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    "original_url": "https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/7627150\/2026\/09\/25\/mental-toughness-performance-athletes\/?emc=edit_na_20260925&nl=breaking-news&segment_id=227063",
    "parsed_content": "Peak newsletter \ud83e\udde0 |\u00a0This is an excerpt from The Athletic\u2019s weekly newsletter covering the mental side of sports.\u00a0Sign up here\u00a0to receive the Peak newsletter directly in your inbox.This week, I asked mental performance coaches: What can athletes (and people in general) do to become mentally tougher? Let\u2019s dig in.1. The Suck ListBrian Cain has MLB players create what he calls the Suck List.It\u2019s pretty much just what it sounds like: a list of things his players don\u2019t like or want to do but know are good for them. Everyone\u2019s will look different, but he gave some examples from athletes:\nGet up at the first alarm\nRead 10 pages a day\nMeditate five minutes a day\nCain works with some of baseball\u2019s top players, including Kansas City Royals shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. and Pittsburgh Pirates shortstop Konnor Griffin. Cain helps them identify a \u201ctrigger\u201d for when they will check items off their Suck List.He used meditation as an example.For some players, that trigger is it being first thing in the morning. For others, it\u2019s the drive into the ballpark every afternoon. And for some, it\u2019s the moment they arrive in the clubhouse.The point is to establish a set moment (or trigger) that allows you to create consistency and repetition.\u201cDo the thing that you know is good for you, but that is uncomfortable and that you don\u2019t always want to do,\u201d Cain said. \u201cAnd when you break through that friction, and you get yourself to do it, that\u2019s where you\u2019re building resilience and mental toughness.\u201dTrevor Williams doodles stick figures in his journal for successElise Devlin2. The 100-second mental workoutJason Selk is adamant: \u201cMental toughness can be trained just like physical toughness. If I do bicep curls, I can\u2019t stop my bicep from becoming stronger. The same is true with a mental workout.\u201d\n \n \n \n Selk, who has worked with the St. Louis Cardinals, Auburn baseball and SMU football, has created exactly that: a mental workout for his players.It\u2019s a five-step process that Selk said should take about one minute, 40 seconds:Step 1: A centering breathBreathe in for six seconds, hold for two, breathe out for seven.Step 2: Create a performance statementSelk suggests this should be (at most) your three most important focus points during your performance.He gave an example from a Cy Young pitcher: Weight back. Arm on top. Pound down.And from an NFL quarterback: Vision. Decision. Attack.Step 3: The personal highlight reel\u00a0This is 60 seconds of visualization broken down into two parts:\nPart 1: Mentally replay three things you did well from the previous day.\nPart 2: Visualize three plays or three things you will do well in your upcoming game or performance.\nStep 4: An identity statement\u00a0This is a personal mantra, and Selk gave an example from an MLB closer: I am more mentally and physically prepared than my competition. I am the most dominant closer in the game. I am feared and respected.Step 5: Another centering breathBreathe in for six seconds, hold for two seconds, breathe out for seven seconds.Selk encourages his athletes to do the mental workout at least three times a week and gives them a 72-hour rule: Don\u2019t let 72 hours pass between sessions.\u201cWe\u2019re training the brain to see how we want things to go instead of the natural tendency to focus on what we\u2019re afraid will happen,\u201d he said.\u00a0The effects of having a personalized routineElise Devlin3. One way to improve self-regulationIt is important to remember mental toughness is not a singular trait, said Kensa Gunter, who has worked with the Atlanta Hawks. It is a collection of skills working together.And it is not something you either have or don\u2019t have. It can be built and developed.For Gunter and others, mental toughness boiled down to the ability to focus, think and pursue goals and solutions regardless of what is going on.That is why self-regulation is important, according to Brett Haskell, who has worked with the Jacksonville Jaguars and other pro teams.Haskell said when athletes get too activated and can\u2019t control their thinking or focus, a chain reaction follows: They breathe in a lot of oxygen and fail to offload carbon dioxide. The oxygen exchange to the bloodstream doesn\u2019t happen; they can\u2019t get blood to their brain or bodies and their anxiety worsens.Under those conditions, it\u2019s much harder to be mentally tough.Haskell said the best way to build self-regulation \u2014 or composure \u2014 is through practiced breathing, with a caveat.\u201cPeople talk about taking a big breath,\u201d Haskell said. \u201cStill, I ask athletes all the time: \u2018What does that mean for you?\u2019 Then I have them show me. And they just take a big inhale and hold it. It\u2019s the opposite of what you\u2019re supposed to do!\u201dHaskell recommends a four-second inhale, then a long, slow exhale. Then in for four seconds again, followed by another long, slow exhale.\u201cAll of a sudden your shoulders drop, your jaw loosens, you feel so much calmer,\u201d Haskell said. \u201cEverything slows down.\u201dIn that state, athletes (and people in general) can think more clearly, control their thoughts and emotions and make better decisions, hallmarks of mental toughness.Sign up here\u00a0to receive the Peak newsletter directly in your inbox.\nJayson Jenks is a features writer for The Athletic based in Kansas City. Before joining The Athletic, he covered the Seattle Seahawks for The Seattle Times.Follow Sep 25, 2026Connections: Sports EditionSpot the pattern. Connect the termsFind the hidden link between sports termsPlay today's puzzleWhat did you think of this story?MEHSOLIDAWESOME",
    "published_at": "2026-09-25T09:00:36+00:00",
    "author_name": "Jayson Jenks",
    "site_name": "The Athletic",
    "section": null,
    "publisher": "The New York Times Company",
    "ai_headline": "What can athletes (and people in general) do to become mentally tougher?",
    "ai_simplified_title": "Mental Performance Coaches Advise Athletes on Mental Toughness Training",
    "ai_excerpt": "This article, an excerpt from The Athletic's Peak newsletter, explores strategies for building mental toughness. It features advice from mental performance coaches on techniques like creating a 'Suck List,' performing 100-second mental workouts, and practicing self-regulation through breathing exercises.",
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