Episode #12: Unlocking High-Performance Part Two: Tools for Optimizing Performance with Dr. Desaree Festa, Sports Psychologist for the Buffalo Bills

Self-awareness and self-regulation are vital skills in the realm of sports and performance psychology for optimizing performance. Athletes and other high performers who can effectively fine-tune their mental and emotional states have a competitive edge both on and off the field.

But there are challenges and distractions everywhere, so it's essential to have a plan and a set of tools you can use to facilitate optimum performance every time.

In the second installment of this two-part series of Mastering Momentum, Dr. Newman sat down with Dr. Desaree Festa, a sports psychologist for the Buffalo Bills, to discuss high performance from her unique perspective and the five core psychological skills involved in sports and performance psychology.

In this episode, they are exploring the significance of developing professional habits and routines to help athletes access self-awareness, a critical skill for peak performance. They deiscuss how self-awareness leads to the desired mental and emotional states required for peak performance and how you can use tools such as Heart Rate Variability (HRV) training.

Dr. Festa walks listeners through the transformative potential of HRV training. She shares valuable insights on the practical applications and offering insight into different tools and protocols that athletes and other high performers use to optimize their physiological and mental readiness for competition, enhanced resilience, and physiological flexibility.

Listen in as we unravel the profound impact of HRV training on athlete performance and delve into the strategies and tools that can help athletes achieve optimal success both on and off the field.

What You’ll Learn  

• [01:38] The importance of self-awareness in sports psychology and performance
• [02:23] Athletes engaging in self-study to heighten their awareness of their performance
• [04:43] Strategies for working on self-awareness (seeking feedback, journaling, and reflection)
• [06:49] The relationship between self-awareness and taking action to improve performance
• [07:50] Self-regulation through professional habits and game day routines
• [10:48] The importance of rehearsing and practicing routines to make them automatic and maintaining consistency even during travel
• [12:56] Introduction of HRV biofeedback as a tool for self-regulation
• [15:09] Explanation of baseline HRV and in-the-moment HRV training
• [20:03] Explanation of HRV training, its focus on the mind-body connection, and the use of breathing techniques to optimize heart rate variability
• [21:42] The purpose of HRV training for peak performance (rather than solely promoting relaxation)
• [23:03] Examples of different protocols for HRV training
• [23:40] Using HeartMath along with portable devices like emWave2 and Inner Balance for HRV training
• [24:17] Discussion on how HRV training can be helpful for other high performers in optimizing their performance
• [25:12] Resources for learning more about HRV and biofeedback and practitioners in the field
• [25:58] The importance of mastering nervous system regulation for confident performance
• [26:25] HRV resources and tools mentioned

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For full show notes and resources visit https://drjannewman.com/podcast/episode-12-unlocking-high-performance-part-two-tools-for-optimizing-performance-with-dr-desaree-festa-sports-psychologist-for-the-buffalo-bills