At the elite sports level, all athletes are incredibly physically talented and capable. What creates the space for the win? The answer is, the brain.

Our brain’s ability to build tolerance and show up in the pressure is a skill we can practice, just like shooting countless free throws or hitting numerous buckets of balls on the range. 

The deep psychology of sports is very much about the mastery of brain and nervous system training, as well as physical skills’ repetition and mastery.

How does one do this? There are many tricks to being capable of showing up in excellence while in the pressure. Mindfulness, meditation, imagery, visualization, etc. are some of the old tried and true tools. However, when we focus solely on these techniques, we are leaving out the most important brain skill: Building tolerance to feel all feelings fully. Learning how to develop a flexible brain and feel our feelings in a healthy manner is the single most important brain and nervous system skill we can learn to stay present and show up in life. When we learn to invite our feelings to be felt fully, we set ourselves up towards our greatest potential of overall success. Conversely, when we expend our energy attempting to control our feelings, which is not only unhealthy, but for the most part impossible, as it will eventually backfire and bubble up, typically at the most inopportune timing. Examples of emotions getting away from elite athletes are a fight breaking out in a game or crumbling under increasing pressure. When we don’t learn to feel our feelings in safe ways, during safe times, and we are continuously in a pressured situation, this is when emotional dysregulation can prevent us from our greatness.

Emotions are meant to be honored and felt. How can we learn to feel our feelings and show up at our highest level in the pressure? For example, when we have anxiety, one of the best ways to overcome anxiety is to build emotional tolerance, and invite our anxiety fully, in safe ways, and with support. 

High quality psychotherapy can teach us how to move with and through our feelings, rather than try to manage feelings, again which usually creates a problem somewhere in our lives. For example, the performance-based high achiever who focuses on controlling their emotions and environment will oftentimes have a less desirable way to let off steam, such as anger, rage, or addiction. Participating in high quality psychotherapy, that also includes body based non-talk therapy, can teach us to train our brain and nervous system to be connected, present, and show up at all times in our authentic self, AND perform at our highest level. 

When we get to know our feelings, we can learn how to either let them pass, or tend to them. Accepting and feeling feelings is a superpower, so our energy is available for performance and success rather than ‘control’, which is oftentimes false and fleeting.

To work with Dr. Caudle, and learn to perform at your highest level, contact her at sophia@queencityhealthysex.com or text her at 919-698-7061.