Mental Energy and Flow State

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What if peak performance wasn’t about working harder—but learning how to harness your mental energy?

In this episode, I explore the science of mental energy and its connection to achieving flow—the psychological state where focus, confidence, and performance come together effortlessly. Drawing from the latest 2025 research on professional athletes, I'll explain how mental energy predicts flow, and how athletes, coaches, and parents can intentionally train it.

Listeners will learn practical routines to build and sustain mental energy—pre-performance warm-ups, micro-resets during training, and reflection habits that enhance focus and resilience. Coaches will discover how to create flow-friendly environments that balance challenge and skill, and parents will gain tools to help young athletes recharge and manage their emotional energy beyond the field.

Whether preparing for competition, leading a team, or supporting an athlete, this episode offers a roadmap to train the mind like the body—and unlock consistent, high-level performance through the power of flow.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker (00:01):
I'm Dr.
Nassim Ebrahimi, and welcome toBecoming My Stronger Me, a
podcast designed to help youbecome stronger in mind, body,
and heart.
In season two, the mentalperformance series, we'll
explore the intricaterelationship between mental
performance, sports excellence,leadership, and personal growth
to help you become your strongeryou.

(00:21):
Today we're diving into one ofmy favorite topics, mental
energy and how it connects toachieving that powerful, almost
magical performance zone knownas flow state.
You know those moments whereeverything just clicks, you're
locked in, your actions feeleffortless, and time almost

(00:43):
slows down.
Whether you're an athlete onthe field, a coach guiding from
the sideline, or a parentwatching from the stands, you've
probably witnessed orexperienced that incredible
feeling.

But here's the truth (00:55):
flow isn't luck, it's trainable.
And one of the biggestpredictors of whether someone
can consistently access thatstate is mental energy.
Let's start with what theresearch tells us.
A study published this year inBMC Sports, Science, Medicine,

(01:17):
and Rehabilitation looked atover 250 professional soccer
players.
Researchers wanted to know whatpredicted flow, the state where
athletes perform at their best.
They found that athletic mentalenergy, a combination of focus,
motivation, and cognitivereadiness, was one of the

(01:37):
strongest predictors.
In fact, athletes with a higherathletic mental energy were
significantly more likely toenter flow state during games
and in their trainings.
That tells us something big.
Flow state doesn't just happenwhen conditions are perfect, it
happens when you are primed,mentally, emotionally, and

(02:01):
physically to be fully present.
And when we talk about mentalenergy, we're not just talking
about feeling hyped up.
It's about having the rightkind of alertness and emotional
balance to meet the demands ofthe moment.
Think of it like the brain'sversion of endurance.

(02:22):
How long can you stay focused,motivated, and emotionally
centered before burning out?
Another recent study inFrontiers and Psychology found
that athletes' mood and theirmental resilience were directly
linked to their ability toexperience flow state.

(02:42):
When athletes were in goodmental energy states, they were
calm, confident, andpurpose-driven, they entered
flow much more easily andrecovered from mistakes
substantially faster.
So, what actually happens whenyou're in that flow state?

(03:04):
Neurologically, your brainenters a rhythm that supports
deep focus.
The prefrontal cortex, the arearesponsible for self-criticism,
time awareness, and secondguessing, quietly steps back.
This process is calledtransient hyperfrontality.
This is why in flow state,you're not overthinking, you're

(03:28):
just doing.
You're in full trust mode,acting instinctively.
You also get a powerfulneurochemical cocktail of
dopamine, which sharpens focusand motivation, of
neurepinephrine, which heightensalertness, and endorphins that
create that feel-good momentumthat helps you stay in the

(03:51):
moment.
It's your brain's way ofsaying, yes, this is where
you're supposed to be.
And here's the key building andmaintaining mental energy helps
trigger these flow responsesmuch more consistently.
So let's start with what thismeans for athletes.

(04:12):
You already train your bodyprobably every day.
Strength, speed, endurance,technique, and even tactics.
But mental energy needstraining too.
Start by integrating a mentalwarm-up before every session or
game.
Spend about five minutesbreathing deeply, centering your

(04:34):
focus and visualizing your bestperformance.
Be specific with yourvisualizations.
It could be composure,communication, or creativity.
Lock that in and imagineyourself truly embodying it.
See it, feel it, hear it, andperform with that energy.

