help You Improve Your Approach  Driscolls Model of Reflection Gibbs Reflective Cycle Performance Profile for Long Term Goals Performance Profiling: When You're Looking For A Quick Boost Handout: Marginal Gains Refining Your Approach

In episode 259 of the Demystifying Mental Toughness Podcast, David discusses why thinking that you must feel confident to perform well is unhelpful.  He uses getting in an ice bath as an analogy to illustrate the mindset of athletes who believe they must feel confident to perform well.  He argues that this belief is unrealistic due to the unpredictable nature of sports.  David references Novak Djokovic's admission of getting ahead of himself, highlighting that even top athletes experience doubts.  He emphasizes that emotions fluctuate, and athletes often have negative thoughts, with 80% of our daily thoughts being negative.   David concludes that acceptance of varying emotions and performance is crucial, as athletes can still excel despite feeling anxious or tired. Key Learning Points: Athletes have a tendency to draw on past experiences of feeling confident to predict future success. The average person has around 70,000-80,000 thoughts per day, with about 80% of them being negative, making it unrealistic to think positive all of the time. How many times have you played well after a poor warm up or following a disappointing last performance. Connect with David Charlton Sign Up to The Mental Edge Join David @ The Sports Psychology Hub Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIN To Listen to Related Podcasts To Help You Improve Your Confidence Ep251: David Charlton - How To View Big Events As A Challenge  Ep248: Trevor Jones - Embracing Fear And The Dreaded Yips  Ep167: Karl Morris – How To Manage Your Emotions To Improve Your Golf Ep110: Dan Steele – How to Increase Mental Fortitude: Secrets from an Olympian Ep092: Dr James Hegarty – ACT in Sport, Improving Performance through Mindfulness Relevant Resources To Help You Improve Your Confidence Blog: 9 Tips for Children from Olympians Blog: How To Play Well When You Aren't Feeling Great Blog: Does Your Warm Up Influence How You Perform? Blog: Why You Should Meditate To Improve Your Sport Performance? Blog: 12 Reasons Why You Won't Achieve Your Potential Handout: Marginal Gains Refining Your Approach

A common goal when supporting attacking football or soccer players, is overcoming mental blocks when dribbling with the ball in football. This is the topic David discusses in this week's Demystifying Mental Toughness podcast. He goes on to share's 3 tips to help attacking players overcome such issues with anxiety and confidence, tension, and the tendency to play it safe.  Key Learning Points: Elite Professional footballers are not immune to mental blocks. Keeping a journal, noting down positive moments on the ball, how you think, feel and act can help you recreate the movements in your mind. Use your time online wisely, study the best dribblers such as Messi and Neymar and practice these skills to build muscle memory.  Visualise yourself ahead of matches and training to mentally prepare yourself for different situations to reduce the fear of failure.  Childlike feelings that link to playfulness and fun when playing can benefit you. Connect with David Charlton Sign Up to The Mental Edge Sign up to The X-FACTOR  regular emails helping football and soccer players to get the most from their talent   Join David @ The Sports Psychology Hub Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIN Check out our library of content supporting football and soccer players and coaches  Football and soccer blogs to browse: Football Psychology Tips: Where Do You Place Your Attention? Why Football Can Improve The Mental Toughness Of Your Children? Sports Coach Psychology Tips: How to Stay Calm as a Coach in Big Matches Soccer Psychology Tips: Why You Should Recognise The Power of Your Words 5 Coaching Tips to Develop Mentally Tough Footballers Football and soccer podcasts to listen to: How To Help Footballers Ensure That They Keep Their Foot On The Pedal When Their Team Is Winning How To Help Footballers Play To Their Optimum In Big Matches How To Help Footballers Manage Their Expectations How To Help Footballers Who Struggle With Fear Of Failure How To Help Footballers Who Put Too Much Pressure On Themselves

In episode 257 of the Demystifying Mental Toughness Podcast, David discusses pre-shot routines in sport. With an emphasis on golf, and the importance of a personalised routine to enhance performance. Key elements include the decision making process, assessing one's state of mind, taking practice swings in a purposeful way, visualizing the shot, focusing on the target, focusing your attention ahead of execution and the use of trigger words. Key Learning Points: Write down key steps of your personal pre-shot routine to improve your understanding. Routines need practice and rehearsal if you are going to take them into competitive environments successfully. Using trigger words that direct your attention towards timing can be beneficial like "smooth swing", "commit" or “trust” to enhance focus.  As humans we can get comfortable quickly therefore adjusting your approach from time to time is important to guard against complacency and to improve focus The approach discussed is applicable to various sports, not just golf. Connect with David Charlton Sign Up to The Mental Edge Join David @ The Sports Psychology Hub Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIN To Listen to Golf Related Podcasts Ep017: Gio Valiante - How to Play Fearless Golf Ep101: Compilation – 25 Mental Game Secrets to Improve Your Golf Ep118: Dr Bob Winters – How to Help Golfers Overcome their Mental Game Challenges To Listen to Other Podcasts to Help You Improve Your Decision Making Ep254: David Charlton - How Can I Perform Better More Consistently? Ep250: Ruth Chiles and Alessia Bruno – Optimising Your Potential By Understanding Your Nervous System Better Ep210: Anna Parker-Naples – Why Breathwork is so Powerful Relevant Blogs And Resources To Help Your Judgement Blog: Motivation vs Commitment | There is a big difference  Blog: Make Better Decisions to Help Your Sport Performance including  Blog: Does Your Warm Up Influence How You Perform? Helpful Resources To Help Your Decision Making   Driscolls Model of Reflection Performance Profiling: When You're Looking For A Quick Boost Handout: Marginal Gains Refining Your Approach

