The Power of Gratitude: How Thankfulness Builds Mental Toughness in Young Athletes

Harnessing the Power of Gratitude for Mental Toughness and Performance

Discover how gratitude can be a powerful tool for mental toughness and performance in sports In this episode of Car Ride Conversations for Sports Families, host Valerie Alston delves into the concept of mental toughness and emphasizes the importance of gratitude as a powerful performance tool. Valerie explains how practicing gratitude can enhance happiness, stress management, resilience, and overall mental toughness. She introduces a simple yet effective gratitude practice called the 'Three Good Things' exercise, which involves noticing and reflecting on good things daily. Valerie provides scientific insights on why gratitude matters and offers practical tips for incorporating it into daily life, specifically for young athletes and their families. The episode concludes with a series of thought-provoking questions designed to spark meaningful conversations and encourage ongoing gratitude practices within families.

00:00 Introduction to Mental Toughness and Gratitude

01:34 The Science Behind Gratitude

02:36 Negativity Bias and Its Impact

05:04 Gratitude in Sports Performance

07:56 Three Good Things Exercise

12:27 Reflection and Gratitude

14:23 Gratitude Practice Challenge

18:06 Discussion Prompts and Conclusion

To try the 30 Day Gratitude Challenge for Free go here: https://www.confidentcalmclutch.com/30daygratitudechallenge 

Discussion questions:

1. What’s one thing that went right for you today, big or small?
2. Who’s someone on your team or at school you’re grateful for — and why?
3. What challenge are you thankful for because it taught you something?
4. How can we remind each other to notice ‘three good things’ this week?

Thanks for joining me on Confident, Calm, and Clutch Car Ride Conversations! If you found this episode helpful, please subscribe to the podcast so you never miss a moment. Share it with other parents or coaches who could use a little extra inspiration on the go.

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For more specific tips on building mental toughness, buy my book Confident, Calm and Clutch: How to build confidence and mental toughness for young athletes using sports psychology

If you are a coach looking for ways to build mental toughness into your practices then check out my coaching resources (books, assessments, conversation starters, community and more) here.

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Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email me: valerie.alston@valstoncoaching.com

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