Sam Roberts

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I will often be met with the idea that fear motivates people to achieve things. This is not an uncommon theory and has been pushed and indeed championed by successful people.

I’ve been coaching students at Y11, 12 and 13 and listened to the way they think about and see their lives, and the way they have to perform. This idea of motivational fear will often come up. Teens taking important exams will be driven to revise by a fear of failure. One boy even referred to this process as ‘almost natural’.

Jonny Wilkinson, the famous flyhalf for England, is well known for having suffered from this condition. I say suffered, and so would he. Making fear your master has a number of downsides, most of all to your physiology.

Jonny Wilkinson, who says he spent most of his career fearing failure

To understand this fully, we must dive into a bit of brain biology. It took me a while to get my head around all of this so I will try and explain it properly.

The first thing to understand is that stress is an important physiological response. We need it at certain times in our life. Our body is set up to access this higher plain of ability and this is why some people see it as a viable way of doing things. The problem comes when you stay in that state for a prolonged period of time.

When threatened, made fearful or put into a dangerous situation, our mind and body respond to create a physiological response. This response gives us greater speed, strength and physical competence to allow us to get away from or free ourselves from said danger or fear.

Here’s what happens: at the centre of the mind sits the amygdala, the area of the brain responsible for interpreting emotional content. The amygdala recognises danger or dangerous situations (interestingly, alcohol dampens the messaging ability of the amygdala which is why we find ourselves doing stupid things when we’re drunk). On perceiving this danger, the amygdala sends a specific message to the hypothalamus, the part of the brain in charge of regulating your physiological state: it prepares our bodies for a flight or fight response, both of which need increased ability. The hormone epinephrine is pumped out by the adrenal glands and a number of things start to happen: energy is diverted to the big muscles; our breathing becomes quicker and therefore shallower; the heart races and blood vessels contract leading to increased blood pressure; there is also a release of glucose which gives you a sugar rush. In this state, you can run faster or hit harder and it is hoped that you will either escape or overcome the threat and at some point, in the near future, return to a state of comfort and safety. There is one final hormone released at this stage and it is possibly the most problematic: cortisol is released by the body to keep the mind and body in a state of readiness should the danger return. Cortisol itself has a number of knock-on effects if this state of readiness is held for any great length of time.

If you stay in this state of high alert for mid to long term, a number of physiological reactions start to take place: cortisol dampens the release of repair hormones; there is extra and sustained pressure on the cardiovascular system; the is low-level inflammation of joints and arteries and a ‘continued hypervigilance’, perhaps rather obviously, reduces your ability to think straight.

As you can gather, this is not a state that your body should stay in for a protracted period of time. You may have been in it. Prolonged durations of stress can cause you to get things like colds and flu more easily, and you have more trouble shifting illnesses or viruses. It makes it difficult to concentrate on anything other than the thing causing you stress, which means you can often appear removed or distracted in social or family situations. Stress is one of the main causes of blood pressure ascent and the subsequent heart attacks or strokes that this causes.

All pretty dark and morbid stuff. But I do have some good news: contrast this with another physiological response involving the amygdala and hypothalamus.

When the amygdala reads the emotional content as nourishing, rewarding or intimate – when we spend quality time with people with whom we have good, strong relationships – a signal is sent to the hypothalamus and this in turn releases oxytocin. Oxytocin is the polar opposite to cortisol: it improves health and organ functionality; it reduces inflammation and accelerates healing; cortisol production itself is drastically reduced, as is any further transmission by the amygdala; your mood is improved and indeed your pain threshold is raised; there is also an increase in your ability to be creative, empathetic, trusting, honest. A knock-on effect is the release of serotonin and dopamine, the so-called ‘happiness’ hormones, and an overall greater sense of well-being and calmness is achieved. This process is at the heart of our ability to form relationships with others and possibly the process that makes us feel most human.

Stress and its physiological response are there for a reason. At certain times, we need to access it, but remaining there for a great deal of time is disadvantageous, even damaging. If we are using fear as a motivator to complete a task, endure examinations or, even worse, as a way of working at our jobs, the long-term effects are deeply troubling.

So I plead with young people, and I am pleading with you, do not make fear your master. Spend time in enriching, valuable, enhancing relationships; search out positive human interaction and recognise how that makes you feel. Work hard and stretch yourself to be at your very best but make time for moments of relaxation and respite. Exercise often, breathe deep, laugh a lot (all great ways to access oxytocin) and when stress comes along, respond to what is needed but find time and space afterwards to return back to the controlled and calm person you are naturally.

