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Home > Talking Performance > Ep 191 - From Anxiety to Acceptance: Dr. Raymond Prior's Guide to Performance
Podcast: Talking Performance
Episode:

Ep 191 - From Anxiety to Acceptance: Dr. Raymond Prior's Guide to Performance
Category: Sports & Recreation
Duration: 01:03:43
Publish Date: 2026-04-09 17:00:00
Description:

Seemed a cool episode to release the week of the Masters! This week I am joined by Dr Raymond Prior. Discover how to cultivate "stable confidence" and perform at your best under pressure. In this episode, Dr. Raymond Prior shares his journey into performance psychology, debunks common myths about confidence, and offers practical strategies to perform freely regardless of external factors. 

In this episode:

  •  Dr. Prior discusses how confidence relies on internal permission rather than external outcomes
  •  Breaks down the five sources of unstable confidence: outcomes, opinions, past/future events, thoughts/feelings, and context
  •  Explains how to develop resilience through acceptance and strategic mental practices
  •  Shares insights on training for performance, not just technique
  •  Highlights the importance of language and mindset for young learners and elite performers

 Timestamps: 00:00 - Introduction and overview of performance psychology and confidence
02:16 - Dr. Prior's background and journey into performance neuroscience
05:17 - Why traditional confidence hacks often fail & the concept of stable confidence
06:15 - Definition of confidence as permission to perform freely
08:06 - The five unstable sources of confidence: outcomes, opinions, past/future events, thoughts, and context
09:56 - How to develop self-generated, stable confidence amid external instability
11:39 - The role of acceptance over certainty in consistent performance
13:50 - Addressing anxiety and the "Yips": stages and mental mechanics
16:56 - Techniques for acceptance and managing pre-performance anxiety
20:18 - Insights from a figure skater’s panic experience & how anxiety hijacks performance
23:46 - Strategy for letting go of hedging shots and trusting oneself
27:41 - Variance in top athletes' scores and embracing imperfection
28:37 - Supporting young athletes through growth mindset and risk acceptance
33:11 - The damaging effects of judgment and fixed mindset praise in youth development
34:58 - The importance of language: avoiding constrictive words like "should"
36:21 - The difference between fixed and growth mindsets for sustained success
37:45 - Practical ways to foster a learning environment that embraces failure
44:03 - How to mentally prepare for on-course challenges and simulate practice under pressure
52:02 - Strategic on-course exercises to build acceptance and reduce anxiety
55:35 - The science of acceptance and how to practice it long-term
56:41 - Explaining V-shaped (threat) vs. A-shaped (threat and constriction) thoughts and their impact
61:04 - Cultivating a V-shaped mindset for resilience and performance stability
63:14 - How our beliefs shape our experience and the way forward for high performersResources & Links:

 

 

 

 

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