In this podcast episode, David focuses on the emotional control aspect of mental toughness.  Where he discusses the emotional states that children may experience before and during competitions and matches.  He shares a personal story about his son's first competitive league football match, highlighting the typical nervousness and arousal levels children and parents experience.  David also emphasises the fact children have an immature brain and draws on psychological research which highlights the need for parents and coaches to adopt a calm, patient and supportive approach, recognising they act as a role model and that children easily pick up on their behaviours and reactions.   Key Learning Points: It's important for parents, parent-coaches and coaches to reflect and recognise the emotional state and arousal levels their children and players experience before and during competitive events and matches, as well as their own levels of arousal and how this can impact their children and players. It's possible to consider ways to make the experience calmer for children, listening to their needs and wishes before and during competitions and matches.  For some children, allowing them to use electronic devices, bringing a comfort item in the car, or avoiding discussions about their sport can be useful ideas. Arguably, focusing on highlighting your child's strengths and positive experiences when providing advice or support is more beneficial before and during a match, than overwhelming them with too much information, especially negatives. Connect with David Charlton Sign Up to The Mental Edge Join David @ The Sports Psychology Hub Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIN To Listen to Related Podcasts To Help Children In Sport Ep250: Ruth Chiles and Alessia Bruno - Optimising Your Potential By Understanding Your Nervous System Better Ep176: Prof Camilla Knight - How To Help Enhance The Psychological Wellbeing Of Children In Sport #BITESIZE Ep122: Prof Camilla Knight – Helping Your Children Get The Most From Their Sporting Experiences Ep082: David Charlton – Supporting Children in Sport with Positive Feedback Ep049: James Maurice – How Does Sport Psychology in Elite Football Academies Help  Blogs And Case Studies To Support Children In Sport Blog 3 Tips to Help Children Enjoy Their Sport Blog: Pre Match Tips for Parents Blog: How does Counselling work in Professional Sport? Blog: 5 Reasons Why Being Released from a Football Academy is Difficult Case Study: How to Cope with Performance Anxiety in Gymnastics Case Study: Supporting a Young Footballer to Overcome His Fears Relevant Resources in Supporting Sporting Children Sports Psychology Resources for Youth Sport (Blogs, Podcasts, Video's) Sport Psychology for Children and Parents  Child and Youth Motivation for Sport Quiz Parent Motivation for Sport Quiz

In episode 255 of the Demystifying Mental Toughness Podcast, David discusses the fear of rejection, particularly in the context of how it can hinder sport performance.  He shares personal experiences of overcoming this fear, emphasizing its prevalence in sports and life.   David offers three tips to manage the fear of rejection; 1) viewing it as part of the game, 2) practicing self-compassion, and 3) recognizing that rejection does not define your identity.  Key Learning Points: The fear of rejection can link to a fear of being rejected by new teammates, a fear of being rejected by a coach (being dropped, substituted, criticised, asked to play a different position or released)  With rejection come difficult and uncomfortable emotions that people experience. Fear of rejection can manifest itself physically in our body and is different for everybody.  It can mess with our decision making, rhythm and motor skills.  Connect with David Charlton Sign Up to The Mental Edge Join David @ The Sports Psychology Hub Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIN To Listen to Related Podcasts To Help You Overcome Fear Ep252: David Charlton - Helping Out Of Contract Professional Footballers  Ep248: Trevor Jones - Embracing Fear And The Dreaded Yips  Ep250: Ruth Chiles and Alessia Bruno - Optimising Your Potential By Understanding Your Nervous System Better Ep210: Anna Parker-Naples – Why Breathwork is so Powerful Ep207: Nicole Posner - And Breathe: How To Prevent, Manage and Master Difficult Conversations Relevant Resources to Help You Overcome Fear  Blog: 3 Tips to deal with bullying in sport Blog: Why You Should Recognise The Power of Your Words Blog: How Coaches Can Help Athletes Deal with Mistakes Blog: 5 Ways To Create A Psychological Safe Sporting Environment Blog: How Mentally Healthy is Your Clubs Sporting Environment The Mental Edge – How to Assert Yourself so That Other People Don't Throw You Off Your Game The Mental Edge – How to Improve The Skills of Team Captains

Do you welcome challenges and see them as an opportunity to learn? Or do you rarely adapt your routines and fall into the trap of making the same mistakes? In order to make performance break throughs or simply perform at a more consistent level it's important to see yourself as a “learner.”  To look in the mirror and assess the decisions that you are making.  To do so working on your mental game and seeking the support of a well qualified Sport Psychologist can hugely help you.   Key Learning Points: When evaluating your performances looking at things holistically, considering all angles (technical, tactical, social, lifestyle, physical and psychological) is essential. The psychological side underpins all of the decisions that we make in each area. How important is the psychological side for you to perform better, more consistently? People often don't work with a Sport Psychologist because they get comfortable working in certain ways, fear of the unknown or a lack of education on how we can help. Connect with David Charlton Sign Up to The Mental Edge Join David @ The Sports Psychology Hub Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIN To Listen to Related Podcasts To Help You Perform Better  Ep253: David Charlton - You MUST get up at 4am to be a SUCCESS Ep250: Ruth Chiles and Alessia Bruno - Optimising Your Potential By Understanding Your Nervous System Better Ep214: Ellen McDermott – How To Create Helpful Eating Habits To Benefit Your Sport Performance Ep213: Sandro Forte – How To Set Yourself Up For Success In 2024? Ep210: Anna Parker-Naples – Why Breathwork is so Powerful Relevant Blogs And Resources To Help You Perform Better  Blog: Motivation vs Commitment | There is a big difference  Blog: Make Better Decisions to Help Your Sport Performance including  Blog: How To Learn From Last Year  Blog: Does Your Warm Up Influence How You Perform? Blog: 12 Reasons Why You Won't Achieve Your Potential Helpful Resources To Help You Perform Better  Driscolls Model of Reflection Gibbs Reflective Cycle Performance Profile for Long Term Goals Performance Profiling: When You're Looking For A Quick Boost Handout: Marginal Gains Refining Your Approach

