Skadi Sport Psychology | Mental Health & Performance for Athletes

6 Steps to Build self-Worth as an athlete

Your worth isn't tied to your last race 💙

Hi Reader,Have you ever laid awake at night with all the thoughts swirling through your mind…Was it really good enough? Am I good enough? What if I can’t do it again tomorrow?Here’s the thing, and I say this with so much empathy because I’ve been there too: when your sense of worth is tangled up with your performance, it’s like standing in quicksand. Just when you think you’re getting back on top of things, you sink deeper. Exhausting doesn’t even begin to cover it. So let’s talk about...

4 days ago • 2 min read

Belonging in sport finding community as an athlete

Why finding your people in sport can be tough

Hi Reader,Happy July! 🎉 I hope you had a chance to soak up a little Fourth of July joy, whether that looked like fireworks, time with friends, or just a quiet moment away from your training log.I’m writing to you with a pretty full heart this month!I just wrapped up an intense chapter of HRV & biofeedback training, followed by a trip to the Boundary Waters. And just last week, we opened the doors to something I’ve been dreaming about for a long time (the Skadi Community, more on that...

11 days ago • 5 min read

When you can't remember why you started in the first place

Hi Reader,Since finishing Unbound 200 and recalibrating my bike/life balance, I’ve had the opportunity to revisit why (and how) I want to show up for myself and others this summer. I’ve noticed others have been doing some work on this lately, as well. Maybe you’re standing at the edge of the track, heart pounding, stomach in knots, convinced that if you don’t nail this workout, you’re not good enough. Maybe you’re navigating a major life shift, and suddenly the athletic identity that’s...

18 days ago • 2 min read

Why "good enough" may be your best performance strategy

Here’s your permission to be mediocre 🎫

Hi Reader,Each year when training for my big events, I notice that my strength training begins to take a back seat while my training volume increases. I’ve been able to get away with it so far, but thanks to the lovely process called aging, I know the clock is ticking, and injury will come a’knockin if I don’t correct course sooner rather than later.A lot of my conversations with athletes lately have pertained to this dynamic: the pressure folks are feeling with respect to doing more volume,...

25 days ago • 2 min read

Support your Athlete with Self-Criticism

Why 'you're great!' doesn't work when athletes beat themselves up

Hi Reader,In my workshops with coaches and parents, one of the topics that comes up most often is how to support athletes with a really strong inner critic. My advice is similar to what I say when athletes are having an emotional breakdown (or “crashing out,” as kids say these days).You've watched it happen. Your athlete makes a mistake, misses a shot, loses a race, botches the dismount. Their shoulders drop. They mutter something under their breath. "I'm so stupid." "I suck at this."And you,...

about 1 month ago • 2 min read

Embodiment for athletes | how listening to your body improves performance

The difference between good tired and bad tired

Hi Reader,Happy Pride Month! 🏳️🌈 At Skadi, we're celebrating authenticity, belonging, and showing up as your whole self, values that drive everything we do, on and off the field.With summer officially here, we're in full swing at Skadi HQ! Before I dive into this month's main topic, I have to share some exciting updates with you. What's New at Skadi 🎉 💪🏻First up: we’ve got more woman power behind the scenes! As we shared in last month’s newsletter, we have a few team members who have...

about 1 month ago • 4 min read

Your teen's summer checklist is missing this 📋

Hi Reader,It’s that time of year again. School’s winding down, summer’s around the corner, and if your teen athlete is anything like the ones we work with at Skadi, they’re likely already planning how to get ahead.More miles. More sessions. More hours in the gym.Because summer is when you double down on your dedication, right? (Not actually. Let’s talk about it.)Here’s what we often see:Student athletes grind all summer. They push through fatigue. They ignore the whispers from their body that...

about 2 months ago • 2 min read

The gap between research and reality in women's sport

Hi Reader,Okay friends, I’ve been working on some fun projects behind the scenes, and because of that, I’ve spent the last month deep in the latest IOC consensus statements. This past summer, I returned to my old stomping grounds (at Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota) to serve as an adjunct for their summer sport psychology course. To make the course as applicable as possible for the students, we’re covering a number of “hot topics” in the field: REDs, SafeSport, CTE, kids specializing in...

about 2 months ago • 3 min read

Will I ever get my fire back? When athletes lose their competitive fire.

When racing doesn't feel the same anymore

Hi Reader,If you’re like other athletes and coaches I’ve been working with lately, your relationship with competition might be changing. And if that’s freaking you out a little, you’re definitely not alone. 😅Over the past few years, I’ve been navigating some of my own shifts in the cycling space. I used to LOVE working toward higher power numbers and upgrade points. I loved the process of traveling for races, combing through my results and the results of my competitors, and strategizing races...

2 months ago • 3 min read

how athletes can use fear and anxiety to perform better

"What if fear isn't the problem?"

Hi Reader!Let me guess. You’ve got a big race or performance coming up, and the anxiety is already creeping in. You’re lying awake at night running through all the what-ifs.😵💫What if my training wasn’t enough?😵💫What if I blow my pacing strategy?😵💫What if I completely fall apart when it matters most?And somewhere in the back of your mind, there’s this quiet voice saying: “If I were more mentally tough, I wouldn’t feel this way.”Yeah. I know that voice well. 😅Here at Skadi, we often refer to...

2 months ago • 2 min read