Welcome back pole dancers to the Science of Slink Podcast. This week we are going to discuss mental blockages and how to overcome them. We will define mental blocks, contributing factors, and techniques to try to help overcome mental blocks.

So what is a mental blockage? When the obstacle keeping you from your desired movement goal is emotional and/or mental rather than physical. Mental blockages can arise when learning new things and/or doing a skill you already know how to do. As an instructor, I often see blockages arise when people are working on what they consider their weaker side.

What factors can lead to mental blocks? Some contributing factors can be your environment being your classmates or teachers, anxiety, and trauma. When trauma is involved a specialist can be particularly important.

Some great techniques to try to help overcome mental blockages are working with a specialist- like a sports psychologist, some evidence suggests EMDR may be effective, Notice if the reaction is mainly physical sweating, heart racing, muscle tension or mental rumination, racing thoughts, perseveration. For the former, physical relaxation techniques may be more helpful, for the latter mental refocusing & restructuring. Another technique worth a try is Vergence which is to look at your pole for 5 seconds, then behind the pole for 5 seconds, then try the skill. Additionally, try monitoring your HRV as a tool.

Lastly, some Recommendations from Dr. Chelsea Pierotti, a sports psychologist specializing in dance, https://passionatecoach.com/mental-toughness-overcome-mental-blocks/ Determine that the obstacle is mental/emotional and not physical notice & reframe negative self-talk; "what if..." ... "so what"Reframe or modify the skill to reduce the challenge/fear seek additional support if needed

Science of Slink Email Sign Up: ⁠http://eepurl.com/iimjnX⁠

Join pole instructor & personal trainer Rosy Boa as she chats with experts about the evidence-based practices you can introduce to your pole journey to improve your pole journey and feel better. The Evidence-Based Pole Podcast aims to help pole dancers feel better on and off the pole by talking with experts and diving into relevant scientific research to find evidence-based insights we can apply to our pole journeys. It’s a production of Slink Through Strength, the inclusive, evidence-based online pole studio, which can be found online at slinkthroughstrength.com.

Edited by: Simone Rossette Simone.rossette77@gmail.comSources:

-Maaranen, A., Van Raalte, J. L., & Brewer, B. W. (2019). Mental blocks in artistic gymnastics and cheerleading: longitudinal analysis of flikikammo. -Journal of Clinical Sport Psychology, 14(3), 251-269.

-Manuel G. Calvo & Pedro M. Ramos (1989) Effects of test anxiety on motor learning: The processing efficiency hypothesis, Anxiety Research, 2:1, 45-55

-Harris, D. J., Wilkinson, S., & Ellmers, T. J. (2023). From fear of falling to choking under pressure: a predictive processing perspective of disrupted motor control under anxiety. Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews, 148, 105115.

-Bennett, J., Bickley, J., Vernon, T., Olusoga, P., & Maynard, I. (2017). Preliminary evidence for the treatment of performance blocks in sport: The efficacy of EMDR with graded exposure. Journal of EMDR Practice and Research, 11(2), 96-110.

-Hanton, S., Thomas, O., & Mellalieu, S. D. (2009). Management of competitive stress in elite sport. International Olympic Committee sport psychology handbook, 30-42.

-Bowan, M. (2008). Treatment of panic attack with vergence therapy and unexpected visual-vagus connection. Journal of Behavioral Optometry 19, 155-159.

-Yu, G., Chang, K. F., & Shih, I. T. (2022). An exploration of the antecedents and mechanisms causing athletes’ stress and twisties symptom. Heliyon, 8(10).

Trigger Warning: Mention of Eating Disorders and mental Illness

Welcome back pole dancers to this episode of Science of Slink! This week we are touching on how perfection harms people’s movement, progress, and mental states. To wrap up the video I’m including recommendations for how to avoid perfectionism influences and how to rework patterns of our internal perfectionism.

Let’s start by defining perfectionism, perfectionism is "excessively high personal standards of performance accompanied by tendencies for overly critical evaluations of one's behavior" (Frost, R. 14) perfectionism is different from conscientiousness which exhibits characteristics such as being responsible, organized, hard-working, goal-directed, and adhering to norms and rules.

So why is perfectionism so bad? Perfectionism has been correlated with being a source of chronic stress, it’s associated with a much higher risk of a large range of negative mental health outcomes. One of the big reasons these correlations have been found is because perfectionism steals your ability to enjoy your accomplishments and the things you enjoy.

