Three Psychological Skills, Trained With Sets and Reps
Self-talk, emotional regulation, and imagination are trained like any physical skill.
- Difficulty
- Moderate
- Time to result
- ~weeks to results
- Steps
- 3
- Confidence
- 86%
The second bucket of mental training is mental skills training, and Gervais names three: self-talk, emotional regulation, and imagination. Crucially, these are trained exactly like technical or physical skills, with sets and reps. Using a Pilates reformer as an analogy, he explains you first learn the basic mechanics, start with something easy, then progressively stack intensity by increasing duration and by practicing closer to elevated stress. Skill built only in calm conditions won't show up under pressure.
Origin
Gervais maps sports-training methodology (learn mechanics, stack intensity) directly onto psychological skills, based on decades coaching elite athletes.
Core principles
- 01The three core psychological skills are self-talk, emotional regulation, and imagination.
- 02Mental skills are trained the same way as technical or physical skills: with sets and reps.
- 03Start easy to learn the mechanics, then progressively stack intensity.
- 04Add difficulty by increasing duration and by practicing closer to elevated stress.
How to run it
- 1
Learn the mechanics
Just as you'd learn what a reformer's platform and springs do, learn the basic mechanics of self-talk, emotional regulation, and imagination before loading them.
- 2
Start easy
Begin with a relatively easy version of the skill to build familiarity, not a maximal load.
- 3
Stack intensity progressively
Move up to more challenging versions, increasing duration and eventually practicing the skill in close proximity to an elevated heart rate or emotional charge.
Pro tip Practice each skill first in a calm environment, then moderate, then highly intense, in that arc.
Watch out If you only ever practice in calm conditions, the skill won't be available when pressure is high.
In the wild
Gervais compared learning psychological skills to a first Pilates session: you first get familiar with the apparatus and its mechanics, do something easy, then progressively work up to something at the edge of hard.
→ The analogy made abstract mental training concrete and gave listeners a progressive on-ramp.
Common mistakes
Only practicing when calm
Building a skill exclusively in a calm environment means it collapses in the highly stressed moment where you actually need it.
Is it for you?
Best for
Performers who want a concrete, progressive method for building mental skills.
Not ideal for
Those expecting mental skills to appear on demand without graduated practice.
From the transcript
“you've got self-talk, you've got emotional regulation, and you've got imagination as kind of the three main parts to psychological skills”
“the way we train mental skills is the same way we would train technical skills or physical skills with sets and reps”
From the episode
Dr. Michael Gervais: How to Perform Under Pressure Without Destroying Your Mental Health
Dr. Michael Gervais