The Elite Mind Academy, LLC

Amazing opportunity hearing all of the stories of mental toughness and resilience from this class of ECHL inductees, including Mr. Scott Burfoot who talked about the power of visualization which helped him achieve scoring 427 total career points 🏒🥅 🤯

Burnout is a common phenomenon amongst high level performers, and due to the increasing desire to “do whatever it takes to get to the top”, many individuals are prioritizing their performance over their well-being. Being E•L•I•T•E means taking care of yourself first 💆‍♂️, then the quality performance will follow suit🏆



“…Silva (1990), conceptualizes burnout as a training stress syndrome where too much stress can first produce staleness, then overtraining, and eventually burnout. Staleness is defined by a clear drop in athlete motivation and a plateau in performance. Overtrained athletes often exhibit psychophysiological malfunctions and performance declines. According to Silva and many other sport scientists who have studied burnout, the only way to halt this cycle is to rest, usually not a satisfying prescription to athletes who feel they cannot stop and want to "push through" their negative symptoms.” (Kaufman, AASP 2015)



If you feel like a volcano 🌋 just waiting to explode 🤯, consider taking a much needed break and REST. Resting is not being weak, but rather a necessary anecdote for ensuring you are operating at your best. The sooner you become okay with this aspect of a training routine, the sooner you’ll come to realize the amazing impact that it can have 🤙🏼

One of the many key 🔑 skills that Elite Athletes are constantly developing is their internal dialogue that goes on in their mind 🧠. Self-talk is a powerful tool to incorporate into your mental skills toolbox 🧰, and research has taken an even deeper dive into this phenomenon:



What psychologists have found is that simply by switching perspectives when it comes to your self-talk 🗣 , you can create a level of distance between you and the situation you’re in. Instead of speaking/thinking in first-person (“I …”), try more of a second or third person approach (“You…” or “[Your name]…”). It might sound silly, but there is a lot of legitimacy to this strategy! 🤯



When we create this psychological distance ↔️, our perspective of the situation changes… it broadens… and we are able to see that situation for what really is going on, while letting go of unhelpful emotions or excess thoughts or biases. It’s almost as if we are becoming our own “best friend” giving ourselves advice and encouragement, just like if you were to be pushing your teammates to make it through the last quarter mile of a race 🏃‍♂️



So the next time you’re in the middle of a difficult workout 🏋🏻‍♀️, stressed or overwhelmed with the chaos of work 📈, school 📚or life in general 😵‍💫, or even just need a little boost of motivation and a pick-me-up, take a step out of the self-immersed and emotionally charged first person world… and take a leap into the wide lens viewpoint of speaking as your own best friend! Instead of “I can do this…”, it becomes “YOU can do this…” or “[oh nah nah, what’s your name] can do this!”. Give it a try and let us know what you think of this mental skill for performance! 🤙🏼

What are you grateful for?? 🤔 Research shows that by expressing and evoking gratitude, you can actually enhance multiple aspects of your overall performance, and enhance overall quality of life. 🤩



From a physiological standpoint, gratitude (or expressing appreciation for the things we have) can release the 🧠 brain’s “happy chemicals”, like serotonin and dopamine… and who doesn’t want to feel happy!? 🤗 Also, having a regular gratitude practice can help lower blood pressure and can undo the physiological sensations typically associated with stress and negative emotion.



Practicing gratitude can help improve your quality of sleep 😴, improve attitude, 🙂, and help shift your mindset to one of optimism, which is a key 🔑 factor in “keeping your head in the game”. Here are three strategies you can try out to increase the amount of gratitude in your day-to-day in order to experience these performance enhancement benefits:

1) Journaling daily things you are grateful for and reflecting on the “why” behind that appreciation 📝. We challenge you to do this for at least 30 days, and then see how you are feeling and performing!
2) Write a note to someone you’re grateful for! Maybe it’s a loved one, friend, Coach, or teacher… but share with them why you appreciate them ☺️. This will not only bring benefits to you, but will also increase optimism and positive emotion on their end!
3) Practice visualization, and picture 👀 a moment, in the most vivid way possible, that you are extremely grateful for. Mentally bring yourself back to that moment, and immerse yourself in all that moment entailed.

