While running might be my ‘therapy’ I can certainly say that it also occasionally results in a wry smile as I pound the pavements and parks throughout the cities and towns I run through.  Traditionally I am a fan of cues to help the mind focus on helpful, productive aspects of endurance runs.  These days, […]

What is it? ‘A Game’ performance mindset is the state of mind you have when you perform at your best. Terms that you may have heard referring to this mindset include ‘bubble’, ‘zone’, ‘ideal performance state’, or even ‘flow’. It’s a set of thoughts, feelings, and behaviours that promote you to consistently compete at your […]

Mental blocks are a phenomenon that happen when a performer appears to go blank and forget movements that they have consistently trained and mastered and should know how to complete.  The performer can appear to freeze or may instinctively change the movement they were planning to do.  Performers experiencing a mental block will often state […]

It’s grand final week here in Australia, a great opportunity to see if the best performers throughout the year can complete one last performance in what is an environment unlike anything else they have experienced during the regular season. There are no more second chances and no additional opportunities to redeem themselves the following week. Everyone […]

There are very few movies that truly dive into the depths of an elite performer’s mind.  Whiplash is one such movie. I watched it on the plane coming back from Australia in mid August…twice.  The acting captured me as did the way the characters depicted the ruthless perfectionism that is so frequently an ingredient associated with high […]

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 […]

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 […]

Sleeping is an everyday ritual that is essential to our daily lives; without the right amount of sleep we are unable to function effectively.  From a very early age we begin to form sleeping habits and patterns.  These are the habits that we will take through to our adolescent and adult years so it essential […]