If you were to get up at 4am every morning, never had a day off and dedicated your life to one cause or goal would you be fully effective?  David Charlton goes on to discuss how working hard means different things to different people.  How overworking can equal poor decision making.  He goes on to share the importance of self-care and being proactive about taking breaks to help people maintain perspective.      Key Learning Points: Commitment is a big factor in being mentally tough though has its downsides. Motivational quotes, short videos and reels created by influencers can be very unhelpful and can be taken out of context by some people lessening their chances of reaching their goals. As a sport psychologist you can be equally effective supporting athletes and coaches working in their sporting environment as you can away from it. If you'd like to take David up on the offer of hiking a hill in the Lake District and discussing how you can improve your chances of success feel free to email info@sport-excellence.co.uk  Connect with David Charlton Sign Up to The Mental Edge Join David @ The Sports Psychology Hub Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIN To Listen to Related Podcasts To Help You Be More Successful in the Long Term Ep015: Nick Grantham – Essential Elements of Rest and Recovery Ep138: Nick Littlehales – Why do the Mentally Tough see Sleep and Recovery as Important Ep166: Mark Bennett MBE – How To Help Athletes and Coaches Reflect On Their Performances  Ep214: Ellen McDermott - How To Create Helpful Eating Habits To Benefit Your Sport Performance Ep215: Fenwick Ridley - How Ice Swimming And Cold Immersion Can Help You Take Control Of Your Destiny Relevant Blogs And Resources To Help You Succeed Blog: Motivation vs Commitment | There is a big difference  Blog: Make Better Decisions to Help Your Sport Performance including  Blog: How To Learn From Last Year  Blog: Does Your Warm Up Influence How You Perform? Blog: 12 Reasons Why You Won't Achieve Your Potential   Helpful Resources To Help You Be Successful Driscolls Model of Reflection Gibbs Reflective Cycle Performance Profile for Long Term Goals Performance Profiling: When You're Looking For A Quick Boost Handout: Marginal Gains Refining Your Approach   You MUST get up at 4am to be a SUCCESS David Charlton Demystifying Mental Toughness Inspiring Sporting Excellence Ltd https://www.sport-excellence.co.uk/demystifying-mental-toughness-podcast/ https://demystifyingmentaltoughness.libsyn.com/rss

David Charlton discusses the psychological impact on professional footballers who are out of contract, a common issue in the summer months. These players face financial and emotional uncertainty, often without support from their former clubs. The loss of identity and routine can lead to a grief cycle, including denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance. David emphasises how a Sports Psychologist can help professional footballers in these circumstances setting new goals, processing difficult emotions and providing a listening ear. Key Learning Points: Self-esteem and self-confidence can be impacted greatly when professional footballers are released. Often players are treated poorly by clubs and communication is lacking. In such situations it's often the case that mental toughness is developed through experience. The grief cycle is similar to an emotional rollercoaster that many professional football players experience with no set pattern. Connect with David Charlton Sign up to The X-FACTOR  regular emails helping football and soccer players to get the most from their talent   Join David @ The Sports Psychology Hub Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn Check out our library of content supporting football and soccer players and coaches 

The Olympics in Paris has recently finished and produced some remarkable performances from many different athletes.  Yet for some this Olympics was underwhelming where they may have come away with many “what if” thoughts. In today's short solo episode I discuss preparation for big events like the Olympics and the importance of a challenge mindset for you to perform well. Key Learning Points: Adopting a threat mindset will ensure that it is much harder for athletes to succeed in big events. A threat mindset is when fear of failure, fear of not being perfect or fear of success can interrupt an athlete's flow. Mental preparation is key, where athletes should plan ahead and get clear on how they can help themselves get their mind and body ready to compete in the hours, days and weeks building up to big events or matches. Connect with David Charlton Sign Up to The Mental Edge Join David @ The Sports Psychology Hub Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn To Listen to Olympics Related Podcasts To Help You Perform At Your Best Ep110: Dan Steele - How to Increase Mental Fortitude: Secrets from an Olympian Ep140: Chris Cook – How to Improve Your Mental Strength: Secrets from an Olympian To Listen to Related Podcasts To Help You Prepare Well Ep015: Nick Grantham – Essential Elements of Rest and Recovery Ep138: Nick Littlehales – Why do the Mentally Tough see Sleep and Recovery as Important Ep214: Ellen McDermott - How To Create Helpful Eating Habits To Benefit Your Sport Performance Ep215: Fenwick Ridley - How Ice Swimming And Cold Immersion Can Help You Take Control Of Your Destiny Relevant Blogs And Resources To Help You Prepare for Big Events Better Blog: 9 Tips for Children from Olympians Blog: How To Play Well When You Aren't Feeling Great Blog: Does Your Warm Up Influence How You Perform? Blog: Why You Should Meditate To Improve Your Sport Performance? Blog: 12 Reasons Why You Won't Achieve Your Potential Handout: Marginal Gains Refining Your Approach

In today's episode I welcomed Ruth Chiles and Dr Alessia Bruno back on the show, where they discuss helping individuals achieve their hidden potential.  They do by using brainspotting, a powerful approach that works by identifying, processing and releasing core neurophysiological sources of emotional/body pain, trauma, dissociation and a variety of other challenging symptoms. In our conversation we go on to chat about secure early attachment and its impact on brain development, intergenerational transmission of traits and how it relates to performance issues, emotional regulation is widely talked about too and how you can incorporate awareness of your nervous system through focused exercises and routines. The challenges of pressure and perfectionism with athletes and performers were touched on too, with a focus on the importance of trust, creativity, and joy in what we choose to take part in. Key Learning Points Parents' emotional regulation impacts children's brain development. Parents' legacy of trauma is passed down to child through their nervous system. Attachment and attunement are crucial for performance, as underlying issues can impact current trauma and developmental trauma. Child's brain development is discussed, including prefrontal cortex and autonomic nervous system. Coaches can help athletes by teaching them techniques to be present in their body during training and competitive events. Coaches should prioritize supporting and developing individuals, not just focusing on the performer or athlete. Connect with Alessia Bruno and Ruth Chiles Alessia Bruno Website Ruth Chiles Website Ruth Chiles on YouTube The Flow Model Program Connect with David Charlton Sign Up to The Mental Edge Join David @ The Sports Psychology Hub Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn Relevant Podcast Episodes To Help You Optimise Your Potential Ep012: 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 Ep142: Alessia Bruno – Is Striving for Perfection a Good Thing in Gymnastics? Ep156: Ruth Chiles – There is Hope: How to Overcome Focal Dystonia Ep170: David Charlton - How To Help Perfectionists With Their Mental Approach Relevant Blogs To Help You Reach Your Potential Blog: Helping a Critical Child When You're a Parent Blog: How to Support an Angry Young Athlete Why You Should Meditate To Improve Your Sport Performance? Overcoming Perfectionism Blogs Optimising Your Potential Blogs

