Becoming HeadStrong

Equipment in sports essentially become extensions of the athlete's body. Having that sense of "feel" is crucial for many performers. In this episode, Dr. Galli talks about what to do when your "feel" is off.

The first episode in a multi-part series, Kristina teaches you the basics or foundation of being mentally tough.

Your job is to give 100% of whatever you have, every single day.

The most important factor for building confidence is: preparation. In this episode, Justine discusses the importance of preparation as well as how to prepare appropriately.

There are 3 sub characteristics of hardiness that are relevant for mental toughness in performance as well as in life. Particularly doing these challenging circumstances of the pandemic! These 3 sub characteristics are: commitment, control, and challenge. Learn about them in this episode.

The science is clear = Chronic optimism is associated with better health and longevity while chronic pessimism result in disease. Begin your optimistic journey by hunting the good stuff when life gets hard. And Happy 14th Birthday, Elias!

The word "namaste" has many meanings. One is "the worthiness of others doesn't take away the worthiness of myself". This idea can be incredibly powerful in your life and your mental toughness journey.

This episode contains short stories with big lessons for performance. 

Success isn't free, rent must be paid. And rent is due every day. Remember to pay your rent. 

When building your own house, there are so many decisions that need to be made. There will be struggles and missed deadlines. But once the decisions are made, you are moving forward. The same rules apply for building your future.

Regardless of our best intentions and efforts, we will make mistakes and we will fail. What do you do when this happens? In this episode, you will learn 2 strategies for handling your mistakes.

Many times, we prefer to put our heads down and work hard, assuming that others will see and reward that hard work. Yet, there is power in advocating for ourselves and ask for what we need!

Story telling is a lost art but can be incredibly valuable. In this episode, you will hear a short story and learn performance implications.

The "Go Go Goers" are people who just never stop. They always go go go. Their bodies and minds are constantly in action. These people often choose this lifestyle because they like to be busy and challenged. The problem with this mentality, though, is that they push their emotions off and never really deal with them.

The primary researcher on Grit is Angela Duckworth. She defines Grit as: passion and perseverance. We know that the grittier you are, the more likely you are to achieve success. In this episode, you will learn 3 strategies for building your grit.

"Sit with winners. The conversation is different." 

"What if" is a question asked by so many people. We can often get so stuck in what is going wrong. Yet asking "what if" can help you get out of the struggle!

The word "flaw" tends to make people think there is something permanently wrong with them. Yet everyone has flaws, even our heroes and superheroes, our role models, etc. Kristina encourages you to "be flawesome".

Responsibility is the obligation to act and is easily measured. Accountability is the obligation to answer for an action and is a choice. Responsibility will help you keep your job; accountability will help you achieve greatness.

Autumn is such a great time to remind ourselves to let go of that which is holding us back. In this episode, Justine discusses how to let go so that you can grow.

Greatness can only be achieved through hours and years of practice. Dr. Galli discusses the importance of always wearing your white belt, which means that you are always questioning, discovering, and improving yourself.

Waiting is a part of life. Although waiting can be uncomfortable, we can also use it to our benefit. In this episode, Kristina will teach you how to utilize waiting in a positive manner. 

No one shows up to competition feeling 100% and ready to go every single time. That's what we all want to happen, but that's not reality. However, this is what training is for. When you train through the difficulties, you learn how to manage them on competition day.

The final episode in the 3 part series on stress, Justine discusses the "freeze" part of stress.

Episode 2 of 3, this covers the "flight" aspect of stress.