I recommend reframing perfectionism mindsets and here are some ways I recommend reframing your mindset. First, be honest about whether perfectionism is negatively affecting you. Do you enjoy activities less because of it? Are you under more stress than necessary? Working with a mental health professional can be a huge step in the right direction to help us notice where perfectionism is impacting our lives. One really important thing when looking for a place to practice, try to find spaces where failure is treated as a normal part of life--because it is!

Lastly, but most importantly, work on reframing in your pole practice:

• Have goals around the amount of time spent training a skill or number of attempts as opposed to "nailing it"

• At the end of each training session, write down one thing that felt really good (no qualifiers!)

• Change up your social media feed: mute (temporarily as needed) professional performers and seek out dancers at a similar level and with a similar body type as you (and even then, remember: it's a highlight reel!)

• Take live group classes

Sources:

• Frost, R. O., Marten, P., Lahart, C., & Rosenblate, R. (1990). The dimensions of perfectionism. Cognitive therapy and research, 14, 449-468.

• Further reading: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/basics/conscientiousness

• "Canadian prima ballerina Karen Kain acknowledged that perfectionism meant that she enjoyed a very small percentage of her more than 10,000 professional performances" Flett et al 2014

• Hill, A. P., Mallinson-Howard, S. H., & Jowett, G. E. (2018). Multidimensional perfectionism in sport: A meta-analytical review. Sport, Exercise, and Performance Psychology, 7(3), 235.

• Hall, H. K., & Hill, A. P. (2012). Perfectionism, dysfunctional achievement striving and burnout in aspiring athletes: The motivational implications for performing artists. Theatre, Dance and Performance Training, 3(2), 216-228.

• Flett, G. L., & Hewitt, P. L. (2014). The perils of perfectionism in sports” revisited: Toward a broader understanding of the pressure to be perfect and its impact on athletes and dancers. International Journal of Sport Psychology, 45(4), 395-407.

Slink Through Strength Email Sign Up: ⁠http://eepurl.com/iimjnX⁠

Join pole instructor & personal trainer Rosy Boa as she chats with experts about the evidence-based practices you can introduce to your pole journey to improve your pole journey and feel better. The Evidence-Based Pole Podcast aims to help pole dancers feel better on and off the pole by talking with experts and diving into relevant scientific research to find evidence-based insights we can apply to our pole journeys. It’s a production of Slink Through Strength, the inclusive, evidence-based online pole studio, which can be found online at slinkthroughstrength.com.

Edited by: Simone Rossette

Simone.rossette77@gmail.com

Hey Pole dancer, welcome to another episode of the Science of Slink! Today we are going to go over 3 essential things to know as a home pole dancer. We are going to discuss the importance of and how to do a proper warm-up, the variety of pole that is important to try, knowing that we are building skills slowly and will need base skills, and it is important to recognize there is no standard skill set for pole so its important to work with others.

So what is a proper warm-up and why is it key? A warm-up is essential because it offers your body time to loosen up with flexibility, increase heart rate, and prepare your body for the skill you’re training. You will need joint mobility in your warm-ups because it helps to loosen your joints and move safely. Skill-specific preparation may include static stretching but not of muscles you also need power from! It is consequential to plan and structure your training sessions ahead of time because it helps you build base skills and prepare for each skill-building day!

Secondly, it’s notable that trying many different skills when you start will assist you in your growth on your pole journey. There are a few reasons for this, the most necessary one is knowing that a high volume of training on a specific trick, especially without appropriate conditioning, will likely increase injury risk. Additionally, newer & returning polers need to be building a wide range of movement programs to build muscle groups and build their skills.

Something comforting and may help you out of a lull is knowing, that if you’re self-taught, you're probably missing some foundational movements/holds/contact points. Basic floorwork shapes & transitions. This is one of the reasons that teachers are so important in pole, so foundations can be built in a safe and empowering way. In pole dance, there is a lack of standardization for teaching and skill building. This makes teaching yourself at home or multiple studios impedes our growth for our base learning.

Slink Through Strength Email Sign Up: ⁠http://eepurl.com/iimjnX⁠

Join pole instructor & personal trainer Rosy Boa as she chats with experts about the evidence-based practices you can introduce to your pole journey to improve your pole journey and feel better. The Evidence-Based Pole Podcast aims to help pole dancers feel better on and off the pole by talking with experts and diving into relevant scientific research to find evidence-based insights we can apply to our pole journeys. It’s a production of Slink Through Strength, the inclusive, evidence-based online pole studio, which can be found online at slinkthroughstrength.com.

Edited by: Simone Rossette

Simone.rossette77@gmail.com