Welcome. Take a deep breath. What you’re about to read might change your life for the better.
It’s not rocket science. But it can be mind-blowing if you’re open to the idea that you can be better, feel better, or do better in whatever it is you are passionate about.
How, you might ask? High achievers know that they can improve by working harder or smarter. Training more or training differently. Seeking tactical or technical knowledge. And they wouldn’t be wrong.
Where many high achieving people (including coaches) will fall short is if they neglect the most powerful resource we have – exploring and training our minds. We often know what to do and how to do it. Yet, sometimes we don’t do what we know is good for us. Or we get stuck and don’t know why.
Humans are not robots. We are complex, thinking and feeling beings. And by virtue of being unique, there is no one rule book or game plan for optimal performance that we can all follow. On the flip side of that, however, by being willing to learn, curious, vulnerable, and honest with ourselves, we can see the limits we put in place and how to move beyond them.
Welcome to Work It Out Consulting, where we apply evidence-based sport and performance psychology principles to optimize wellbeing, enhance participation, and achieve peak performances. Our approach is positive and strengths-based, tailored to the individual, holistic, and integrated. We teach mental skills to improve efficiency and consistency. We educate on how the mind works. We grow self-awareness to create insight, overcome hurdles, and facilitate change.
The strengths we have, the limitations we hold, and barriers to growth are endless. We address relevant cultural variables that may be impacting one’s experience. The issues we discuss run the gamut from mental health to thriving and include common concerns like overcoming competition anxiety, traumatic experiences, dealing with competition pressures, managing difficult relationships, coping with and coming back from injury, improving self-confidence, navigating transitions up or down a level, and learning how to optimize mindset to achieve your potential. Core to our work is the teaching of mental skills, such as focus, concentration, energy management, emotion regulation, relaxation, and mindfulness.
These skills are not just for athletes or coaches and can be applied and transferred to almost any performance domain, in or out of sport. They can help you better manage your stressors, deal with loss, improve sleep, coach more effectively, prepare more confidently, and compete more calmly.
Many high achievers come to sport & performance psychology when they realize they need an edge on their competition or are limited in their growth. It would be great if they didn’t have to hit a hurdle to recognize the value of mindset. Some never look beyond the stigmas they hold about mental health and well-being. Understanding the benefits of sport & performance psychology can help you and those you impact achieve the potential you know is there, waiting to be tapped.
Michelle Joshua Ph.D.
Licensed Psychologist, NC
Certified Mental Performance Consultant®, CMPC
Listed in USOPC Mental Performance Registry
