Train your brain like you train your body. This is not a new piece of advice nor is it particularly sexy, but it has merit when it comes to getting your brain ready to perform when it counts. However, training your brain is something to avoid getting blazé about given the increasing body of knowledge […]

There is so much information about how to keep your body healthy, including fad diets, exercise trends, and the like. It is quite normal and acceptable, and even admired to follow these trends with the idea of looking after your body. What about your brain? There is an increasing awareness about mental health issues but […]

There’s been a lot of commentary in the media recently about the lack of support that elite athletes receive when it comes to their mental health.  At Mental Notes Consulting, we are, and have always been passionate about athlete health and wellbeing alongside their performance. Part of our role in working with athletes and their […]

What makes you great? This is one of my favourite questions to ask athletes and teams because it directs their focus.  It shifts their focus from fixating on a problem to creating a solution, leading to reduced negativity and increased confidence. The Negativity Trap Often the first response I get when I ask this question […]

Performance routines are prevalent in high performance arenas, and in particular elite sport. You’ll often hear athletes refer to their rituals, superstitions, or lucky charms… “I keep a lucky red rag in my pocket when I bat, which has been a good luck charm for a few years.” – Steve Waugh Simply put, athletes often integrate […]

The brain plays an important and often overlooked role in pain and injury.  Here are five things you can do to train your brain when you are injured… 1. Visualise The same parts of your brain are activated when you imagine doing an activity as when you actually do the activity.  Studies show that athletes […]

As many elite athletes are preparing to peak at international competitions in the Northern Hemisphere it’s a valuable time to reflect on how much time is being dedicated to psychological recovery as you prepare to perform when it counts… It’s becoming an increasingly important aspect of elite athlete training and preparation as we ask more […]

In my experience, there are two types of people – those who want to succeed and those who hope to succeed.  Over the years, a lot of athletes have started our work together thinking they don’t need to work on the mental side of their game, hoping that it will happen, only to realise that they […]

To say that the last few weeks in Australian sport have been heartbreaking and tough would be a massive understatement.  Not only has the Gold Coast professional football community been the centre of serious drug allegations but cricket royalty has also come under fire. When things like this happen, the age-old role model debate comes […]

I’ve been meaning to write about breathing since September last year when I co-delivered a workshop at the World Scientific Congress of Golf with the superbly talented Rachel Vickery from Breathing & Performance. I’ve always had a strong interest in psychophysiology however since working more closely with Rachel it’s strengthened because I can see the results […]