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I met up with one of my favourite former colleagues yesterday, who is now a Headteacher at an all-girls school. As well as sharing war stories from the last twelve months, we talked about the mindset of both boys and girls and how they differ. As a parent of two boys and a girl, I am always looking for help and pointers to aid me along the way. Children don’t arrive with a user manual, do they? We have to learn on the job!

One thing we both surmised was that a young female’s attitude to learning, and in particular failure, is very different to a young male. Boys, in general, and there are exceptions to the rule, have a greater propensity to give things a go. Girls tend to be a little more guarded about putting themselves forward and my friend is working hard at her school to try and give her pupils a lot more chances to fail, survive and learn from failure.

If you have a young female in your life, one who is looking for great female role models, I would really recommend the film ‘The Wall’ (currently available on Netflix). Not only is it a very well-made documentary about an unusual sport (climbing), it follows four female athletes as they all vie for gold at the Tokyo Olympic Games in 2021. It is a 12 certificate and contains some choice language, so viewer discretion is advised.

Shauna Coxsey, one of the stars of the film ‘The Wall’

One thing it does highlight is how important failure is. I’m sure you’ll all be aware of the countless failures famous entrepreneurs, inventors, and world leaders have had. You can’t really go too far on social media without some meme popping up and telling you all about how JK Rowling suffered before Bloomsbury gave her her break, or how many experiments Thomas Eddison floundered around with before his lightbulb moment. Failure is very much part of success, but why is it so important? Success is great for the soul, wonderful for confidence and can provide some much-needed happiness – failure does the opposite – why is failure as important as success? Here are some reasons you may not have thought about.

Failure makes great stories. And stories connect you to other people. The best stories I’ve ever heard had failure at the heart of them, and without these stories to tell people, we wouldn’t be able to connect in such an important way. Some of the best moments with your friends have involved getting stuff wrong. When we get together socially, reliving these moments and amusing each other with our plights and misdeeds can form a strong bond and appreciation. Sharing each other’s successes is lovely but feeling empathy for someone’s nightmarish situation is the stuff that really binds.

And coming together in a social situation is so vitally important for your brain. The hormone release that social encounters and shared experiences gives you is the best medicine in the world. Oxytocin works in direct opposition to the stress hormone Cortisol, and it is released when you come into social or positive/intimate contact with another human. Our minds need oxytocin to operate at their best, so great social interaction is necessary for our lives. Failure stories are an essential part of this.

We need complex. The way our brains work brilliantly is just outside our comfort zone. Our brain is set up for the constant introduction of new neural pathways. And neural pathways are only formed by repetition, and we are much more likely to repeat an action in the pursuit of success if we get something wrong. Doing things that we can achieve serves no real purpose in our lives and we must always look for new and different experiences to benefit our brains and continue our growth.

Life is a journey, not a destination. This is echoed in Shauna Coxsey’s final monologue in the film, where she talks about what she’s achieved and how she feels about it. To paraphrase her slightly, she concludes that ‘her successes (and failures) aren’t useful to anyone else, but what she learnt along the way is.’

Our minds trick us into thinking that achievement is important. But, for me, it is the act of achieving that we need in our lives, not achievements. In fact, once an achievement has appeared, it immediately starts to fade only to be replaced by something bigger and better, further down the line. I think many humans adore the act of achieving and so will constantly reset their sights on new and higher accolades. And because we are so enthraled to this process, we need it to be a challenge (worth achieving) and therefore we need the jeopardy of failure.

And as soon as we start to see failure in these ways; as necessary and beneficial, the more we can train our minds to not only accept failure when it happens but be pleased to see it! Now I can almost hear you thinking how ridiculous that last sentence sounds but failure’s last gift is that it makes success worth it. Failure should sting, hurt, and maybe even derail you for a moment, but that’s there to make you practice, train and commit to the pursuit of success even harder. Failure makes you do a couple of extra sets in the gym; pushes you to read a little further in the book; gives you a reason to stay out on the training field just that little bit longer. Without failure, we wouldn’t be working so hard. And without hard work, success wouldn’t mean anything. It is a cyclical process that needs all its parts to be effective.

Failure is so important. Get out there and do it!

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One of the most effective ways to teach children to do anything is a process we refer to as ‘modelling’. As a species, we are especially good at copying others, and children, with their spongelike brains, take in all sorts of behaviour and information in this way.

From dance crazes to sayings and from hairstyles to how they sit at the dinner table, our children are watching and learning. It is not a conscious process for them, it is without thought; they take in what they are seeing and hearing and regurgitate it as their own. The facial expression that you thought was hereditary is not, it is learnt. Yes, nature does play a part in some things, but nurture is a very powerful process in children learning.

