Dr. Michael Gervais, Sports Psychologist
Dr. Michael Gervais, a sports psychologist known for working with the Seattle Seahawks, discusses his journey with anxiety and how he discovered mindfulness and mental training. He shares insights on cultivating mental discipline and presence for peak performance in high-stakes environments.
Deep Dive Analysis
18 Topic Outline
Early Life and Surfing Anxiety
Discovery of Performance Imagery
Understanding Distress vs. Eustress
Academic Journey and Psychology Mentors
The "Doorbell Ringing" Analogy for Thoughts
Transition to Sport Psychology and Tibetan Buddhism
Personal Healing Through Imagery and Meditation
Introducing Mindfulness to High-Performance Athletes
Defining "Groundedness"
Mindfulness and the Seattle Seahawks Culture
How Mindfulness Training Benefits Athletes
The "One Play at a Time" Mindset
Walt Rutherford's Wisdom for Client Work
Mike Gervais's Coaching Approach and Business Model
Shifting Perceptions of Mindfulness in Elite Fields
Addressing Criticisms of Mindfulness in Combat Sports
The Mental Edge in World-Class Athletics
Mike's Personal Meditation Practice and Future Goals
8 Key Concepts
Performance Imagery
A technique of imagination where one visualizes what could go right in a situation, rather than focusing on potential failures. This practice can disrupt negative thought patterns and improve performance.
Off-Axis
A term originating from action sports, referring to a contrarian or non-mainstream point of view. It describes taking a slightly different, often more creative or unconventional, approach to a movement or idea.
Distress & Eustress
Two distinct types of stress: distress is excessive and unhelpful stress that can hinder performance and well-being, while eustress is a useful, positive form of stress that can be motivating and beneficial.
"Doorbell Ringing" Analogy
A metaphor for thoughts, suggesting that just as one doesn't have to answer every doorbell ring or phone call, one also doesn't have to entertain or respond to every thought that arises, especially disruptive ones.
Groundedness
A state of being rooted and present, characterized by a feeling of fullness and weight. It contrasts with anxiety, which can make one feel disconnected or 'weeble-wobble' and uncentered.
Mindfulness Training
A term used in competitive environments to describe the practice of mindfulness or meditation, emphasizing its disciplined, structured aspect as a form of mental training to cultivate awareness and insight.
Awareness (Pillar of Mindfulness)
The fundamental ability to observe one's thoughts, emotions, bodily sensations, and the surrounding environment without judgment. This heightened awareness allows for more eloquent and swift adjustments in performance.
Insight and Wisdom (Pillar of Mindfulness)
The deeper understanding and internal wisdom that is revealed through consistent mindfulness practice. It is the path to self-discovery and navigating life's challenges more effectively.
13 Questions Answered
Mike Gervais initially discovered performance imagery to cope with anxiety during surfing competitions. Later, while pursuing a PhD in psychology with an emphasis in sport, he was introduced to formalized meditation through a Tibetan psychology program where classes began with a short meditation practice.
Instead of excessively worrying about potential negative outcomes, one can pivot to imagining what could go right. Excessive negative thinking creates anxiety and disconnects one from their physical body and craft.
Distress refers to excessive, unhelpful stress that can be detrimental, while eustress is a 'good' or useful form of stress that can be motivating and contribute to performance.
Disciplining the mind involves studying it and engaging in consistent, committed training, such as single-point focus or contemplative meditation, to reduce internal noise and achieve clarity.
The analogy suggests that just as you don't have to answer every doorbell ring or phone call, you don't have to entertain or engage with every thought that interrupts your flow, especially those that are disruptive.
Mike initially didn't bring up meditation directly due to its 'woo-woo' perception. Instead, he focused on understanding the person and helping them reveal their own wisdom. Over time, as athletes sought ways to be 'grounded' and as the practice gained more scientific backing and acceptance, he began to share it more openly, often through organic conversations.
Being 'grounded' means having a sense of weight, fullness, and being rooted, even when no one else is around. It implies being fully present and owning one's state, rather than feeling anxious or disconnected.
Mindfulness training helps athletes become more aware of their thoughts, emotions, body, and environment. This increased awareness allows them to adjust more swiftly and eloquently to demands, increasing the frequency of accessing their craft at a high level and staying present in the moment.
In high-pressure moments, mindfulness helps athletes let go of past mistakes ('one play at a time') and future worries, enabling them to be fully present where their feet are. This presence is crucial for accessing their trained abilities and making swift, effective decisions.
On the world stage, where all athletes are physically skilled, the mental game becomes the differentiator. Since thoughts precede action, training the mind to have 'great thoughts' and manage internal states provides a competitive advantage alongside physical and craft training.
Mike conducts intensive 8-hour sessions, starting by exploring 'who are you?' and 'what's it like to be you?' to understand their psychological framework (e.g., pessimistic/optimistic, lover/fighter). The focus is on identifying and amplifying the client's strengths to help them train their mind effectively.
The simplest way to know if you're meditating correctly is to pay attention to your breath, and when you get lost in thought, simply start again. The act of noticing you've been distracted and returning to the breath is the practice itself.