Today's conversation revolves around the challenges of collaboration in coaching in team sports.  Where Assistant Professor Dr Edward Hall and I discuss research and practical applications.  Points that we touch on include coaches' relationships, preparation and planning in order to foster a culture of trust, loyalty, and accountability. Key Learning Points: Winning is hugely important in a high performance context and is a huge driver when designing training sessions and creating key performance indicators. There is a huge need for coaches to work together collectively to achieve organisational goals, parking their own ego's and motivations. Coaches can fear competition, limited job opportunities, job safety and short-term contracts, which go on to lead in Machiavellian behaviours. Preparation is key to collective work, with a cyclical approach to planning and preparation helpful. Sport coaches should be careful, prudent, and honest in their deliberations before and after practice to maximize athlete engagement and performance. Connect with Edward Hall Edward Hall @ Northumbria University Connect with David Charlton Sign Up to The Mental Edge Join David @ The Sports Psychology Hub Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn To Listen to Podcasts To Help Sport Coaches Ep248: David Charlton Gets Grilled By Tom Jones Ep227: David Charlton - How To Improve Football Coaches And Player Relationships Ep224: Aaron Walsh - How To Help Professional Rugby Players Perform Better Under Pressure Ep094: Professor Adam Nicholls – How to Develop Mentally Strong Rugby Players Ep039: John Fletcher – How to Develop Fearless Athletes Relevant Helpful Resources To Improve Sport Coaches Self Determination Theory Website with Deci And Ryan Task-Oriented vs People-Oriented Leadership Styles: Characteristics, Advantages and Disadvantages Blog – Playing Rugby at Your Best Under Pressure Blog – 5 Ways to Create a Psychological Safe Sporting Environment

The “yips” is a word that strikes fear into many golfers, cricketers, darts players and many other performers.   With the yips, comes huge emotional and physiological responses.  Lack of enjoyment, and often thoughts about and decisions to quit your chosen sport or pastime.  It doesn't have to be that way however as Trevor Jones a PGA Professional Golf Coach and Mental Performance Coach and I discuss in this episode.  We go on to talk about leaning into your fears, embracing discomfort,  Acceptance Commitment Therapy or Training (ACT) and mindfulness to help golfers and performers.    Key Learning Points: The yips is a significant problem which can escape into other areas of your sport and life. The practice of "dropping anchor" remaining still for extended periods can help you remain present. Consider what values would make enduring discomfort worthwhile as motivation to regularly practice exercises of this type. Explore ways of incorporating mindfulness techniques into other areas of your life to build mental flexibility. The still lake exercise is a helpful technique to find flow. Connect with Trevor Jones Instagram Watch Professor Steven C Hayes discussing performance psychology from an ACT perspective with Trevor Jones Website | Aware Performance Group LLC Connect with David Charlton Sign Up to The Mental Edge Join David @ The Sports Psychology Hub Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn To Listen To Golf or Yips Related Podcast Episodes To Help You Ep012: Alessia Bruno – The Yips, Crashes, Trauma in Sport there is hope for Athletes Ep099: Trevor Jones – How to Deal with Overthinking on the Golf Course Ep167: Karl Morris – How To Manage Your Emotions To Improve Your Golf Ep101: Compilation - 25 Mental Game Secrets to Improve Your Golf Ep156: Ruth Chiles - There is Hope: How to Overcome Focal Dystonia For More Resources so You Can Shoot Lower Scores on The Golf Course Golfers Mental Scorecard Golf Psychology FAQs Golf Blogs Golf Podcasts

In today's episode, I chat with Tom Jones, the founder of Cricket Coach 365 and the University of Manchester Men's Cricket First Team Coach.  Tom goes on to ask me many questions about mental toughness, the role of the environment, how we can help cricketers play to the best of their ability more often and a whole lot more.  By listening to this episode you'll learn more about how I work as a Sports Psychologist, and my thoughts on how cricket coaches can better support their players.   Key Learning Points: As a coaches seek to understand your players have environmental preferences that help or hinder their focus and concentration. Music can be a positive warm up tool for some cricketers however individual needs should be respected. Coaches should tread with caution when you mention the words “YOU MUST WORK HARD.” All players are coachable despite what many people assume. Playing and coaching cricket is awash with changing emotions that can have a huge influence on decision making. Connect with Tom Jones LinkedIn Instagram Website Connect with David Charlton Sign Up to The Mental Edge Join David @ The Sports Psychology Hub Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIN Relevant podcasts with a focus in cricket Ep072: Tom Jones – Mastering the Mental Side of Cricket Ep091: Jarrod Leathem – How to Transfer Your Cricket Skills to Matches Ep221: Jeremy Snape – How To Use Pre Performance Routines When The Pressure Is On #BITESIZE For More Resources for Cricketers Blog - Make Bowling Simple by Avoiding these 3 Common Mental Game Errors Blog - Being an Intelligent Batsman can be a Problem Blog - Batting with a Quiet Mind

Emma Raducanu is a great example of someone whose career was on an upward trajectory, after winning the US Open tennis championship in 2021, aged 18 years old.  Since then, her career has been dogged with setbacks and challenges.  At Wimbledon this year it was nice to see her perform near to her potential reaching the last 16.  Without knowing the detail of what has happened in Emma's world since her big breakthrough I discuss as a Sport Psychologist the types things we may look at to help athletes such as Emma to rekindle their love for the sport and navigate the challenges that inevitably occur.  You'll note in the episode people are complex and supporting athletes in this way can be multifaceted with their unique experiences, personality, environmental preferences, support network and culture of the sport shaping our support. Key Learning Points: When success arrives an athlete's personal identity can shift a great deal. High and rigid expectations can cause athletes challenges as they come to terms with success. Self-esteem and mental health challenges can occur for some athletes when they don't perform to the standards that they expect of themselves. Sports psychologist often use counselling style approaches to help athletes process difficult experiences and emotions associated with them. Clean language is a helpful too for practitioners to use during this process. Shifting expectations and talk of outcomes to small process goals can be beneficial for athletes to stay grounded and remain present. Visualisation can be a useful tool in rekindling thoughts and feelings associated with being in love with your sport. Connect with David Charlton Sign Up to The Mental Edge Join David @ The Sports Psychology Hub Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn Related resources to help you navigate the challenges that sport provides. Podcast Ep042: Mark Bennett MBE – Characteristics of High Performance Athletes Podcast Ep140: Chris Cook – How to Improve Your Mental Strength: Secrets from an Olympian Podcast Ep186: David Charlton – Intrinsic or Extrinsic Goals: Do You Set Goals That Harm Your Performances? Blog: Are you Motivated or Committed Blog: Developing your Mental Game in your Downtime Blog: How to Set Goals for Netball Success

