Overcoming The Top-10 Mental Obstacles In Sport - https://go.sportmind.io/Mastery
The SportMind Portal - https://go.sportmind.io/Portal
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What if the mental skill that wins the match isn’t getting into flow at all—but learning to flip the switch to clutch on command? That’s the heart of today’s conversation with Dr. Erin Ayala, a Minneapolis-based sports psychologist and founder of Skadi Sport Psychology. Erin isn’t just an expert in the lab; she’s an endurance athlete who knows the “pain cave” from the inside—marathons, triathlon, ultra-distance cycling. Together we unpack how to stay composed when it hurts most, and why separating flow from clutch can change your results under pressure.
Dr. Erin draws a clean line between the two states. Flow is the effortless sweet spot where everything clicks and you let great performance happen. Clutch is different: it’s the deliberate decision to raise effort, attention, and intensity now. She shows you how to appraise pressure as a challenge rather than a threat, because that mindset shift is what unlocks clutch performances when the clock is red. From there we build a practical playbook you can use mid-competition: thought-defusion (“I’m having the thought that…”), the wonderfully cheeky “Thanks, brain” technique for taming self-talk, and when to aim your focus outward (grounding, “counting colors,” noticing the environment) versus inward (simple reset cues like eyes up, posture tall, keep moving). We also dig into breathwork as your direct handle on the nervous system—no rigid box counts or over-breathing, just low-and-slow regulation you can call on in the penultimate rally or final kilometer.
We don’t dodge the heavy stuff. Erin lays out clear markers to tell burnout from depression so you don’t “grind” when you actually need support. We explore identity in sport—why building more than one “room in your house” protects performance, tames perfectionism, and actually makes clutch moments more likely, because you’re no longer playing for your worth. And we finish with a philosophy that wins late: raise the floor. The best teams and athletes don’t conjure magic at the end; they rely on world-class basics practiced with intention, so the right things hold under stress.
If you’ve ever crumbled at 9-all, stared down the last hill, or wanted a one-minute locker-room speech that actually works, this episode gives you both the language and the tools. You’ll leave with a calmer nervous system, a smarter focus plan, and a repeatable way to meet high-pressure moments with poise.
Website: https://www.skadisportpsychology.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/skadisportpsychology/ , https://www.instagram.com/erineayala/
Email: hello@skadisportpsychology.com
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