What is Mental Performance Coaching?
Have you ever felt overwhelmed at work and had difficulty completing simple tasks? Or have you ever been so nervous during a game that you miss a free-throw that you always nail perfectly in practice? Or maybe you’ve struggled to work together as a team or just couldn’t get in ‘the zone’? These things happen to everyone— whether you’re an athlete, a business person, a parent, a student, a performer. But these things can be improved through mental skills training. Being able to focus in moments of pressure, or be decisive in stressful situations, or know how to manage your performance anxiety; these are all SKILLS that can be developed.
In the same way that you train your body to increase strength, you can train your mind to perform certain tasks with more ease. And this is what a mental performance coach does. They are individuals who help you achieve your highest potential through mental skills training.
Although based on principles of Sport Psychology, Mental performance coaching is for everyone. According to the Association for Applied Sport Psychology, the goal of sport psychology is “to teach mental skills necessary to perform consistently in training and competition, increase adherence to exercise programs, and to help individuals realize their potential.” These skills necessary to help individuals reach their potential apply to ALL fields.
Find Your Inner Athlete
An Athlete’s Mindset
I believe everyone deserves to feel like an athlete— and what really separates elite athletes is not the physical preparation but the mental preparation. Those who really excel have the ability to perform at high levels when the stakes are high. They trust in their training and preparation. They continue to push forward despite the struggles. They can focus and they have the mental strength to push themselves to the limit.
Your Mental Skills Toolkit
Building your mental skill toolkit means finding the right strategies to help you improve your performance and increase your mental strength. The idea is to help you have “go-to” skills that will help you regardless of the circumstances. Whether that be through imagery, goal-setting, visualization, meditation, pre-performance routines, key words, music, self-talk or more.