During the Wimbledon tennis tournament this week there will many players who are faced with great opportunities to win matches yet will struggle to close out victory.   Future thoughts will fill their head about the draw in the next round or the importance of the next point.  Their attention may also flit into the past where they replay key points from other matches that they have played that didn't go their way. In today's episode I talk about fear of success, a common challenge not only for tennis players but for cricketers, footballers, golfers and many other athletes. I go on to share some strategies that can help you. Key Learning Points: Future thoughts about success take you away from the present moment or “The zone”. Thinking about past events or predicting the future is OK, it proves that you are human. The key is recognising your thoughts and accepting them, not allowing them to consume you so that you end up in “judgement mode”. Judgement mode can see athletes get caught out reading too much into their thoughts. Negative thoughts about past situations and thoughts where you try to predict the future can easily turn into tension and naturally rhythm and timing disappears. Even top athletes like Djokovic don't remain present all of the time, however they have great processes and routines to overcome such situations. Connect with David Charlton Sign Up to The Mental Edge Join David @ The Sports Psychology Hub Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn Related Resources to help you manage your emotions better Podcast Ep013: Karl Morris – How to stay present like a major champion Podcast Ep 081: Stuart Wade – Mental Toughness in Combat Sports Mental Edge - How You Can Learn Ways To Perform Better Under Pressure Mental Edge - How To Cope Better With Pressure When You Execute Your Skills Blog: Do You Overthink When You Compete? Blog: 3 Ways to use Visualisation so that You are Mentally Prepared to Win

Currently the European Football Championships are taking place and there has been a lot of talk in the media and with fans about some of England's footballers playing out of position. With many venting their frustration! In today's episode I offer my thoughts as a sport psychologist on the challenges of playing out of position as a player, I talk about the relationship with elements of mental toughness such as confidence in ability, interpersonal confidence, risk orientation and emotional control.  I also go on to offer some ideas for players to consider when they are placed in this situation and for coaches to think about when selecting certain players to play in unfamiliar roles. It's not straightforward for some players as you'll hear in this episode when I talk about the complexities to consider! Key Learning Points: The football or soccer player who is confident in their ability will react to situations without hesitation, seeing and having a feeling of what they wish to do and then executing accordingly. When playing out of position learning new ways of playing, being faced with new situations, different opponents, areas of the pitch you aren't used to playing equals more conscious thoughts are required impacting on how instinctive players will be. Some people are more prone to take risks as part of their personality some are more likely to play things safe, this should be factored in when considering whether someone is likely to succeed when playing out of position. Emotional control is a characteristic that comes naturally to some people and can aid performance, however it can also be difficult for coaches to fully understand you as a player if you fall into this category and are good at hiding your feelings and emotions. Interpersonal confidence can play a part in the coach-player relationship impacting how well the coach can help players integrate into new positions. As a footballer, when playing new positions - do you say to yourself in situations; “I can”, “This is easy”, “I love playing …” or is it more of a challenge where you say to yourself “this is a struggle”, “I can't do…”, “I want to do … but”, “I need to be doing… but” Connect with David Charlton Sign Up to The Mental Edge Sign up to The X-FACTOR  regular emails helping football and soccer players to get the most from their talent  Join David @ The Sports Psychology Hub Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn Check out our library of content supporting football and soccer players and coaches Football and soccer blogs to browse: Football Psychology Tips: Where Do You Place Your Attention? Why Football Can Improve The Mental Toughness Of Your Children? Sports Coach Psychology Tips: How to Stay Calm as a Coach in Big Matches Soccer Psychology Tips: Why You Should Recognise The Power of Your Words 5 Coaching Tips to Develop Mentally Tough Footballers Football and soccer podcasts to listen to: How To Help Footballers Ensure That They Keep Their Foot On The Pedal When Their Team Is Winning How To Help Footballers Play To Their Optimum In Big Matches How To Help Footballers Manage Their Expectations How To Help Footballers Who Struggle With Fear Of Failure How To Help Footballers Who Put Too Much Pressure On Themselves

On Sunday June 16th at Pinehurst Golf Course in North Carolina, Rory McIlroy had a great opportunity to win the US Open and break his 10 year major trophy drought.  Sadly, it didn't happen for him and two missed short putts on holes 16 and 18 in the final round cost him the win. Bryson DeChambeau went on to be the victor. In today's episode I offer my thoughts as a sport psychologist on Rory's misfortunate and share some ideas on how I would help him win the British Open at Royal Troon in one month's time. Key Learning Points: When we're under pressure it's normal to feel uncomfortable. Feeling uncomfortable can mean different things to different people, for some it means butterflies in the stomach and for others it means an overactive imagination. Trying to get to the point of feeling confident is over-rated and unrealistic in some situations. Helping Rory get comfortable being uncomfortable would be something that I would train. Mindfulness is a skill that can be developed that can help athletes manage their arousal levels. Pro-active visualisation, pre-empting difficult situations, shots and emotions at Royal Troon would be something that I would advise. Connect with David Charlton Sign Up to The Mental Edge Join David @ The Sports Psychology Hub Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn To Listen to Golf Related Podcasts To Help You Manage Your Emotions Ep017: Gio Valiante - How to Play Fearless Golf Ep099: Trevor Jones – How to Deal with Overthinking on the Golf Course Ep101: Compilation – 25 Mental Game Secrets to Improve Your Golf Ep167: Karl Morris - How To Manage Your Emotions To Improve Your Golf #BITESIZE Ep241: Dr Bob Winters - How To Cultivate A Limitless Mindset #BITESIZE For More Golf Related Resources so You Can Deal With Pressure Better 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