(04:58):
And then during practice or agame, use micro resets between
reps or drills or between plays.
Take a deep breath, repeat atrigger phrase like next play or
I'm ready for this.
It's a small intentional cuethat refocuses your mind and

(05:18):
recharges that mental energy.
And then after practice, inaddition to reflecting on what
you're proud of, what feedbackyou receive that you want to
remember and what to focus onnext time, you could also do a
quick reflection.
When did my energy feelstrongest today?
What drained me?
What do I want to change nexttime?

(05:39):
These short reflections helpbuild self-awareness, and over
time you'll start noticing whatconditions help you perform
best.
And here's something powerful.
Studies show that when athleteskeep even a brief mental energy
log, they're better able topredict performance outcomes,

(06:00):
manage their stress, and recoverfaster between games.
Let's shift our attention tocoaches now.
Your leadership sets the tonefor your team's mental energy.
Every interaction, your tone,your feedback, your structure
can either charge or drain thatmental energy battery.

(06:21):
When athletes feelpsychologically safe and
challenged, they naturally bringmore energy to the game.
When they feel confused oranxious, their energy tanks
drain.
So how do you create thatbalance?
First, set clear, specificgoals for every drill or

(06:45):
session.
Instead of saying play betterdefense, say communicate on
every switch and close spacewithin three seconds.
Clarity builds confidence.
Confidence builds mentalenergy.
Second, provide immediatefeedback.
The quicker the feedback, thefaster the athlete's brain can

(07:06):
adapt and the more engaged theystay.
Third, balance challenge andskill.
Flow state occurs when anathlete's skill level and the
task difficulty align.
If the challenge is too easy,they get bored.
If it's too hard, they getoverwhelmed.

(07:26):
Find that sweet spot and keepit moving as the team grows.
Fourth, prioritize recovery.
Mental energy drains just likephysical stamina.
Build in breaks, transition,and reflection periods.
The best coaches don't fillevery second of practice.

(07:47):
They give athletes space tothink, breathe, and recharge.
And finally, consider buildingchampionship standards for your
team.
These are team-defined valueslike effort, communication, and
accountability that everyoneagrees to uphold.
When athletes help create thesestandards, their buy-in

(08:11):
skyrockets, and the team'sshared energy becomes
unstoppable.
And if you're interested inhaving me facilitate that
process with your team, pleasereach out.
I'd love to help teamsestablish these foundations.
So now let's talk aboutparents.
Your athletes' mental energydoesn't just depend on practice,

(08:32):
it starts at home.
Everything from sleep qualityto family communication to
recovery habits plays a role.
The first thing parents can dois to shift the post-game
conversation.
Instead of leading with, didyou win?
Or how'd you play?
Try, how did you feel today?

(08:54):
Or what's something you'reproud of?
That one change reframesperformance as a process, not a
judgment.
It teaches athletes toself-reflect rather than
self-criticize.
Next, protect their recoverytime.

(09:14):
Athletes, especially teens, areoften overscheduled and
underrested.
Encourage technology-freeevenings, consistent sleep
routines, and at least one day aweek where they don't have any
organized activity.
Mental energy thrives inbalance, not burnout.

(09:37):
And finally, help them maintainperspective.
When an athlete struggles orgets benched, remind them that
these moments are part of thegrowth process, not signs of
failure.
Encouragement from parents isone of the strongest predictors
of long-term resilience insports.

(09:59):
So what does this all meantaken together?
Mental energy is the foundationfor peak performance, and flow
state is the outcome.
You can't really have onewithout the other.
For athletes, it's aboutawareness and routine,
understanding what charges ordrains your focus.

(10:22):
For coaches, it's aboutcrafting the environment,
balancing challenge, clarity,and recovery.
And for parents, it's aboutmodeling calm, supportive
energy, showing that performanceis important, but well-being
matters most.
When all three work together,the athlete, the coach, and the

(10:44):
parent, you create a powerfulsystem where mental energy isn't
just sustained, it multiplies.
So here's my challenge for youthis week.
For athletes, start an energyreflection journal.
Coaches, test one new feedbackstrategy that promotes clarity

(11:05):
and confidence.
And parents, make one smallchange to your post-game
conversation.
Because when mental energybecomes part of the daily
training plan, flow state stopsbeing a mystery.
It becomes a mindset.
Until next time, don't forgetto subscribe to the podcast,

(11:25):
join our Facebook group, send inyour stories and feedback.
And if you're looking for amental performance coach or want
more information, go towww.becoming my strongerme.com.
I can't wait to hear from you.