Tips for Mental Preparation in Sports

I've worked with 100+ Olympic athletes and discovered something shocking: Elite performance isn't about talent. It's about overcoming 7 critical mental barriers that BLOCK peak performance. Here's what I learned 🧵👇 2/ First, let me be clear: At the highest level, skill gaps are TINY. What separates champions isn't physical ability - it's mastering the mental game. These barriers silently kill potential. Most athletes don't realize it. Barrier 1: Self-Doubt This is the biggest killer I've seen. It makes athletes question: • Their belonging • Their abilities • Their right to compete But here's the truth: Self-doubt is manageable. How to beat self-doubt: 1. Focus on preparation (what you've ALREADY done) 2. Challenge negative self-talk with evidence 3. Build a "success bank" of past wins I've seen this transform athletes from doubters to closers in clutch moments. Barrier 2: Distracted Thoughts Focus is EVERYTHING in elite sports. But here's what most don't realize: Even Olympic athletes struggle with performance anxiety. The key? Having a system to stay locked in. The Focus Formula: 1. Create a pre-performance routine 2. Practice mindfulness daily 3. Use ONE focal cue (like "quick feet") I've seen athletes go from scattered to sharp using these three steps. Remember: Focus is a SKILL, not a talent. Barrier 3: Performance Anxiety The silent performance killer. It creates a vicious cycle: • Worry about mistakes • Make more mistakes • Worry more But here's what champions do differently: Anxiety Management Blueprint: 1. Reframe nerves as excitement 2. Breathe to regulate your physiology 3. Focus ONLY on controllables Barrier 4: Fear of Others' Opinions FOPO paralyzes even elite athletes. The truth? When you're worried about others, you can't trust yourself. The FOPO Fix: 1. Ask: "What's in MY control?" 2. Build unshakeable self-belief 3. Master self-awareness Remember: Caring less about opinions isn't selfish - it's necessary for peak performance. Barrier 5: Leadership Conflicts Fact: This is the #1 stressor for Olympians at the Games. It destroys focus and creates mental noise. But there's a solution: • Direct communication • Control what you can • See feedback as growth Barrier 6: Limiting Beliefs The invisible walls holding you back. Common thoughts: "I'll never..." "I should be better..." "I can't..." Here's how champions break through: Limiting Belief Breakers: 1. Challenge thoughts with "Is this true?" 2. Focus on progress, not perfection 3. Build a strength-focused support system Barrier 7: Mistake Management Here's what most get wrong: Thinking about mistakes ≠ Fixing mistakes The champion's way: 1. Have a reset routine 2. Evaluate without emotion 3. Next play mentality The truth about mental barriers: They're not permanent. They're not personal. They're not insurmountable. They're challenges waiting to be overcome. Want to perform like a champion? Pick 1 barrier. Take 1 action. Start.

The toughest moment in sports isn’t a grueling workout or fierce competition. It's the instant right after you mess up—a missed shot, a dropped ball, a critical mistake. Why? Your brain immediately spirals into panic. And it's really hard to escape that. Even for the best. Rory McIlroy's near-collapse at The Masters shows exactly this: even champions face moments of spiraling doubt. But they figure out how to navigate it. That single mistake can trigger an "action crisis". Our focus shifts from the present task to the past failure, from executing the next play to replaying the last one. Negative thoughts snowball – "I blew it," "I can't recover," "It's over". This internal debate between persisting and giving up drains mental energy and primes our bodies for a threat response, making refocusing exponentially harder. Why do we choke or spiral after a screw-up? As I write about in Win the Inside Game, our sense of self, our identity, feels threatened by the failure. Our brain, a prediction machine, gets stuck in a loop: it anticipates disaster (loss of status, humiliation), overweights negative signals, and ignores information that contradicts the doom narrative. This misalignment between reality and prediction fuels the downward slide. We've got to re-align our brain with a better reality. We've got to get out of that fear and survive mode. Here's how: 1. Approach, Don't Avoid Your brain, when threatened by mistakes, naturally tries to avoid repeating the error. Yet avoidance heightens anxiety and narrows your focus on the mistake. Adopt an approach-oriented mindset: focusing on what they want to achieve, not on what they're afraid might happen. Always ask, "What am I moving towards right now?" “It’s much better to play to win. If you play to win and you don’t hit the shot that you want to hit, I think you can live with that. But if you play not to — if you play to not lose, you’re never really giving yourself the best opportunity, and that’s hard to swallow." 2. Find control. Have a "reset ritual." Rafael Nadal has his "towel-off" ritual between acts. It could be a deep breath, adjusting gear, or a simple phrase whispered to oneself. Routines bring back control. This consistent action sends a clear signal to your brain: the past moment is over—time to anchor yourself in the present and focus on what's next. When we feel like we're losing control, our inner alarm screams. Grasp on to the smallest thing you can do to re-establish control. 3. Slow Down. Respond Instead of React Researchers found during penalty shootouts in soccer, players who missed shots tended to shoot quicker and look away from the goalie. The stress and anxiety that came with the pressure push the athletes to escape, to get it over with it, to put an end to the situation by getting the heck out of there. Those who tended to score took longer to shoot, they slowed things down, and basically approached the situation instead of avoiding it.

Want to think like a champion? Start with this one habit. It sets apart the world's greatest athletes, CEOs, and entrepreneurs. So, what is it? Visualization. They see their success before it happens. They imagine every detail—the feel of victory, the sound of applause, every step leading there. And this isn't just wishful thinking. It's a powerful tool that rewires the brain for success. Why does it work? Because your brain can't tell the difference between what's real and what's imagined. When you visualize, you're practicing confidence, rehearsing resilience, and preparing for greatness. But visualization is just the beginning of building a champion mindset. Your mindset shapes your reality, and your beliefs create your path. I used to be reactive and think that things happened to me (not for me). This was a bad feeling and didn't get me very far. But then I changed my thinking, literally. Here's how I've built a champion mindset: 1. Visualize: Picture your best self in action. See it. Feel it. Believe it. Practice this daily. 2. Positive self-talk: It's not about lying to yourself—it's about believing in your potential. Remind yourself: "I'm doing my best." "I've got this." Speak to yourself like your best friend. 3. Competence builds confidence: Write down daily successes. Keep making progress. Celebrate small wins. These habits are the foundation of an unshakeable mindset. What habit will you start today to build your champion mindset?

As a professional skier, especially during the Olympics, I’ve faced immense mental pressure and stress from high expectations and social media negativity, as outlined in this recent interview with The BBC. Whilst it may not be going for Olympic Gold, I understand that most people at some point in their career, whatever their goals, will have to cope with immense pressure to perform. Here are three key tips that have helped me to manage mental pressure and perform at my best: ✅ 1.⁠ ⁠Focusing on What I Can Control Concentrating on controllable factors like my day-to-day processes, mental visualization, training, and recovery. If I give my best and control what I can control, the rest I can’t and don’t put much weight into. Having preparatory routines helps to be confident in whatever it is you’re doing. ✅ 2.⁠ ⁠Developing a Strong Support System Surrounding myself with positive influences—family, friends, coaches, psychologist and teammates who uplift me. A strong support system provides encouragement and perspective for me during challenging times. ✅ 3.⁠ ⁠Practicing Self-Care Incorporating mindful practices into my routine. For some people that's meditation and breathing exercises but for me it’s just putting myself first. I prioritize doing things that make me happy whilst ensuring I am prepared as possible. Sometimes I need ice cream and law & order to reset! I hope this can help some of you. Wishing everyone facing challenges the strength to overcome and thrive. Let’s support one another and prioritize mental well-being. 💪