Getting Out of Your Own Way - #251

What if you haven't actually forgotten how to ride?

What if the skills are still there, but pressure, nerves and overthinking are getting in the way of accessing them?

In this episode of the Equestrian Performance Mindset Podcast, I and Lorna continue our conversation around pressure and what we observed at Aachen. We explore what happens when riders become activated under pressure and why the goal isn't necessarily to get yourself completely back to a calm, “green” state. Because sometimes pressure is simply part of challenging yourself. The real skill is learning how to function and perform while you're activated.

Lorna explains this through her colour system: green represents feeling safe, grounded and connected; yellow represents activation; orange is when your heart rate, breathing and muscle tone begin to change; and red is when you become overwhelmed. The goal isn't to panic because you're orange. It's to learn that you can still perform while you're there.

In this episode, you'll discover:

• Why pressure doesn't disappear as you progress, it changes.
• Why feeling nervous doesn't mean something has gone wrong.
• The difference between being activated and being overwhelmed.
• Why you don't necessarily need to return to a completely “green” state before performing.
• How to train yourself to access your skills while you're nervous.
• Why pressure can make skills you already have feel harder to access.
• The importance of being able to think, see, feel and make choices under pressure.
• How jumping distances, rhythm and eyesight can be affected when riders become overly focused.
• Why riders can start interfering with abilities they already have.
• My “river” analogy and how the things you think, fear or worry about can become “rocks” blocking the flow of your existing skills.
• How to identify the “rocks” getting in the way of your own performance.
• Why worrying about what people on the sidelines think can interfere with your riding.
• How visualization can be used to practice making decisions while activated. 

Resources Mentioned:

Coaching & support: https://www.mindeq.eu/coaching

Weekly Hacks: https://www.mindeq.eu/weeklyhacks

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