90. Why You Shouldn't Tell Your Dancers to Get Out of Their Head

Summary: Have you heard the saying “get out of your head” when talking about athletes who are anxious for a competition or a performance? Oftentimes, dance teachers will say, “You’re overthinking! Just get out of your head,” to encourage dancers to be more present and just dance. I get it, but while that’s generally good advice, it might not actually be helping your dancers the way you think it does. When you ask a dancer to get out of their head, is that considered mental toughness, is that mindfulness, or is that neither of the two? In this episode, I’ll clarify the difference between mental training and mindfulness, and I’ll take you through an explanation of why “getting out of your head” isn’t actually the best strategy. I hope this episode helps you understand the differences between the two and walk away with actionable strategies to help strengthen your dancers’ mindsets. Resources - Did you enjoy today’s episode? Please leave a rating and review on your favorite podcast platform! Episode website: https://chelseapierotti.com/90 Be sure to visit me on Instagram @dr.chelsea.pierotti for more mental skills advice for dancers If mindfulness is something you would like to learn more about, I’d love to hear from you - send me an email or hit me up on Instagram to let me know what you think. Word of mouth is still the best way the show can grow! If you have a dance friend out there who you think would benefit, please share this episode with them!

Om Podcasten

You train extensively as a dancer, but what about mental training? Have you ever trained your mental skills like confidence, focus, or resilience? When you tune in to Passion for Dance, that mental training is precisely what you get. You can learn from a sport psychology expert who understands the dance industry and can teach you how to elevate your performance and truly thrive on and off stage. Welcome to Passion for Dance, where your host, Dr. Chelsea, will bring the science of sport psychology into the dance studio. Each week, you will learn actionable strategies and new mindsets to build happier, more successful dancers. Dance teaches us to push through the pain to reach our goals, and we are used to criticism, tears, bleeding toes, and sore muscles. But now, psychological research has taught us more about mental health and resilience than ever before, and it's time to change our industry for the better. Being a dancer teaches us critical life skills, but that doesn't mean we have to suffer before we can build ourselves back up. Dance can teach us self-discipline, teamwork, confidence, grit, and resilience without destroying our self-esteem. The path to personal growth is full of joy, self-discovery, and challenging roadblocks, but we don't have to figure it out alone. This podcast is for all of us to connect, learn, and share our passion for dance with the world.