Performance Psychology

From the Stone Age to the Greek Tragedies, from Shakespeare to Robin Hood, we have always had our heroes. The hero is at the centre of formative myths in every culture and persists to this day in world-conquering books, films and TV shows. But why do these characters continue to inspire us, and why are they so central to storytelling? Scalpel-sharp on the roots of storytelling and enlightening on the history and science of myth, The Hero is essential listening for anyone trying to write or understand fiction.

Are you looking for unique ways to "get into the game"? To enhance your training and find focus? You aren't alone. Increasingly, athletes and coaches are incorporating mindfulness practices into their training. That's because mindfulness can help you lower your stress levels, connect with the moment, and mentally bounce back after setbacks. So whether you're a sports enthusiast or a professional athlete, mindfulness can also help you deal with physical aspects of training, such as fatigue, aches, pains, injury, burnout, and exhaustion.

The beloved actor shares fascinating and powerful lessons from the science of communication and teaches listeners to improve the way they relate to others using improv games, storytelling, and their own innate mind-reading abilities. With his trademark humor and frankness, Alan Alda explains what makes the out-of-the-box techniques he developed after his years as the host of Scientific American Frontiers so effective.

The difference between a great round and a frustrating one isn’t just your swing—it’s your mind. Golfing Mindscape takes you beyond technique and into the powerful world of mental performance, blending real-world golfing wisdom with cutting-edge neuroscience to help you play your best when it matters most. This book breaks down the cognitive and emotional challenges of golf, offering practical, science-backed strategies for improving focus, handling pressure, and building unwavering confidence. With relatable anecdotes and actionable exercises, you’ll learn how to: Stay calm and ...

Step onto the path of the Athletic Warrior with Rick Cipes, former writer for ESPN Magazine, as he shares profound insights drawn from the mental, physical, and spiritual realms of sport. In 11 Ways of the Athletic Warrior, Cipes combines his deep knowledge of sports with timeless philosophies to create a guide for athletes seeking not just peak performance, but personal transformation as well. From mastering technique and channeling universal energy to embracing patience, positivity, and the right mindset, each chapter offers tools for athletes to unlock their highest potential. Whether ...

During his 20 years as a Navy officer and SEAL, Rich Diviney was intimately involved in a specialized SEAL selection process, which whittled a group of hundreds of extraordinary candidates down to a handful of the most elite performers. Diviney was often surprised by which candidates washed out and which succeeded. Some could have all the right skills and still fail, while others he might have initially dismissed would prove to be top performers.

A revolutionary new understanding of identity, showing how our groups have a powerful influence on our feelings, beliefs, and behavior - and how these shared identities can inspire both personal change and social movements.

For more than twenty years, Dr. Dana has worked with the best of the best to improve results, from NFL, MLB, NBA, and NHL teams to IndyCar drivers and Olympic athletes. She helps performers shift their focus and deliver optimal performance in high-pressure moments that define greatness. Her methods also work for students and teachers, business leaders and managers—anyone motivated to improve. Her approach is simple: figure out what gets in your way, develop actions to address it in the moment, and then stick to the plan. It’s not about how you feel, it’s about what you do!

With unparalleled insights into the mental landscape of performance, The Inner Game of Tennis provides you with the definitive framework for long-term success. Instead of concentrating on how to improve your technique, Timothy Gallwey starts from the understanding that 'every game is composed of two parts, an outer game and an inner game'. The former is played against opponents on the court, but the latter is a battle within ourselves as we try and overcome self-doubt and anxiety. It is often won or lost before a ball has been hit.

For decades, modern medicine has predominantly focused on restoring health to a conventionally “normal” state for our age and medical history. But shouldn’t we aim to go beyond normal? Whether you’re twenty or eighty years old, have experienced a stroke, battle PTSD, or want to excel as an athlete or top executive, recent breakthroughs in molecular biology have granted us the means not just to repair but to enhance our physical and mental capacities.