I speak to a lot of parents of children who are anxious or worried. Working as I do in a pastoral capacity in a school and then as a mind coach, the epidemic of anxiety is a very real problem. But once the parent has told me that their child is anxious, the very next question is always ‘What can I do?’

The answer is relatively simple. And yet, I also understand how difficult it can be. Your child’s health, whether physical or mental, is a parent’s preoccupation. If a child is unhappy or uncomfortable, parents will worry about little else. But very often, a vast amount of a child’s anxiety will either emanate from or be exacerbated by a parent’s anxiety. One of the best things you can do for an anxious child, is practice the tools available to ease that anxiety and model for your child someone who is happy and content.

Let me put it like this: if you want your child to work hard, they must see you working hard; if you want them to be kind to others, they must see you being kind to others; if you want them to read more, they must observe you reading. It is exactly the same with anxiety. They will model the behaviours they see.

Parents will often cite school as the cause for their child’s anxiety. And yes, school, being an occasionally tough place, can be the reason for unhappiness. But on investigation, I often find out that ‘how was school?’ was the first question asked by the parent when home. They push further looking for details of a potential cause and the anxiety around one particular situation from a busy day is relived by the child. The cross examination only highlights the negative situation and ferments the thought in the child’s mind. There were many other things that happened that particular school day but the parent’s anxiety has zoned in, identified the deficiency, and added power to it. They think they are helping but, in truth, they are only making things worse.

So, what can you do? Get the child help. If early in the process, seeking help from a mind coach like me is a great first step but be prepared to join them in the process. Learn the tools to take better care of your mental health and practise them well. Practise together, but also apart. Suggest that they can talk to you about anything but don’t probe or ask questions. Fill their home with positivity and activities that provide a break from the other things with which your child is having to deal. When we have a tough day at work, having to explain it at home is often the last thing we want to do. We want to park work problems and get the most out of family life. It is exactly the same with school. Make yourself into the most comfortable and controlled parent you can be and, in that state, comfort your child with positivity and fun. Show them how possible it is to take control of your mindset and resist anxious behaviours. They will copy you.

If the anxiety is bad and needs medical intervention, then, of course, find the right medical expert and support them on that journey. But for you the above will not hurt here either. It will be a challenge to see your child in such difficulty but providing support and love in a happy and contented way is one of the best ways of accompany them.

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I don’t have to try hard to convince you of the benefits of physical health. I mean, you might not be in peak physical fitness but you would like to be, right? You know that going for a run/cycle/swim is going to be good for you. Doing those things regularly will make you live longer, healthier and less likely to get ill; being fit has all sorts of benefits to you body, mind and soul.

Mental fitness is less appreciated. Despite the connection and similarities with physical fitness, people tend not to believe in mental fitness as much. When I tell people what I do and how important it is, there are sometimes raised eyebrows and cynical expressions on faces. They seem to say, ‘I don’t need that, I’m fine.’ Mental Health has a stigma attached to it that connects with the broken, defunct or mad. And this is as stupid as suggesting poor physical health is only present in those in wheelchairs. That we only recognise and do something about poor physical health if it meant we couldn’t walk or stand. In the same way, work on your mental health should not start when you can no longing think properly.

Mental training and fitness happens in a number of different ways. We get a lot from our normal day to day routines, especially if you’re in an engaging job, and surround yourself with interesting and positive people. The problem comes when we don’t have those things or if we spend time away from others or engaging or interesting environments. Lockdown was exactly that situation, and the ripple affect of poor mental health has surprised no one who recognises the link.

Mental fitness is something you can work on, and like personal fitness, it takes time, effort and care. Just a few minutes a day, going through a few exercises and processes, can really start to make a difference and you will see changes in the way your mind copes and deals with problems.

I’m often asked if there are some quick fixes to mental fitness. And while I will always maintain that like PT, mental fitness possesses no real shortcuts, there are simple things you can do:

1. Breathing. Focused periods of deep breathing will be hugely beneficial. Whenever you can during your day make time for some good deep, diaphragm engaging breaths. Slow the heart rate and decrease your blood pressure. The side effect of this is whatever you’re doing will have a slightly different feel when you return to it after your breaths. The mind will have been invigorated and will approach a problem slightly differently.

2. Letting go. Stop holding on to negative or disruptive thoughts. Let them go. Use your breath to help them set sail and stop festering. You can’t do anything about yesterday and tomorrow can wait, be here, in the now and let things go.

