You Are Not Mentally Weak

I saw a social media post from a coach that honestly frustrated me. I am not one to call people out, but I am going to comment here on the content. The picture was of an individual racing with what they perceived to be a less than stellar performance in a marathon followed by another picture with a better performance and more excitement in their face. One picture said “Mentally Weak” and the other “Mentally Strong.” They went on to advertise their mental toughness and coaching services….While I am sure they meant well the message and content sent a message that suggested that ‘mental weakness’ was the cause of a poorer performance…

I am going to say this loud and clear:

There is no such thing as Mental Weakness.

There may be days that you have less than a stellar performance because you may not have had both the physical and mental skills at that moment in time- but there is no ‘mental weakness.’ Weakness carries a negative connotation in our society - it implies 'lesser than.’ It is also creates incredibly inaccurate assessments of ourselves and others.

Because you’ve struggled, you are not weak.

This is one reason why I don’t call myself a mental strength coach. We don’t lift weights here.

Mental skills are cognitive strategies that you can learn, refine and excel at. The goal is to develop healthy strategies that work. Sometimes just through experience, sometimes through coaching, counseling, sometimes reading through one of hundreds of books - or by working with a certified mental performance consultant or clinical sport psychologist.

To suggest that you or someone is mentally weak highlights the stigma we have with mental health - a lack of skills and strategies does not imply weakness.

Stop beating yourself up. Take the time to develop the skills and strategies - you wouldn’t expect yourself to be an expert with an instrument without quality practice and instruction - the same goes for mental performance and mental health.