New Perform with Dr. Andy Galpin episode: How to Build Mental Toughness & Perform Under Pressure My guest is Dr. Lenny Wiersma, a 20+ year professor turned Senior Mental Performance Consultant at Cal Athletics who's worked with UFC fighters, big wave surfers, CrossFit Games champions, and Olympic athletes. We discuss what's really happening psychologically at the edge of human performance, why the fearlessness narrative is wrong, the difference between confidence and belief, and what visualization actually requires to work under pressure. This episode is for athletes, coaches, and anyone navigating high-pressure moments in daily life. 0:00 Introduction 0:48 Alex Honnold Mindset 2:18 Risk And Confidence 6:45 Extreme Athletes Trainability 11:12 Wipeout Planning 13:54 Visualization Basics 15:53 Phelps Coping Visualization 19:46 Visualization Best Practices 24:09 Visualization Beyond Sport 26:35 Sleep Stories Unhooking 32:47 Balancing Failure Imagery 37:33 Self Talk Framework 40:37 Coach Yourself With You 41:04 Borrow a Trusted Voice 42:46 Nicknames and Second Person 45:34 Research and Best Timing 48:41 Rethinking Discomfort 53:19 Confidence Versus Belief 57:14 Build Robust Confidence 1:01:14 Tools to Grow Belief 1:08:34 Overconfidence and Honesty 1:10:52 Resilience Mental Toughness 1:13:47 Emotional Regulation Skills 1:16:11 Label Emotions and Purpose 1:17:12 Labeling Emotions Fast 1:18:06 Next Play Mindset 1:18:28 Co Regulation Explained 1:20:03 Reading the Locker Room 1:21:12 Flag Disaster Scenario 1:25:23 Downregulate and Refocus 1:26:34 Reset Anchors and Cues 1:31:58 Corner Coaching in UFC 1:36:21 Simple Phrases That Land 1:39:29 Coaches Need Coaching Too 1:45:00 Earning Trust With Staff 1:47:09 Mental Performance vs Therapy 1:48:44 Embedded Team Support 1:50:23 Biofeedback Meets Performance 1:51:14 HRV Breathing Demo 1:55:57 Coherence Breathing Protocol 1:58:13 Color Screen Training 2:01:24 At Home Biofeedback Options 2:02:39 NeuroTracker Focus Training 2:07:51 Mental Fatigue Insights 2:10:49 Restore Attention Fast 2:12:06 Better Film Sessions 2:14:08 Careers And Credentials 2:17:17 Closing Thoughts Includes paid partnerships.
