The Equation That Redefines Mental Strength for Athletes
Uncertainty + Importance = Discomfort
Uncertainty + Importance = Discomfort
If the outcome is uncertain, and the outcome means the world to you, uncomfortable thoughts will arise1.
Uncertainty arises from not knowing what will happen. Importance stems from how much the result matters. Together, they guarantee discomfort.
Your role as an athlete is to navigate discomfort, not avoid it.
Flaws in the Traditional View of Mental Strength
The traditional view of mental strength is a myth.
It paints a picture of an athlete who is always calm, confident, and unshakably positive—a vision closer to a robot than a human.
In this view, the goal is to avoid discomfort entirely. But this is impossible when the outcome is both uncertain and deeply important.
Here are the two major flaws with this perspective:
Avoidance leads to distraction - Instead of staying present, you squander attention battling the natural ebb and flow of your inner experiences—thoughts and feelings that are part of being human. Mental strength is about performing your best despite those inner experiences, not relying on certain feelings—because dependence on them is the true weakness.
Discomfort can enhance performance - Discomfort isn’t inherently bad. Stress and pressure, when managed well, can elevate your performance, pushing you to reach new levels.2
Redefining Mental Strength
Your performance isn’t dictated by your inner experiences—only by how you navigate them.
This is the essence of psychological flexibility: staying present and acting in line with your values, even in the face of stress or discomfort.3
Values are the qualities that guide how you want to perform and compete, regardless of the outcome. For example, if my value is commitment, I can choose to make a committed golf swing, regardless of the thoughts or emotions swirling in my mind.
The good news? Navigating discomfort is a trainable skill—and mindfulness provides the foundation to master it.4
How to Navigate Discomfort
Mental strength isn’t something we’re born with—it’s something we build.
During Competition
When distractions arise, use these steps to refocus:
Label Experience - Notice your inner experience and label it, either in your head or out loud, as a thought, emotion, or feeling (see footnotes for link to video demonstration).5
Engage Senses - Shift your attention to your breath, or any other sense, to help ground yourself in the present moment.6
Control Attention - Direct your attention to something specific and relevant to your performance.
At Home
Regular mindfulness practice rewires your brain, improving both its structure and function.7
Research suggests that dedicating just 13 minutes a day to mindfulness over 8 weeks can boost attention, memory, and emotional regulation.8
If you're serious about becoming mentally strong, establish a consistent mindfulness practice.
Recap
Mental strength isn’t about avoiding discomfort—it’s about navigating it effectively.
When uncertainty and importance combine, discomfort is inevitable, but it doesn’t have to derail you.
By taking charge of your attention and developing a mindfulness practice, you can build the psychological flexibility needed to stay present, act on your values, and perform at your best—even under pressure.
This quote came from Dr. Peter Haberl.
Krahenbuhl, G. (1975). Adrenaline, arousal and sport. The American Journal of Sports Medicine, 3, 117 - 121. https://doi.org/10.1177/036354657500300304.
Cherry, K., Hoeven, E., Patterson, T., & Lumley, M. (2021). Defining and measuring "psychological flexibility": A narrative scoping review of diverse flexibility and rigidity constructs and perspectives.. Clinical psychology review, 84, 101973 . https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cpr.2021.101973.
Dehghani, M., Saf, A., Vosoughi, A., Tebbenouri, G., & Zarnagh, H. (2018). Effectiveness of the mindfulness-acceptance-commitment-based approach on athletic performance and sports competition anxiety: a randomized clinical trial. Electronic Physician, 10, 6749 - 6755. https://doi.org/10.19082/6749.
https://www.socialmeditation.guide/basic/basic-noting
Ju, Y., & Lien, Y. (2016). Better control with less effort: The advantage of using focused-breathing strategy over focused-distraction strategy on thought suppression. Consciousness and Cognition, 40, 9-16. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.concog.2015.12.002.
Kilpatrick, L., Suyenobu, B., Smith, S., Bueller, J., Goodman, T., Creswell, J., Tillisch, K., Mayer, E., & Naliboff, B. (2011). Impact of mindfulness-based stress reduction training on intrinsic brain connectivity. NeuroImage, 56, 290-298. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuroimage.2011.02.034.
Basso, J., McHale, A., Ende, V., Oberlin, D., & Suzuki, W. (2019). Brief, daily meditation enhances attention, memory, mood, and emotional regulation in non-experienced meditators. Behavioural Brain Research, 356, 208-220. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bbr.2018.08.023.