We're now 4 years on since the creation of the Demystifying Mental Toughness Podcast therefore David Charlton the host of the podcast made the decision to go back to basics and share an important message busting a myth that exists, that resilience and mental toughness are the same concepts.  Today, we go back to the very start of the podcast, where well respected pioneer in the field, Doug Strycharczyk, shares his insights into the differences between mental toughness and resilience in this BITE-SIZED episode taken from the hugely popular episode #1.  David also encourages you to learn more about your own mental toughness and highlights the importance of self-awareness. Key Learning Points: With the wrong attitude you won't use your skills and abilities well. Peter Clough recognised that four key psychological constructs; control, commitment, challenge and confidence (4C's) are at the heart of mental toughness. Resilience and mental toughness are very different concepts. The textbook definition of resilience is “the ability to recover from a situation”, therefore  describing your reaction to something that happens. Mental toughness offers a wider explanation of how we cope with different situations. “Resilience is the element that helps you to survive however mental toughness is the element that enables you to thrive, to make the most of the situation area and come out, hopefully with a bit of a smile on your face.” Connect with Doug Strycharczyk: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dougstrycharczyk/ Email: headoffice@aqr.co.uk https://aqrinternational.co.uk/ Connect with David Charlton Sign Up to The Mental Edge Join David @ The Sports Psychology Hub Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn Relevant Podcast Episodes Explaining Mental Toughness Ep001: Doug Strycharczyk – The Importance of Mental Toughness Ep028: Peter Clough MBE – Why is Mental Toughness Important? Ep050: Doug Strycharczyk, Peter Clough MBE & Dr John Perry - Mental Strength Does Not Guarantee Success Ep201: Dr John Perry and Doug Strycharczyk – Even The Mentally Tough Can Find Things A Struggle Without Self Awareness Other Useful Resources Blog - 5 Reasons team captains should work with a Sports Psychologist Blog – Mental Toughness is a Hugely Valuable Trait Blog – Make Better Decisions to Help Your Sport Performance Blog - 5 Ways to Create a Psychological Safe Sporting Environment

In this BITE-SIZED episode of the Demystifying Mental Toughness Podcast, Dr. Bob Winters, an internationally recognised sport psychologist who has supported US Men's and Women's Open Golf Champions and many other elite professional athletes across a variety of sports joins me.  He goes on to tell me about how champions think and cultivating a limitless mindset by the way that you think. Key Learning Points: How good would you be if you didn't know how good you could be?  How good would you be if you were unrealistic in your thinking? Champions are great at not thinking realistically. Conditional confidence comes from outcomes and results not deep internal confidence. Do you still walk, talk and act like a champion when you play like a chump? Connect with Dr Bob Winters Instagram Website Connect with David Charlton Sign Up to The Mental Edge Join David @ The Sports Psychology Hub Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn To Listen to Golf Related Podcasts Ep017: Gio Valiante - How to Play Fearless Golf Ep101: Compilation – 25 Mental Game Secrets to Improve Your Golf Ep118: Dr Bob Winters – How to Help Golfers Overcome their Mental Game Challenges To Listen to Other Podcasts to Help You Create a Limitless Mindset Ep213: Sandro Forte – How To Set Yourself Up For Success In 2024? Ep215: Fenwick Ridley – How Ice Swimming And Cold Immersion Can Help You Take Control Of Your Destiny Ep217: Chris Cook - How A Marginal Gains Approach Can Help You Perform Better #BITESIZE For More Resources so You Can Shoot Lower Scores on The Golf Course 10 Mental Game Tips from Leading Experts to Improve Your Golf Do you try too hard on the golf course? Psychology of Golf Library Other helpful resources to help you learn how to perform better Handout: Marginal Gains Refining Your Approach Blog: 12 Reasons Why You Won't Achieve Your Potential Blog: 9 Tips for Children from Olympians

Why do athletes work with a Sports Psychologist? One of the biggest reasons is that they struggle to transfer their skills from training to competitive situations.  Which provides the topic for today's episode of the Demystifying Mental Toughness podcast. Former professional basketball player and author Dre Baldwin goes on to tell me his thoughts on why athletes can struggle to compete as well as they practice.  We also share some useful ideas and strategies to help you. Enjoy tuning in! Key Takeaways include: Getting used to trusting your skills in live uncontrolled situations is crucial for success. Understanding that you must respond instinctively to the randomness that sport throws at you is important too. You will get beaten and fail often, this is ok, you'll survive and will learn as a result. Any amount of thinking is overthinking when you are performing.    Fear of trying to be perfect breeds tension and causes your rhythm and timing to go out of sync.  Consider the key ingredients of a great performance, aspects that are within your control and strive to repeat them time and again. Connect with Dre Baldwin: Instagram YouTube Website Connect with David Charlton: Sign Up to The Mental Edge Join David @ The Sports Psychology Hub Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn Helpful Podcast Episodes Ep 039: John Fletcher – How to Develop Fearless Athletes Ep088: Dre Baldwin – How To Play As Well As You Practice Ep093: Dan Abrahams – How to Overcome Mental Blocks in Football Ep209: Felix Lehmann - How To Create Better Decision Makers On The Football Pitch Ep221: Jeremy Snape - How To Use Pre Performance Routines When The Pressure Is On #BITESIZE