Mike believes that people choose their paths, often with noble intentions, and that sport, historically, has roots in preparing warriors. He sees beauty in the physical capabilities and presence required in combat sports, and views mindfulness as a tool to help individuals excel in their chosen craft, regardless of its nature.
20 Actionable Insights
1. Don’t Entertain Every Thought
Recognize that you don’t have to entertain every thought that arises, especially those that interrupt your flow or are unhelpful, to avoid unnecessary internal civil war and physiological changes.
2. Practice Performance Imagery
When faced with worry about what could go wrong, pivot to imagining what could go right (performance imagery) to shift your mindset and improve your experience.
3. Cultivate Awareness Through Mindfulness
Engage in mindfulness training to cultivate awareness of your thoughts, emotions, bodily sensations, and the surrounding environment, enhancing performance and overall well-being.
4. Commit to Disciplined Mindfulness Training
Commit to a consistent mindfulness practice, starting with short durations (e.g., 10 breaths, 1-3 minutes) and progressively increasing to 6-20 minutes, to foster sustained connection to the present moment and observe changes.
5. Let Go of the Past
Practice letting go of past events or thoughts (e.g., ’the last play’) to fully engage with the present moment, which is crucial for optimal performance in fast-paced or demanding situations.
6. Maximize Present Moment Performance
Increase your time spent in the present moment through mindfulness to enable swift adjustments, access your skills at a higher level, and string together moments of excellence.
7. Facilitate Body’s Natural Recovery
Support your body’s natural healing process by quieting your mind, reducing internal noise, and intentionally focusing your attention on the areas of your body that need recovery, as intelligent recovery is crucial for performance.
8. Utilize Healing Imagery for Chronic Pain
If experiencing chronic physical issues and traditional methods aren’t working, consider using healing imagery for 17 minutes daily, visualizing the body’s natural healing processes (note: the speaker cautions about this ‘fringe science’ technique).
9. Discern Useful from Useless Stress
Use mindfulness meditation to discern between useful stress (eustress) and useless stress (distress), allowing you to manage your mental state more effectively.
10. Discipline Your Mind
Recognize that an undisciplined mind can lead to internal noise and unhelpful states; actively seek ways to discipline your mind, such as studying its mechanics.
11. Use Mindfulness for Self-Acceptance
Engage in mindfulness to explore and accept your true self (‘Who am I?’), which provides a deeper and richer foundation than merely learning confidence mechanics.
12. Cultivate Groundedness and Weight
Cultivate ‘groundedness’ by developing a sense of internal weight and rootedness, allowing you to ‘own’ intense moments rather than fluttering away in fear.
13. Identify and Amplify Strengths
Understand your psychological framework (e.g., optimism, pessimism, core nature) and identify your core strengths, then focus on amplifying and training your mind to celebrate and leverage those strengths.
14. Cultivate Positive Thoughts
Recognize that thoughts precede action and have significant neurochemical consequences, triggering pattern behavior; therefore, intentionally cultivate ‘great thoughts’ to positively influence your actions and brain chemistry.
15. Morning Mindset Training Routine
Start your morning with a specific mindset training: take one or two conscious breaths, cultivate one thought of gratitude, set one intention for the day, and then ground yourself by simply being present.
16. Integrate Mindfulness Daily
Extend the benefits of formal meditation into daily life by aiming for ‘a thousand little moments to be present’ throughout the day, integrating mindfulness into every activity.
17. Trust Inner Wisdom & Be Present
When faced with challenging interpersonal situations, trust that your inner wisdom is sufficient, be fully present for the other person, and pay close attention, as the necessary insights will emerge.
18. Help Others Reveal Wisdom
When helping others, especially high-performers, focus on deeply understanding them and facilitating the revelation of their own internal wisdom and answers, rather than simply giving advice.
19. Introduce Practices Organically
When introducing new practices like meditation, do so organically through natural conversations when people express interest and openness, rather than imposing it formally.
20. Support the Podcast
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8 Key Quotes
When your doorbell rings, do you have to answer it?
Dr. Cusio
Just because something is interrupting your flow, whatever that is, you don't have to entertain it.
Dr. Cusio
We don't go find wisdom, we reveal it.
Mike Gervais
Everything you need is already inside you and be there for the other person. And everything you need is going to also show up in the chair next to you. So just pay attention.
Walt Rutherford
Excellence happens now. It happens in the present moment.
Mike Gervais
Thoughts have consequences. They create neuroelectrical and neurochemical, uh, exchanges in the brain and, um, they trigger pattern behavior.
Mike Gervais
The spirit of competition is like, Hey, we need each other. Let's go. Let's, let's compete together to figure out how good, how far we can take this thing to the limits of the human potential, right?
Mike Gervais
I try to pay attention to my breath. And when I get lost, I start again.
David Gellis (quoted by Dan Harris)
1 Protocols
Morning Mindset Training
Mike Gervais- Take one breath, maybe two.
- Cultivate one thought of gratitude.
- Set one intention for the day.
- Put your feet on the ground and be present in the moment.