3. Three great things. Everyday, maybe just before bed, write a list of three great things that are in your life. Maybe it could be a list of three great things that have happened that day. Three great moments that made you laugh or smile. Three great people you came into contact with. Three great things that are on their way towards you. The mind (and your monkey) is easily fixated by the not-so great things in life. We can, in those moments just before sleep, start to rummage around in negativity. This process of ‘Three Great Things’ can counteract that tendency and remind you that positivity is around you. Hopefully it will also make you smile and smiling is great. Do it now. Think of something or someone who makes you smile and smile. Can you feel that change in your mind. The lift? It’s there. You just have to bring it to the fore.

Practising mental fitness is as crucial as physical fitness. We need to start thinking about it differently and treating it with the respect it deserves.

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When working with sportspeople, our talk often gravitates towards how they can be at their best. For elite performers, being ‘in the zone’ is a place they always want to be. However, no human can be at their best at all times. And however good your mindset coaching, and however diligent you are at applying the tools and principles, nothing is guaranteed.

But like many other areas of their game, good mindset coaching will make their best more accessible. Practising the skills and concepts that allow your mind to be in the best possible place when you perform will increase the chances of things going well. A bit like a bigger racket or goal to aim for, mindset coaching will make success more likely.

It can also help the other end. There is a golfing idiom about how you should rate your playing ability: “It’s not how good your good shots are, it’s about how good your bad shots are.” Everyone can have a purple patch but how rotten is your game when things go wrong? How do you respond to a moment that lacked the requisite skill? Is one mistake compounded by another? Good Mindset work is as important for you when things are going badly, as when things are going well.

The above is one of my favourite pictures in sport, as it embodies a nirvana often sought by top athletes. Serena Williams is totally and utterly focused on the ball. She is not considering anything other than the task at hand. She is free of any extraneous thought and allowing her body to do what she has trained it to do. Rod Laver had a phrase when asked what he was thinking about out on the tennis court: “Nothing but the ball.” This picture is that phrase personified.

Our minds will often get in our way. The thoughts our minds produce will often produce physiological responses and, in turn, will make us feel and perform differently.

I know that from my work in sports commentary: my best is when I don’t think; I just react to what I am watching. I don’t try and force lines, I stay open and relaxed, and use the words that come to me to describe what we are watching. I plan and prepare thoroughly but I recognise that having done that, the best thing I can do is let the skill come to the fore and get any predisposed thinking or erroneous thoughts out the way. Just be present and happy. Immerse myself in the action and allow everything to happen naturally. I know that things won’t go as well when I try and force phrases or ideas. If I push, then the work becomes artificial and inauthentic. It is passable but it isn’t the best of me.

When things go wrong in commentary – and they invariably do: I’ll incorrectly name-check a player or misinterpret a law – I know I can’t spend any time worrying about it. The game moves quickly and I need to be ready to react to what is coming next. If I agonise over something I got wrong then I won’t be in the best possible place for the next piece of action. It is tricky, but I have to push away that feeling or emotion connected to the mistake, leave it, smile, (that’s a great way of resetting my mind), and stay present.

It’s the same for everyone, in any role where they find themselves under pressure. Trust the preparation and training. If you’ve worked hard up to that point and put in the requisite time and effort in practice, get your mind and its thoughts out of the way. Let your body do its thing. Stay in the present, not the past or the future; just remain happy and content in the now. It’s your gift. The present of the present.

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I was fascinated to hear Eoin Morgan talk about how he approached that unforgettable final over in the ODI Cricket World Cup in 2019. I’m sure you don’t need reminding what had happened but to refer to it as one of the most enthralling sporting spectacles of our lifetime is not an understatement.

Morgan was amongst it. Trying to see the wood for the trees and, as he recalled it, trying to communicate with the bowler who would bowl England’s crucial sudden death over, Jofra Archer.

When speaking to Sky Sports about the situation, Morgan revealed that his first thought was his own breath. He wanted to control it; take some good steady breaths before approaching the young Archer. He recognised that the most important thing in that moment was not necessarily his words, but the way he came across. He wanted Archer to perceive an ease and comfort in his captain. In the swirling storm of the situation, Morgan did not want to panic his man, or create any unease in a player he knew needed to be at his best. And Morgan knew the key to this lay in managing and controlling his own breathing.

As I have spoken about at length, our breath is our superpower. As performers wanting to operate at our best, we need to have clarity of thought and ease of action. The breath governs all of these things. Taking a few moments to slow our heart rate, lower our blood pressure, to control our breathing and therefore, in this instance, our voice and delivery, is key.

If you get into the habit of working on your breathing on a daily basis, this process will become easier. When you really need it, your body will find the strong deep breath more easily. A bit like any other technique or skill, if utilised often, the muscle memory in your diaphragm will respond. Morgan’s sublime example is the reason why we should all practise our breathing.

If we want to perform at our best, if we want to present to others a picture of serenity and control, breath is the cornerstone.