Getting ahold of stress. anxiety & fear stress Sep 03, 2024

Stress is a normal part of life—especially for those of us who compete in dog sports. Whether it's the pressure of performing well, the fear of failure, or just trying to stay focused, stress can creep in and throw us off our game. While you can't avoid stress entirely, you ...

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Spinning catastrophic tales. anxiety & fear mindset Jun 25, 2024

The other day, I was spinning. I was worrying  - no, fretting - about something that might or could happen, and then planning what to do about it. I was burning a LOT of energy on "negative fantasy island." It wasn't fun.

 

I saw myself doing it - I was fully aware. I knew I...

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You need to let it go!! anxiety & fear bouncing back Mar 12, 2024

I'm not sure who needs to hear this, but it's okay to forgive yourself. For mistakes made, for things not working out, or for the things you wish you could do over.

 

It's okay. You can let it go. You can forgive yourself.

 

You might be surprised to learn you're not alone in holding...

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Choose magic. anxiety & fear mindset Oct 31, 2023

We are anthropologically wired to look for the bad stuff. To look for the danger, the things that might go wrong. This behavior has kept us safe from bears, and fire, and toxic cave-people (I assume). When we scan our environment for danger to find none, we can then focus on the task at hand -...

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When a good day breaks your brain. anxiety & fear mindset May 30, 2023

Ever have a really good day and feel less confident as a result? It can happen for a few reasons: 

  • We fear we can't repeat the excellent performance, that it was just a fluke (imposter syndrome).
  • We're afraid we set a new standard that we have to live up to (pressure).
  • We want to...
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6 tips to help with ring nerves. anxiety & fear ring nerves Mar 21, 2023

Everyone feels at least something before they walk into the ring. Ring nerves are a continuum from chill and relaxed to absolute panic. And sometimes, we misread our excitement for performance anxiety which can trip us up and create nerves that weren't initially there.

Basically, ring nerves and...

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I’ve got pressure on the brain! anxiety & fear mental skills Jul 15, 2021

I’ve been considering the concept of pressure a lot lately - mostly because I am finishing up a Masterclass offering on the subject and using the Q-Members as my test subjects - lucky them!

I think what’s interesting about pressure is that it’s not a skill per se, but something...

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Buck-Up Buttercup (Or Not) anxiety & fear mental skills Nov 20, 2020

It’s not okay to be afraid.

At least, that’s what we’re taught. By parents, and teachers, and coaches … all working to make us better, tougher, more resilient.

Yet adulthood can be even scarier than those monsters under the bed or taking that first “leap” in...

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The lonely world of dog sports. anxiety & fear Sep 04, 2019
Photo by Kim Perry

I was coaching a client the other day and what surfaced for her was that she felt her success in the dog world was dependent on her results in the ring and in her accumulated titles. This started from an exercise I had given the Q-Confidence Masterclass to really...

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