A pdf detailing how you can achieve peak performance in your athletic and physical life, increasing your mental strength and stabilizing your EQ to address pre-performance anxiety. All via simple home software and hardware and through the science of Neurofeedback. Contact Dr. Theva Nithy for further details, ntheva@gmail.com
5. Traditional Performance Psychology Tools:
…Relaxation, Goal Setting, Visualization, Self-Talk…
…Lecture. Listen. La-La Land…
…Back to court/field…
Can mental strength really be achieved?
Questions we could be asking:
• Can we “design” new training protocols for the athlete’s
brain?
• Can we “bypass” old, weak brain performance states; and
“install” new, powerful brain circuits?
• Can we “entrain” elements of a peak performance state, to
live & train in the zone; then perform on the court & field?
6. What does “Mental Peak Performance
Training” mean in the context of athleticism?
• Training the attention network to sustain focused attention
• Training focus and alertness to meet heavy physical demand
• Training to keep focus up while keeping arousal/stress down
• Finding the best focus/arousal/attention balance for individuals
• Identifying individual brain “likes” that are optimal for specific sports
• Performing these “likes” consciously despite environmental
stressors, noise and distractions.
• Learning to recognise your peak performance zone
PPT via Mental Toughness – Commitment, Confidence, Composure, Consistency & Concentration
7. Brain & Mind Self Awareness Check List
(T = True, F = False)
1. I am usually eager to perform.
2. I am free of anger, anxiety and stress when I face new challenges at work.
3. My pre-performance stress is not a problem.
4. My moods are not affected by my competitiveness and need to excel.
5. I get enough sleep.
6. My sport and life are in balance.
7. My ability to concentrate over extended periods is generally good.
8. I am happy improving my sport performance one day at a time.
(Each “True” answer scores 1 point. Scores of 6 or lower indicates you are probably not able to enter your PP zone)
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9. Winning…
• Success occurs when an individual’s performance is high
enough, within the individual’s performance range zone.
• Being at the top of your range should be the goal in
training for peak performance.
• Winning is a side effect of peak performance within your
zone.
• Increasing the “top of your range zone” happens over time
as you continue peak performance training
10. The Peak Performance Zone
• The “Zone” involves a mental state, which includes motivation, attention, focus, centeredness,
energized relaxation, and awareness. These are trained and balanced through
neurofeedback
• Additional necessary factors include physical and mental health, appropriate rest, nutrition,
relaxation, and freedom from distress
• Neurofeedback helps you to recognise when you are in the “Zone”
• Once the “Zone” is experienced you won’t forget it. Knowledge of it assists in
organising yourself towards getting back into it
• Think of the “Zone” as a balanced mid-point of extremes. On one extreme is very low
activation such as during sleepy-relaxation with low motivation, which leads to minimal
performance. On the other extreme is extreme arousal, such as during excessive drive
and stress, which impairs performance. Finding your balance point leads to the “Zone”
• The “Zone” is an activated, prepared, fully focused state of relaxed, energised,
motivated consciousness, in which all other interfering issues disappear.
12. Background: Neurofeedback and what it does
Two Components:
• methodology of operant conditioning which changes one’s
emotional and mind states and improves performance, and the
ability to get “into the zone”
• equipment that monitors and measures the electrical activity of
the brain and trains the brain to be readily available to life’s
requirements
13. Why Neurofeedback Works
(Operant Conditioning)
• Brain can change with assistance directed by
rewards: light, movement, and sound
• Brain assists in finding best/better approach using
the newly built brain pathways
• Brain will remain in new state as it “feels better”
• Brain is continually used, maintaining “new skill”
14. “Hey, this is like I am
disk-cleaning &
defragmenting
my brain”
18. THE potential
CEO of the BRAIN…
The Frontal Lobe
• makes choices & decisions
• focuses & maintains attention
on-task
• controls emotions & impulses
• maintains purpose
Are you connected to you brain?
Are you THE CEO of it?
19. Real Time
Brainwave
Acquisition
Real Time
Brainwave
Acquisition
Signal
Cleaning and
Processing
(Artifacts)
Signal
Cleaning and
Processing
(Artifacts)
Specific target
extraction
(Software/
Hardware)
Specific target
extraction
(Software/
Hardware)
Brainwave
Decoding
based on
Training
Protocol
Frequencies
Brainwave
Decoding
based on
Training
Protocol
Frequencies
Real Time
Feedback
(≤45 ms) (+ve
& -ve
(Entraining &
Reinforcement
of Hebb
Synapse)
Real Time
Feedback
(≤45 ms) (+ve
& -ve
(Entraining &
Reinforcement
of Hebb
Synapse)
The
Neurofeedback
process
21. BEFORE, Brain Output - Unstable
Alpha – Stressed and Unfocused
Beta – Erratic Attention and Stressed
High Beta – Excited, Irritable & Stressed
High Beta – Patient and powerful support
for High Order Thinking
Alpha – Relaxed and Focused Creativity
Beta – Calm, Active problem solving
AFTER, Brain Output – Stable
Before & After
Peak Performance
Training
22. Activities that correspond to various brainwave states
(should you choose not to train with neurofeedback):
• Delta: get some deep, uninterrupted sleep
• Theta: sustain the period before falling asleep
• Alpha: deep breathing (Yoga), connect to your body (Yoga again)
• SMR: play an individual sport such as squash, badminton
• Low Beta: read a non-fiction book (Economist) attentively (speed-
read eye-movements), juggle
• High Beta: hike in the dark…note your response to sudden
unknown sounds! Make yourself panic, obsess, get furious
• Gamma: do puzzles, play mazes, memory games
24. What are the athletic-life implications for
Brain Peak Performance Training?
• Optimal performance in training develops through attention to coaching &
self-discipline, which should lead to a lot of enjoyable hard work
• The training process & growth gradually leads to the growth of your
athletic personality
• Only your know how satisfied you are with your athletic development.
Athletic dissatisfaction, can lead to greater self- awareness if addressed, or
if ignored lead to impaired performance
• Knowing about, and believing in yourself in relationship to your sport is
very important.
• Self-acceptance supports satisfaction with powerful athletic performance in
your zone
25. Organisations using Neurofeedback for
Physical Peak Performance Training…
• US Special Forces and Navy Seals training
• United States Olympic Training Center
• Singapore Olympic Sports Council
• Football clubs AC Milan, Real Madrid, Chelsea
• Wingate Institute of Sports & Physical Education, Israel
• Australian Special Forces
• All Formula 1 teams
• West Point Military Academy
• NASA astronaut training center
26. Expected outcomes:
• athletes have the warrior mind-set, mental
toughness
• Able to consciously enter peak performance zones
• Have total confidence, focus & concentration on
skills execution in-performance
Our expertise & offerings:
• training athletes enter personal peak performance zones
• helping athletes control performance anxiety and stress
• achieving right attitude, winning before the game is played
