Who is The Mindful Performer? My story & mission...

If I only ever managed to write one blog post, this would be it:  the essential message that I desperately want every performer to hear...

​Please share this with anyone you know who could benefit!
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The Mindful Performer was born out of my sheer frustration and incredulity that performers are not taught the essential mental skills for peak performance.  So many performers suffer in silence from performance anxiety, low self confidence and insufficient focus and concentration whilst proven, effective and achievable techniques are readily available. ​

My story

As a young opera singer I was a perfectionist, I was constantly comparing myself to others and always fixating on my weaknesses.  Sure, I was doing well, but I was not enjoying performing and I knew if I continued on that path I’d burn out before I ever succeeded.  

So I embarked on a journey that ultimately lead to an entire career change!  My mission was simple, I wanted to know: 

What makes some performers more capable, stronger, resilient, successful and happier than others? 
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Ironically, I was always very skeptical about mental preparation - visualisation, affirmations, meditation - this was like talking about fairy dust to me! Any solution would have to be scientifically proven, and specifically targeted to performance excellence if it were to win me over!  ​​

Finding answers

I thought my nerves, fears and insecurities were just something I had to put up with, so I was astounded to discover a wealth of knowledge to manage anxiety, improve self-confidence, increase focus and concentration, set effective goals, and even improve motivation, courage and resilience! 

​I wanted to scream: Why has nobody taught me this?
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My mission

There are two messages I now desperately want every performer to know:

​It doesn’t come naturally…

Our brains are evolutionarily wired for the very three things that performance continuously challenges - safety, stability and social approval. Needing help with these challenges doesn’t mean there is something wrong with you, you’re built to feel this way! Experiencing nerves when faced with a threat, worrying about the opinions of others, not wanting to attempt something that will make you vulnerable - these are all natural reactions - not weaknesses - but it doesn’t mean you have to put up with them.

​Excellence is a learnt skill...

To manage the constant exposure, pressure, vulnerability, judgement and comparisons of a career as an elite musician, a mental strength, focus, dedication and mindset beyond the norm is required.  These are not innate qualities, but learnt skills!  The clients I work with are all successful, skilled performers, but they don’t want to be good, they want to be excellent!  Just as olympic athletes work with sport’s psychologists to remain focused, believe in themselves and manage their nerves under immense pressure, my clients develop a focused, determined, courageous and unflappable mindset so that they can perform with calm confidence, unhindered by self doubt and negativity.

​THIS is what being a Mindful Performer is all about!
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If you’d like to learn more you can sign up to receive blog posts direct to your email.  Alternatively, please click the little ‘like’ symbol below.  Or, if you're ready to tackle your inhibitions to performance head on, contact me to discuss your options and arrange an appointment.

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​Amy Radford is a Performance Psychologist based in Sydney, Australia.  She is passionate about translating the latest research from psychology and neuroscience into practical strategies for both peak performance and career satisfaction.

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