Sarah Huntley - Sport Psychology

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"Life begins at the end of our comfort zone"
* Neale Donald Walsch
Each of us has our own 'comfort zone' which, more than an actual place, is a psychological/emotional/ behavioural construct that defines the routine of our daily life. Being in one’s comfort zone implies familiarity, safety, and security. It describes the patterned world of our existence, keeps us relatively comfortable and calm, and helps us stay emotionally even, free from anxiety and worry to a great degre...e.
Experiencing a little stress and anxiety now and then is a good thing, too. If all you ever do is strive to stay wrapped up in your little cocoon, keeping warm and safe, you may be missing out on quite a lot, maybe no new experiences, no challenges, and no risks. And looking at the bigger picture of life, if you can’t step out of your comfort zone you may experience difficulty making change or transitioning, growing, and ultimately, transforming; in other words, all those things that define who you are and give your life personal meaning.
Very simply, what we sometimes fear most about challenging ourselves is that we may fail and/or get hurt in the process. Most of us have the ability to rise to the occasion, overcome hurdles and obstacles, and actually succeed in accomplishing something new and challenging.
How are you going to get out of your comfort zone this year?
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Let's talk New Year's Resolutions....🤓
It can be daunting when your list of New Year’s Resolutions is as long as your shopping list. In addition to the post-Christmas slump, not being able to keep your resolutions by February, March or even late January may increase your anxiety.
However, it is important to remember that the New Year isn’t meant to serve as a catalyst for sweeping character changes. It is a time for people to reflect on their past year’s behaviour and endeav...
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Don't get in your own way....
#mondaymotivation #performancepsychology

Who else can relate to this?! 🤓🙈
#sportpsychology #performancepsychology #goalsetting #motivationmonday

A spot of Friday motivation for you! 🤓
"All of our dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them..." - Walt Disney
➡️ Do you have dreams? I am sure you do.
... ➡️Do you believe that one day they will become true?
➡️How often do you think about your dreams?
Do you dream about something you would like to have, a place you want to visit, or something you want to be or do?
Most dreams can come true, but you need to be courageous to pursue them. You need to get out of your comfort zone, and invest time and energy.
If you just daydream, and avoid making changes in your life, nothing will happen, except feelings of frustration and missed opportunities, and maybe, anger and envy. If you want your dreams to come true you need to do something about them. Often, only courageous people accomplish their dreams.
I've got a big dream that I'm trying to make a reality at the moment (clue is in the photo!!). It's a huge goal, something right out of my comfort zone and a massive challenge. But I'm willing to invest my time and energy into achieving this dream. Along with a big dollop of persistence and a sprinkling of good luck I'm hoping I might just get there!
Act, do, and don’t wait, and remember....
"Dreams can come true, if you have the courage to pursue them."
Have a fantastic weekend 🤟
S x
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ARE YOU DOWN WITH TAKING DOWN-TIME? 🤔
Research is quickly showing how important 'downtime' really is for our brain. The evidence that clearing your head is a vital element to being creative and successful is growing fast. 🤓
Downtime is important. The first hurdle one must overcome is often to realise that relaxing isn’t a total waste of time, even if the lack of action sometimes makes it feel that way! 🤷‍♀️
... Sometimes you just need a few minutes out, a good conversation with a friend, a walk in the fresh air or time spent playing sport. Whatever works for you!
Make sure you schedule some well-earned 'ME' time this week, you will only benefit from it!
Sarah.
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I don't normally share these types of things, but what an inspiring story, and a great role model for young people to look up to.
You really can do anything you want to do, it just takes a slice of courage, dollop of enthusiasm and truck-loads of determination!

"You know there are moments such as these when time stands still and all you do is hold your breath and hope it will wait for you."
*Dorothea Lange
Take a break. Be still. Breathe. Stop constantly trying to do more, be more. We constantly forget the importance of being still. The importance of pressing pause from our hectic lives.
... Moments to ourselves help us gain perspective. It is important to always remember the things that make you happy. Find hobbies, travel, write, spend time with loved ones. Do whatever it is that sets your soul at ease. There is nothing better than a shiny, spotless, open mind.
I'll definitely to take a few moments to be still this week, see if you can too!
S x
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A few wise words from Aristotle for you to start your week....
#motivationmonday #yourewelcome 😜

If you've got a 10 minutes to spare this week, and want to know what I learnt from swimming the English Channel, my latest podcast is now live here!
https://soundcloud.com/…/five-lessons-i -learnt-whilst-swimm…

It's not every day you swim the English Channel! England to France in just under 15 hours with three others in 'Team Sharkbait', landing in Wissant, France at 3am Wednesday morning.
But oh my, what a challenge! This was all because we set a goal 18 months ago, broke the goal down into manageable chunks and got ourselves as ready as we could, both physically and mentally.
We battled the cold water (no wetsuits allowed), multiple jellyfish stings, swimming during the night and ...sleep deprivation to get to France, and in the process raised over £2000 for our chosen charities - the RNLI and Air Ambulance. Chuffed is an understatement. 🤩
And what a great feeling to have, to have achieved something you once thought wasn't possible.
I will be summing up the experience in a podcast, and detailing which psychological skills I put into practise!
Have you set yourself some goals for this year and beyond?! If so, I'd love to hear about them!
From a tired and achy (but ecstatic), Sarah 🏊‍♀️
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CHANNEL SWIM IS A GO-GO! 🏊‍♀️🏊‍♂️ 🇬🇧➡️️🇫🇷️
We've now had confirmation that as of 11pm on Monday evening, I'll be jumping in the water at Dover and with the rest of Team Sharkbait, attempting to swim to France!
We'll be swimming for an hour at a time, maintaining a pace of 4km per hour (equivalent to 160 lengths of a normal swimming pool), through the night, with no wetsuit and only jellyfish and tankers for company!
... We are doing all this, yes for the personal challenge, but also to raise as much money as we can for two fantastic charities - the RNLI and the Air Ambulance.
Your sponsorship would be massively appreciated - https://mydonate.bt.com/fundraisers/teams harkbait - and we would love to hit our fundraising target of £1000.
Well it's one way to spend a Bank Holiday....! 😂
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If you need a bit of #mondaymotivation, then here it is. A fantastic quote, by Henry David Thoreau, which also touches on the principles of self-fulfilling prophecy.
Henry David Thoreau is suggesting that in order to live the life you want, you must start acting out the life you want to live.
Our expectation that we will see a particular outcome changes our behaviour, which shapes the way others see us. In turn, others provide the feedback we’ve set ourselves up to get, which... serves to reinforce the original belief.
So that old adage "fake it until you make it” might actually be spot on!
Do you think sport psychology could help you? Drop me an email to eliteperformancepsychology.com or call 07907 794196 for an informal chat!
Sarah :)
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I love receiving feedback like this! I'm so lucky to have such a great job and work with some fantastic people.
Do you think sport psychology could help you? Then get in touch for a FREE initial consultation!
☎️ 07907 794196... 💻 sarah@eliteperformancepsychology.com
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Great to be working with you Sian!

Fantastic post! Worth a read.....

Our first Centre10, ‘Applied Psychology for Equestrian Coaches’ course is complete A pleasure to work with such an amazing group of coaches!