Cricket is a unique sport where despite being a team sport it can also be argued to be an individual sport.  One of the biggest challenges is batting and dealing with the aftermath of low scores and the walk of shame.  In this BITE-SIZED episode, Tom Jones, a highly qualified youth cricket coach and owner of Cricket Coach 365 and I discuss mental toughness when batting and offer you advice on how to deal with the pressures that you will likely face. Key Learning Points: As a batter the walk to and from the wicket can be difficult for youngsters especially when they haven't performed well. The ability to come to recognise that you will fail more than you will succeed can help you. When batting understanding what is within your control and what is outside of your control is useful. The closest parallel to batting when you get out, is missing a penalty in football, in a penalty shootout. Catastrophizing as a batter when you perform poorly is very easy – why not ask yourself the question how can I have a positive influence on the rest of the game? Connect with Tom Jones LinkedIn Instagram Website Connect with David Charlton Sign Up to The Mental Edge Join David @ The Sports Psychology Hub Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn Relevant podcasts with a focus in cricket Ep072: Tom Jones – Mastering the Mental Side of Cricket Ep091: Jarrod Leathem – How to Transfer Your Cricket Skills to Matches Ep221: Jeremy Snape – How To Use Pre Performance Routines When The Pressure Is On #BITESIZE Relevant podcasts to help you deal with pressure Ep169: Professor Adam Nicholls - How To Perform Under Pressure Close To Your Best #BITESIZE Ep219: Brian Hemmings - Golfers: How To Improve Your Putting With A Quiet Eye Approach #BITESIZE Ep224: Aaron Walsh – How To Help Professional Rugby Players Perform Better Under Pressure #BITESIZE For More Resources for Cricketers Blog - Make Bowling Simple by Avoiding these 3 Common Mental Game Errors Blog - Being an Intelligent Batsman can be a Problem Blog - Batting with a Quiet Mind

Penny Mallory was the first woman to drive in the world rally championships.  On her way to do so she showed immense commitment to her craft and made lots of sacrifices in pursuit of success.  In this bite-sized episode she goes on to share her secrets and the mentality that took her to the top of her sport. Enjoy tuning in! Key Takeaways: Ambition requires personal sacrifices. Taking risks are necessary to achieve your dreams. There is often a price to pay for committing yourself to your craft. If you set aside 10 minutes each day to work on a particular area in 5 years you would accumulate over 304 hours worth of practice. Where do you waste time when you don't need to? How do you stay energised and refreshed? Connect with Penny Mallory LinkedIn Website Penny's Book - World Class Thinking, World Class Behaviour: Adopt a winning mindset to get what you want Connect with David Charlton Sign Up to The Mental Edge Join David @ The Sports Psychology Hub Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn Useful Podcast Episodes To Improve Your Commitment Levels Ep037: Penny Mallory – World Class Thinking, World Class Behaviour Ep042: Mark Bennett MBE – Characteristics of High Performance Athletes Ep138: Nick Littlehales – Why do the Mentally Tough see Sleep and Recovery as Important Ep214: Ellen McDermott – How To Create Helpful Eating Habits To Benefit Your Sport Performance Ep215: Fenwick Ridley – How Ice Swimming And Cold Immersion Can Help You Take Control Of Your Destiny

Do you ever believe you are your thoughts? Do you often take your thoughts way too seriously?  If so you'll enjoy today's podcast episode as my guest, Keagen Hadley author of Torn: Overcoming the Psychological Challenges Post-ACL Injury talks about using Acceptance Commitment Therapy (ACT) as a potentially helpful solution.  Specifically we discuss cognitive defusion as a way to help you create distance from your thoughts. Key Learning Points: Cognitive Fusion is concerned with the mess our thoughts in relation to our identity can have where our thoughts can often dominate our reality. Examples include; “I am broken”, “I am rubbish…” Mastering cognitive defusion can help you create distance from your thoughts and see things from a fresh perspective. Cognitive defusion goes on to promote psychological flexibility and empowers you to relate to your situation and thought processes with greater openness and adaptability.  One approach you could take to help you is to smile at yourself and your situation as it can help you make peace and shift your perspective. When you perform and see red mist, slowing down, taking a slow walk can also be a useful way to take the sting out of the situation.  Connect with Keagan Hadley LinkedIn Website BOOK: Torn Overcoming Psychological Challenges Post ACL Connect with David Charlton Sign Up to The Mental Edge Join David @ The Sports Psychology Hub Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn To Listen to the Full Podcast Episodes Ep092: Dr James Hegarty – ACT in Sport, Improving Performance through Mindfulness Ep124: Dr Keagan Hadley – Long Term Injuries: How to Confront Difficult Thoughts and Emotions Ep205: Dr Carl Bescoby – Rehabilitation And Returning To Sport: How To Support Injured Athletes Ep235: Trevor Jones - How To Use ACT To Improve Your Coaching In Sport #BITESIZE Ep236: Dr James Hegarty - How To Use ACT and Mindfulness When You've Got Lots Of Time To Think #BITESIZE

In different sports such as golf and cricket, athletes can be placed in situations where they have a lot of thinking time. Too much thinking time for some!  Due to their high level of motivation, focus of attention, fatigue, emotions and many other factors this thinking time can create havoc in their minds. As a result, indecision, fear and self-doubt can take over. In today's episode, Dr James Hegarty, co-author of the book ACT in Sport: Mindfulness, Acceptance and Commitment shares some ideas on how athletes can help themselves so that they don't view this thinking time as a negative and are effective in how they get mentally ready. Psychological flexibility is at the heart of our discussion.    Key Learning Points: All athletes can get caught out thinking ahead predicting future events. As humans, athletes also can easily dwell on past mistakes. Developing psychological flexibility is a hugely beneficial skill to have in your armoury as an athlete. Athletes should practice basic mindfulness of the breath to build a foundation. Cricketers can focus on sensations of the sun or cold wind on their face after dropping a catch to refocus. Mindfulness allows athletes to step away from over-analysing mistakes and get their head back in the game. My challenge for May 2024 is to see if I can dial in and be mindful at least 100 times per golf round of golf I play! I'll report on how I get on. Connect with Dr James Hegarty Website Email: james@hegartyconsulting.co.nz Book – ACT in Sport: Mindfulness, Acceptance and Commitment Connect with David Charlton Sign Up to The Mental Edge Join David @ The Sports Psychology Hub Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn Podcasts Episodes Connect to ACT and Mindfulness 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 Ep205: Dr Carl Bescoby – Rehabilitation And Returning To Sport: How To Support Injured Athletes Ep235: Trevor Jones - How To Use ACT To Improve Your Coaching In Sport #BITESIZE