The holiday season and the end of the year is a great time to reflect on what you are grateful for! We know one thing for sure…. We are so grateful for all of you!! 😊

Happy Veteran’s Day from the team at The Elite Mind Academy! Veterans hold a special place in our hearts, and we are forever grateful for your dedication to our amazing country. THANK YOU!! 🇺🇸 💙❤️

Remember… Halloween candy has been shown to enhance your mental game* 🤔

*Not actually supported by research, but hey, why not!?…. Trick or treat!! 🍬🍫👻🎃

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In a perfect world, we would always hit a home run when life throws us crazy curveballs ⚾️ However, that’s just not the way it goes sometimes, which is why it’s important to exercise another muscle: your resilience muscle! 💪🏼



Whether it’s dealing with an injury 🤕 , not getting the promotion you’ve been working so hard for 👨‍💼 , losing the big game in overtime🥈, or getting cut from the team… being resilient is all about developing the skills necessary to come out on top… whatever that means for YOU. It’s not about avoiding ❌ challenges and obstacles at all cost (because that’s unrealistic to think they won’t happen!), but rather maintaining the will to push through the barriers 🚧 as they come!



It’s not always easy. It’s not always pretty. Sometimes you may need to lean on the support of others to help you through it… and that’s OK!! But going through the hard stuff is the stuff that builds character … it’s a TRUE test of mental toughness, and a testament of mental strength! 🤙🏼

Today is World Mental Health Day! 🧠When it comes to what we do at The Elite Mind Academy, we provide coaching and training on mental performance skills as a proactive approach to performing (thinking, feeling and acting) as your best self, even under the most stressful circumstances. Though there is a difference between “mental performance” and “mental health”, there is also a cross over between the two that cannot be ignored.



According to a recent survey in conjunction with the NCAA, it was determined that “the number of student-athletes reporting mental health concerns is 1.5 to two times higher than before the COVID-19 pandemic”📈 (NCAA Student-Athlete Well-Being Survey). Additionally, further research suggests that “more than 35% of elite athletes suffer from a mental health crisis which may manifest as stress, eating disorders, burnout, or depression and anxiety” (Clinical Journal of Sports Medicine).



Mental health struggles are not something to ignore… we know this first hand 🫶🏽. Take advantage of the many resources that are available out there, and take greater control over your performance, and your life 💪🏼🧠🤙🏼

Everyone’s “toolbox” 🧰 looks different. What are you doing to make sure yours is appropriately stocked with what you need?? 🛠️💪🏼🧠

Dealing with an injury can be REALLY challenging 😫… physically, mentally, emotionally, and even socially. But having the proper mental skills training can help! ✅



Being sidelined presents different challenges for everyone, but what often happens psychologically has consistently presented itself within performers. Be on the lookout for thoughts 💭 , emotions or behavioral responses that link to your identity. Many individuals believe that their sole identity lies within the ‘I am an athlete’ framework. Though there are many pros to this, when experiencing injury or injury recovery 🩼 , this could lead to extensive negative issues: low self-esteem, decreased levels of confidence, social isolation, counterproductive thinking and even transpiring into mental health related outcomes.



Know that you are MORE than just an athlete…. And by exploring other ‘identities’ outside of the sporting arena, you are actually setting yourself up for success when catastrophic events (like injury) occur! 🤙🏼

Ability 🔑
Motivation 🔑
Attitude 🔑



All three of these performance characteristics can be developed… it just takes some deliberate effort, deliberate practice, and deliberate ex*****on! And at the core of it, the common theme here is how you THINK 💭 about your performance!! Start becoming more aware of the types of thoughts you’re having when it comes to your ability, motivation and attitude, and from there, you can determine if those thoughts are either working for you or against you! 🤔



Actions have thought processes attached to them, and that’s where you have the greatest amount of control🫵🏽! So, what are you thinking when it comes to your performance?? 🤙🏼

In remembrance of all those lost on 9/11/2001. We will never forget.