Eighty Percent Mental

In this episode, Pete and Leah, are joined by Certified Mental Performance Consultant, Aren Ulmer to explore the significance of identity in sports and exercise, and how our sense of identity impacts performance and well-being. They discuss the importance of holistic development for athletes, and the challenges collegiate athletes face in managing dual identities, how athletes navigate their personal an...

In this episode of the Eighty Percent Mental podcast, Dr Pete Olusoga is joined by Head of Women’s Performance Psychology at the Football Association, Dr. Kate Hays. We discuss Kate’s model for success, outlined in her new book “How to win: Lessons in success from the front line of performance psychology,” which includes understanding oneself, defining purpose, establishing methods, and creating a conducive environment for perform...

Dr Pete Olusoga and Dr Leah Washington engage with “soon to be Dr” David Smith, to explore the intersection of psychology, exercise, and societal issues. They discuss the transformative power of sport, the importance of community, current societal challenges and the role of resilience in navigating these complexities. In this conversation, David discusses the historical silence of the government during ...

In this episode of the Eighty Percent Mental Podcast, hosts Pete and Leah and guest Dr Luke Olsson delve into the complex topic of burnout. They explore the differences between stress and burnout, the symptoms associated with burnout, and how it manifests in various professions. The conversation also touches on the individual and environmental factors that contribute to burnout, and the cultural influences that exacerbate the issu...

In this episode of Eighty Percent Mental, hosts Pete and Leah, along with guest Dr Marina Harris, delve into the complex world of eating disorders. They discuss the definitions of eating disorders versus disordered eating, the impact of diet culture, and the role of social media in shaping body image. The conversation highlights the importance of recognizing red flags in eating behaviours, the stigma su...

In this episode, Dr Pete Olusoga and Dr Leah Washington are joined by Director of Culturgen and self-confessed behavioural science nerd, Chris Garrison to explore the Science of Bias. What is cognitive bias? How does it work? What is the impact of our biases on those around us and how can we begin to challenge the biases that we all hold? We discuss all of this and much more in this episode of Eighty P...

In this episode, Dr Pete Olusoga and Dr Leah Washington welcome the President of the International Society of Sport Psychology, Dr Rob Schinke, to the podcast to talk about mental health and about finding ways to harness our gifts and truly live up to our human potential. We discuss Rob’s work with with Olympic and professional athletes, his thoughts on Cultural Sport Psychology and his book, “Gifted:8 ...

The commercialisation of wellness and wellbeing has led us to the point where everyone has basically gone fucking nuts. With so much crap on the internet, how can ordinary folk spot the snake oil? How can we be more skeptical about the information we’re presented with, and how can we be better scientists? In this episode, Dr Pete Olusoga and Dr Leah Washington talk to Dr Nick Tiller, exercise scientist ...

In this episode of EightyPercentMental, hosts Pete and Leah are joined by Paralympic gold medalist Danielle Brown to talk about the Paris 2024 Paralympics. We discuss standout moments from the Games, the significance of the opening ceremony, and the psychological strategies athletes use to cope with pressure. In this conversation, Danielle Brown, double Paralympic gold medalist, shares her experiences a...

4.04 – What about my immune system?

What is my immune system and why is it so important? In this episode, Dr Pete Olusoga and Dr Leah Washington are joined by immunologist, Senior Lecturer and author, Dr Jenna Macciochi, to explore how the immune system is linked to psychological health. We discuss what our immune systems actually are, what they do (and what they don’t do), ...

The Olympic Games wouldn’t be complete without an EightyPercentMental Olympic Review and that’s exactly what Dr Pete Olusoga and Dr Leah Washington are doing in this episode with the help of their guest, Dr Quincy Davis. We talk about highs, the lows, our favourite moments, and of course we dive into the psychology underpinning some of the most memorable performances – and yes that includes the breakdan...

There’s a well-established link between exercise and mental health. In this episode of Eighty Percent Mental, Dr Pete Olusoga and new co-host, Dr Leah Washington explore how and why moving our bodies can be beneficial for our psychological health, but also why it might not be as simple as just moving more! Our guest this episode is Dr Hillary Cauthen, a clinical sport psychologist based in Austin TX, an...

Welcome to the brand-new series of EightyPercentMental, the podcast all about the psychology of sport and performance. Only… it isn’t just about sport and performance anymore, because in this series, we’re going to explore how psychology is important in exercise, health, and wellbeing, and how we can apply this to our everyday lives! Is exercise really good for my mental health? What’s the link between ...

Sometimes the transition out of sport can be easy, a natural progression to the next stage of an athlete’s life. Sometimes it can be an intensely difficult and painful experience.  Sometimes, ending an athletic career can be a deliberate choice, other times it’s forced upon an athlete through injury, or changing circumstances. In the final episode of this series, Dr Pete Olusoga explores The Psychology ...

There’s no denying the strategy, the undeniable levels of skill, and the precision involved in American Football, but it’s also a sport, a little like rugby, where a good part of your time is spent picking yourself up off the floor after being knocked on your ass. In this episode of Eighty Percent Mental, Dr Pete Olusoga explores the psychology involved in collision sports. What are the unique mental ch...

Earlier this series (Episode 3.13), Dr Pete Olusoga spoke to  Laura Langton and Kit Windsor, from Team Ace of Blades, just before they set off on their quest to row across the Atlantic. Along with the other two members of the crew, Lizz Watson and Beth Motley, they set off from La Gomera in the Canary Islands on 13th December, 2023. Forty-seven days later, they rowed their 25ft boat into English Harbour...

Ever fancied strapping yourself to a plank and throwing yourself down a snowy mountain? In this episode of Eighty Percent Mental, Dr Pete Olusoga explores The Psychology of The Slopes with snowboarding legend, Stevie Bell, and the Founder of the Mental Performance Center for Action Sports, Alēc Herbert. Such a great conversation around the mental aspects of action sports, preparation, professionalism, a...

Experiencing pressure is something we can all identify with. In this episode of the EightyPercentMental podcast Dr Pete Olusoga talks with Sport Psychologist and UK Sport Institute Technical Lead, Dr Mike Stoker about what exactly pressure is, the impacts that it can have on how we think, feel, and perform, and how Pressure Training can help us manage pressure more effectively.

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In this episode of Eighty Percent Mental, Dr Pete Olusoga is joined by Dr Mark O’Sullivan for a deeply insightful conversation on youth sport. We talk about the nature and evolution of coach education and the impact on coaching practice in youth sport, and we discuss the very purpose of youth sport itself. Who is it for? What is it for? And how does that impact on the kids who want to play!

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