Many athletes, golfers or people in everyday life take their thoughts too seriously.  They then get caught up overthinking and it causes havoc with their decision making.  In golfing terms, paralysis by analysis can take over, when the pressure is on and the result is often poor shots and missed putts.  And lots of frustration!  In this episode, Trevor Jones a PGA Professional Golf Coach and Mental Performance Coach and I chat about this topic where he shares as a coach how he uses Acceptance Commitment Therapy or Training (ACT) to help golfers and other athletes deal with these challenges.    Key Learning Points: Feeling confident on every shot is unrealistic. All humans experience self-doubt. We all can get ahead of ourselves or get caught out dwelling on past mistakes. Nurturing psychological flexibility is very helpful tool to have in your toolkit. A challenge for you, seek to integrate mindfulness into your everyday life. Connect with Trevor Jones Instagram Watch Professor Steven C Hayes discussing performance psychology from an ACT perspective with Trevor Jones Website | Aware Performance Group LLC Connect with David Charlton Sign Up to The Mental Edge Join David @ The Sports Psychology Hub Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn To Listen To Golf Related Podcast Episodes To Help You Ep099: Trevor Jones – How to Deal with Overthinking on the Golf Course Ep167: Karl Morris – How To Manage Your Emotions To Improve Your Golf Ep228: Gio Valiante – Lessons From Overconfident Golfers That Can Help You Perform Better For More Resources so You Can Shoot Lower Scores on The Golf Course Golfers Mental Scorecard Golf Psychology FAQs Golf Blogs Golf Podcasts Podcasts Episodes Connect to ACT and Mindfulness Ep092: Dr James Hegarty – ACT in Sport, Improving Performance through Mindfulness Ep124: Dr Keagan Hadley – Long Term Injuries: How to Confront Difficult Thoughts and Emotions EP136: Charlotte Potts – Overcoming Tough Times in Professional Women's Football and Bouncing Back Stronger

How often in sport do you see an athlete make the wrong decision under pressure? Often I'd say! Even at the highest level in elite professional sport.  Indecision, overthinking, paralysis by analysis, having too much time to think of the consequences, a lack of trust in skills or fear are often the reasons for poor decision making.  In this short bite-sized episode, Paul Phillips an author and culture developer and I discuss overthinking in sport where we share some helpful tips so that you can deal better with pressure in the moment.  Key Learning Points: Helping athletes generate behaviours before thoughts and emotions is a helpful skill. James Clear's two-minute rule in the book Atomic Habits is a useful approach to take when you are feeling indecisive. In rugby the size of an opponent can trigger fear responses, overthinking and poor decision making. Visual, kinaesthetic and auditory cues and triggers are helpful in overcoming fear, Using metaphors such as images of animals or superhero's is a helpful trigger for adults and children. Spending time with process training, practicing and rehearsing pre-shot and pre-performance routines are hugely beneficial. 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 Podcasts To Help Overthinkers Ep092: Dr James Hegarty – ACT in Sport, Improving Performance through Mindfulness Ep156: Ruth Chiles – There is Hope: How to Overcome Focal Dystonia Ep161: Paul Phillips – How to Create a Culture of High Performance in Professional Rugby Union Ep221: Jeremy Snape - How To Use Pre Performance Routines When The Pressure Is On Ep224: Aaron Walsh - How To Help Professional Rugby Players Perform Better Under Pressure Helpful Resources For The Overthinker Blog - Overthinking on the Rugby Pitch Blog - Do You Start Matches with a ONE-NIL DOWN Mindset? Blog - 7 Questions to Ask Yourself Before You Bowl Every Delivery Blog - Is Your Head Focused On The Right Things How to Trust Your Skills When You're a Goalkeeper

In the last of this 3 part series created for parents of young adults and kids who play football or soccer I discuss how fear can wreck a youngsters fun and enjoyment on the pitch.  Common responses to fear before matches include performance anxiety, physical sickness, feigning injury and refusing to play.  It's a hugely difficult challenge to navigate as a parent therefore I share a tool connected with mindfulness which can help ease the young footballer's anxieties. Connect with David Charlton Sign up to The X-FACTOR  regular emails helping football and soccer players to get the most from their talent  Join David @ The Sports Psychology Hub Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn Check out our library of content supporting football and soccer players and coaches Relevant Resources To Help Parents Children and Youth Motivation for Sport Checklist – For Kids Children and Youth Motivation for Sport Checklist - For Parents Football or Soccer Coach Motivation Checklist – For Parents who coach Youth Sports Psychology Library – For Parents

What is the most mentally challenging position on the football or soccer pitch?  Many people would argue it's the goalkeeper.  Common psychological challenges goalkeepers face include; coping with mistakes and bouncing back strongly, dealing with tough and physical opponents, playing the ball out from the back with their feet in uncomfortable situations, communicating effectively with team-mates, selection issues and dealing with time on the bench. Today, Andy Elleray, an author and goalkeeping coach, who has worked for clubs such as Chelsea and Bristol Rovers tells me about mental toughness and how it applies to goalkeeping sharing some advice, I also provide a suggestion on how goalkeepers can help themselves remain calm and composed when faced with difficulties on the pitch. Key Learnings All goalkeepers make mistakes. Being able to accepts making mistakes and move on is a skill that goalkeepers can develop. Helping goalkeepers master the controllables is essential. Trigger words or physical triggers (using sweat bands or super-hero bands) can help goalkeepers move on more quickly from mistakes. Try the calm and composed face exercise to help you. Connect with David Charlton Sign up to The X-FACTOR regular emails helping football and soccer players to get the most from their talent  Join David @ The Sports Psychology Hub Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn Connect with Any Elleray Website LinkedIn Twitter: @andyelleray / @lilys_goal  Relevant Podcast Episodes Ep08: Brendan Pearson - Academy Football, Professional Football, Injuries and Early Retirement Ep087: Carl Bell – From Professional Football and Goalkeeping to Physiotherapy Ep093: Dan Abrahams – How to Overcome Mental Blocks in Football Ep151: Compilation - Football Psychology: 50 Ways You Can Improve Your Performance Ep165: Andy Elleray - How To Master the Mental Challenges Goalkeeping Throws at You Other Valuable Football or Soccer Resources  Goalkeeping Psychology | Mental Skills for Goalkeepers  Soccer Psychology | Mental Skills for Football Youth Sports Psychology | Mental Skills Training for Kids and Parents Frequently Asked Questions about Football or Soccer Psychology Frequently Asked Questions about Goalkeeping Psychology