In the world of elite sports, victory is often attributed to physical and athletic prowess alone. But what if the key to unlocking your full potential lies not in your physical abilities, but in your mindset? In Extreme Balance, three renowned experts on performance, motivation, and competition dive into the unexplored territory of the mind, paradoxically revealing the one mindset that can truly elevate your game: the ability to embrace an unfixed mindset.

"Your story is your life," says Loehr. As human beings, we continually tell ourselves stories: of success or failure; of power or victimhood; stories that endure for an hour, or a day, or an entire lifetime. We have stories about our work, our families and relationships, our health; about what we want and what we're capable of achieving.

By understanding the psychological forces that drive The Walking Dead's action, fans can better grasp Robert Kirkman's compelling fictional universe. Which characters suffer PTSD, which show the most hope for recovery, and which instead show post-traumatic growth? Has Rick Grimes lost his mind? In 19 chapters from a range of esteemed contributors, The Walking Dead Psychology: Psych of the Living Dead answers these and many other questions.

Coaching as a business? Coaching clients? Coaching leaders? Coaching staff? Coaching friends? Coaching students? Coaching sportsmen and women? Become an enabler of transforming growth in other people’s lives. Powerful coaching transforms the 'client's' view of the world. As the coach, you are not solving their problem for them; you are not some wise old sage with the answer to everything. In fact, even if you have the answer, giving it to them is wrong. The general message is to question your way to their solution, not give it to them. If you give it to them, you are not creating a sense ...

RUN: The Journey to Becoming Your Best Self is an inspiring, action-driven guide for athletes, especially those in track and field, and anyone striving for greatness. Drawing from the extraordinary experiences of Olympic and Paralympic champions, including Tatyana McFadden, and personal insights from Diana McNab, Sports Psychologist to Noah Lyles and McFadden; and Rev. John Crestwell, minister, master teacher, and pastor, this book goes beyond training tips to explore the mental and emotional strength needed to overcome adversity and achieve peak performance. RUN challenges you to push ...

Chronic complainers, no accountability finger-pointers, or learning-resistant laggards—these culture-killers costs sales organizations more in productivity than being weak in the so-called hard skills of selling. Learn how emotional intelligence and the development of these critical soft skills improve sales leadership effectiveness and outperforms doubling down on more sales technology tools and fads. The missing link is in hiring for and developing emotional intelligence skills in sellers and sales leaders.

The Plant-Based Athlete by Matt Frazier and Robert Cheeke offers a persuasive body of evidence for adopting a plant-based lifestyle to achieve endurance, flexibility, sport, training, or lifting goals. Featuring more than 60 recipes, insights from famous plant-based athletes, and explosive scientific research, it is the ultimate invitation for joining the growing community of athletes (from elites to weekend warriors) who use plants to power their workouts and their every day.

Dive into the transformative world of "Emotional Anchors," your groundbreaking guide to harnessing the power of psychological anchoring to navigate the choppy waters of life's emotional challenges. Unveil the secrets to find the stability and direction you've been seeking in your personal and professional life. As your voyage begins in "Chapter 1 The Essence of Anchoring," you'll set sail for an understanding of how anchors shape and guide our emotional experiences. Traverse the historical landscape and discover the profound impact anchoring has in our everyday lives. Your journey continues...

Unleash a resilient mind and unstoppable game in just weeks, even if balancing sports and life feels overwhelming. Are you struggling with performance anxiety? Do you grapple with self-doubt, making you question your skills during critical moments in sports? Are you in need of resilience to bounce back from setbacks like injuries or academic pressure? If you answered “yes” to any of these questions, you’re in the right place. Most young athletes and their supporting parents feel this way all too often. But those challenges can be transformed into strengths with the tested techniques ...

For decades, alarms have sounded about declining engagement. Yet companies continue to struggle with toxic cultures, and the low productivity and unhappiness that go with them. Why is "culture" so difficult to improve? What makes so many good employees check out? Neuroscientist Paul Zak shows that innate brain functions hold the answers. It all boils down to trust. When someone shows you trust, a feel-good jolt of oxytocin surges through your brain and triggers you to reciprocate.