inside success
A Performance Psychology Blog by Annika McGivern
Mental Performance Coach | MSc Sport and Exercise Psychology
Join me as I take close look at the mental side of performance and explore how what goes on inside our heads impacts our results, experience, progress, and well-being in sport, exercise, and performance.
Mastering the Mental Game: Understanding Self One and Self Two in "The Inner Game of Tennis" by tim gallwey
Read on for a summary of one's Tim Gallwey's greatest insights in his iconic book - The Inner Game of Tennis. Discover your own Self One and Self Two and learn how to start getting them working together to increase confidence in performance.
13 Irrational Beliefs
Did you know there are 13 irrational beliefs that can hold us back in life and sport? Take a look and see if any of these beliefs could be holding you back.
Riding Beyond Bias: Navigating the Impact of Cognitive Biases on Equestrian Confidence
Competitive equestrians understand the intricate dance between rider and horse, where confidence plays a pivotal role in achieving success. However, in the pursuit of excellence, riders often encounter cognitive biases that can significantly impact their self-assurance. In this blog, we'll explore the subtle yet powerful ways in which cognitive biases influence equestrian confidence and discuss strategies to overcome these mental hurdles for a more fulfilling riding experience.
Navigating the Rapids: How the Challenging World of Sport Builds Resilience in Children
Childhood is a time of growth, learning, and exploration, and engaging in sports offers a unique avenue for children to develop not only physical skills but also essential life skills. In the challenging world of sports, children not only discover the joy of movement and competition but also cultivate resilience—a fundamental quality that will serve them well throughout their lives.
Diving Deep: The Crucial Role of Sport Psychology in Competitive Swimming
Competitive swimming is a sport that demands not only physical prowess but also a strong mental game. The difference between a podium finish and a missed opportunity can often be attributed to an athlete's mental resilience, focus, and psychological well-being. This is where the role of sport psychology becomes paramount in the world of competitive swimming, serving as a catalyst for unlocking an athlete's full potential in the pool.
WHY WORK WITH A SPORT PSYCHOLOGY COACH? TRAINING YOUR MIND CHANGES EVERYTHING.
Interested in working with a sport psychology expert? Read on to discover the benefits and consider whether this work is something that’s missing from your training.
Unlocking Equestrian Excellence: The Power of Priming in Sport Psychology
Discover how priming the brain influences our ride, positively or negatively. We are always being primed by our environment, the question is can we use this to our advantage? Discover more and practical tools in this short blog.
Boosting Confidence: Three Neuroscience-Based Strategies for Equestrian Athletes
Science continues to inform how we approach achieving excellence in sport. This blog explores several neuroscience based techniques that support us to show up as our best. Written with a focus on equestrian sport, but applicable in all sport and performance contexts.
The Importance of Rider Mental Skills for Horse Well-Being: Equestrian Sport as a Team Effort
Rider mental skills are essential for horse wellbeing, and the creation of an effective and beautiful partnership between horse and rider.
I Just Fell off My Horse, Now What?
We all fall off, but do we know what do afterwards to reduce the negative impact, feel okay, and learn something valuable from what happened? Follow these three simple steps to manage your fall mentally and get back to learning.
Why You Should Prioritise Self-Compassion in 2023
Don’t self-sabotage the big, exciting goals you are setting for 2023! Learn why self-compassion is so difficult for high-performers and also essential for successful goal achievement.
Overcoming the Curse of the High-Performer: Comparison
If you’re a high-achiever you’ve likely been using social comparison as a way of trying to motivate yourself for years, possibly with varied or limited success. Learn how to break free of the negative side of constant comparison so that you can refocus on your own story.
Create a Reward Focus
All goals involve sacrifice and rewards. What we choose to focus on hugely impacts our motivation and commitment. Learn how to create a reward focus!
5 Key Reasons it is Essential to Train our Body Out of the saddle
GUEST POST from the amazing Bella and Taisie of The Rider Programme. It’s time for equestrians to start thinking about themselves as athletes and upping their out of saddle training game!
How to Bring that New Year’s Buzz with us through 2022
The truth is that the energy and momentum we experience at the start of the year should be, and is, accessible to us every day of year. Can we break the unhelpful cycle we have fallen into as a culture where we only get one chance a year at a fresh start?
Values: An Essential Tool for Goal Setting
Before you start goal setting for 2022, make sure you invest some time into discovering or updating your values.
Managing Overwhelm: How to Build Self-Trust
Every day we either build or diminish our trust in ourselves. Our ability to manage distraction, to do what we said we were going to do, and how we measure success at the end of the day all feed into our sense of overwhelm.