Bea My Coach

OOO

Yearly longer holiday to rest and recover and come back with refreshed energy.

You will see lots of holiday pics and the odd post on here.

Inquiries will be dealt with every few days so bear with me

See you all on the other side

There's been a few changes recently to the way I work so it's time for another recap also gor my new followers

I currently offer 1to1, 1to2 and Small Group Personal Training sessions in Coulsdon. From July onwards there is some capacity to take on a new client and after successfully launching small group PT classes a few weeks ago I will expand the availability to Tue at 5.15pm from July.

My sport psychology work has expanded to offer workshops and team/club sessions and I'm looking forward to offering more of these in the future. 1to1 online sessions are also still available mainly on Thu and Fri afternoons. Free consultations available to assess if I'm the right person for you

Lastly, from July onwards I'm able to take on and additional 2 endurance athletes for remote coaching that includes training plans, accountability, regular feedback, data analysis and monthly coaching calls.

A couple of weeks ago, I was invited by club (London) to provide an introductory workshop in Sport Psychology. A big topic..

One 90min workshop is quite short, so the focus was on typical issues found in archery such as target panic, choking under pressure etc . designed to offer true practical applications of sport psychology for the sport.

So far the feedback has been very positive and I'm looking forward to hopefully delivering a short series of in person workshops for their coaches and members focusing on even more practical applications of Sport Psychology and mental skills training.

If you are a coach or member of a sports club and would like to benefit from an initial workshop for your members, let's have a chat. Sport psychology related skills are easily transferable and applicable to all sports. Clients that I work with range from netball to archery and volleyball as well as endurance and strength sport athletes from amateur, age group to national and international level.

Sport Psychology Toolbox -29

Reinterpretation of performance anxiety

Performance anxiety in sports or other high stakes environments is one of the key issues that we are asked to work with as sport psychologists.

Performance anxiety (PA) can look different for each performer.
Some may have more of a physiological reaction, I.e. one or more of the following: pressure across the chest, heart racing, sweating, feeling nauseous, butterflies in the stomach. Others may experience PA more cognitively such as catastrophising, a loop of negative thoughts, doubts, losing confidence and the ability to focus. Of course we may experience anxiety both cognitively and physiologically all at once.

One of the ways we can support performers is by recognising what form anxiety takes for the individuals we work with. This isn't always apparent for every performer to start with. Trying to just avoid performance nerves will likely backfire as that can make us even more anxious about being anxious.
Once we can name the sensation or thoughts, we can help the individuals reinterpret them.
For example feeling the heart racing doesn’t necessarily mean that you will fail just because you are nervous - it can signal to the individual that they are ready for the challenge, energy levels are heightened ready to go and help them focus on the task ahead.

How do you experience performance anxiety?

ANNOUNCEMENT

From Saturday, May 30thvat 10.15, I will lead a Group Personal Training session at the Lifting Studio in .

The small group environment ensures that each member receives plenty of coaching support throughout the 45min session. A more affordable way of benefiting from quality coaching.

The session will be a strength training based circuit session that can be tailored to those at the start of their training journey and those who are more experienced.

We are planning to add more group sessions during the week come summer

Payments either one off (£17.50 or blocks of 5 for £80).

Get in touch via DM or my email link in bio 👆

WE HAVE ADDED AN ADDITIONAL DATE!

STRENGTH TRAINING WORKSHOP FOR WOMEN

SATURDAY MAY 23 10:30 TO 12.00 - 3 SPOTS LEFT

SATURDAY MAY 9TH 10:15 TO 11.45 - 2 SPOTS LEFT

Use QR codes or check link in bio

Learn how to strength train with good technique & confidence. For those new to strength training & those wanting to become more proficient.

Strength Training has so many benefits for health and longevity. Women at any age but especially moving towards perimenopause or menopause will benefit from strength training to improve their metabolism, increase bone density, and avoid muscle loss that accelerates as we age.

This workshop is aimed at those new to strength training and those who already use the gym but feel that they are missing out on getting the results they desire.

You will learn about principles of good strenght training routines to allow you to progress and see the results that you are looking for.

A maximum of 5 participants to ensure that you will all receive personalized attention during this 90 minute workshop

Sport Psychology Toolbox -28

Overcoming mental blocks

In life and of course in sports mental blocks can get in the way of performing at our best, making decisions, and moving forward towards our goals.

This can come from overthinking and overwhelm where i.e., in a technical sport there is too much focus internally on controlling movements that should be automatic, i.e yips in golf. There isn't enough cognitive bandwidth to perform well or it might lead to choking under pressure.

Fear of failure causing high state anxiety or fear of (re)injury can also lead to mental blocks that keep athletes from performing well. Being highly perfectionistic can also fall into this category as individuals might only want to make a move when they can expect a great (perfect) outcome.

So what can we do as sport psychologists? Finding & understanding the cause of what causes the mental block then and facing it head on rather than avoiding it is key.

Depending on the individual we can then utilise different mental skills techniques such as self-talk, visualisation and mindfulness to "overcome" the mental blocks. A focus on making smaller steps towards a goal, process oriented thinking rather than a focus on just the outcome can also be a useful tool. Lastly, developing routines pre, during and post performance are also aiding in reducing overwhelm and overthinking.

What do you think? Have you experienced this before?

A day in the life of me - a coach and sport psychologist I.T.

I love a bit of variety 😀

Day starts with a 30min online group class and then a full set of morning clients at the in Coulsdon. Also a quick snack during my last gym client of the day because....

I'm on the treadmill at midday working my way back to some 5km runs... still testing out what the SI joint tolerates

Straight back home for some sport psychology supervision, where we discuss current cases. This is all part of the training to become a fully accredited

A quick break and into more online sessions, now with clients. Thanks to tech getting my required hours in is easier and allows me to do my work on a freelance basis

Finally, updating the coaching app for my online clients and some admin to finish the working day

STRENGTH TRAINING WORKSHOP FOR WOMEN

SATURDAY MAY 9TH 10:15 TO 11.45

Use QR codes or check link in bio

Learn how to strength train with good technique & confidence. For those new to strength training & those wanting to become more proficient.

Strength Training has so many benefits for health and longevity. Women at any age but especially moving towards perimenopause or menopause will benefit from strength training to improve their metabolism, increase bone density, and avoid muscle loss that accelerates as we age.

This workshop is aimed at those new to strength training and those who already use the gym but feel that they are missing out on getting the results they desire.

You will learn about principles of good strenght training routines to allow you to progress and see the results that you are looking for.

A maximum of 5 participants to ensure that you will all receive personalized attention during this 90 minute workshop

Sport Psychology Toolbox - 27

The ability to reset (and refocus)

Last week, we spoke about focus and the ability to shift focus.

What is needed to be able to refocus is to reset.

The ability to reset probably looks/feels different in different sports.

There's fast moving sports, I.e. a lot of teamsports where resetting and refocusing after a run of bad passes or shots needs to happen quite quickly. Recognising what the setbacks make you think and feel that gets in the way, and the ability to use a practiced self-talk cue to get your focus on the game back, is all the time you likeky have.

In other sports like tennis or archery where there is a natural reset point between serves or shots there may be a bit more time to recognize the setback, use a couple of breaths as a cue to reset and refocus or maybe even some imagery of the next serve or shot.

The point is that resetting (and refocusing) is a mental skill that can and should be practiced. You cannot just rely on pulling it out of your bag of tools when under the pressure of competition. It should feel like your automatic go to without too much thinking.

How does resetting and refocusing look like in your sport?