Prime Time Replay:

Dr. Shane Murphy
Sports Psychologist and author of
The Achievement Zone


MsgId: *breakthrough(1)
Date: Wed Aug 13 20:34:07 EDT 1997
From: moderator At: 152.163.213.139

Hi, I'm your moderator, Madeleine Lebwohl, and tonight on Breakthrough Medicine I'll be speaking with Shane Murphy, sports psychologist and author of The Achievement Zone.

Welcome, Shane! Nice to have you here.

MsgId: *breakthrough(3)
Date: Wed Aug 13 20:57:58 EDT 1997
From: Shane_Murphy At: 152.163.205.155

Greetings Madeleine. Nice to be here.
MsgId: *breakthrough(4)
Date: Wed Aug 13 20:59:51 EDT 1997
From: moderator At: 152.163.213.139

Reaching the achievement zone is certainly a great thing to know. Can we talk about the health aspects of helping yourself achieve peak performance?
MsgId: *breakthrough(5)
Date: Wed Aug 13 21:01:41 EDT 1997
From: Shane_Murphy At: 152.163.205.155

Certainly. There are several health implications. One is the research which indicates a strong link between positive emotional state and health. But also, we know how important physical activity is to physical AND mental health!
MsgId: *breakthrough(7)
Date: Wed Aug 13 21:04:33 EDT 1997
From: moderator At: 152.163.213.139

Could we discuss the way you pace yourself for your best physical achievement, and coordinate that with mental health?
MsgId: *breakthrough(9)
Date: Wed Aug 13 21:06:47 EDT 1997
From: Shane_Murphy At: 152.163.205.155

The research I talk about in my book "The Achievement Zone" deals with what we have learned in sport psychology about the relationship between MENTAL self-management skills and peak physical performance. The relationship is very strong. In a nutshell: High achievers are skilled at using psychological skills to manage their own performance. Good mental skills = high achievement.
MsgId: *breakthrough(10)
Date: Wed Aug 13 21:06:50 EDT 1997
From: moderator At: 152.163.213.139

Dr. Murphy will be happy to answer any questions concerning sports psychology from our viewers.

What are some of the mental skills you recommend?

MsgId: *breakthrough(13)
Date: Wed Aug 13 21:09:28 EDT 1997
From: Shane_Murphy At: 152.163.205.155

Sport psychology researchers have identified at least 8 such skills, commonly used by successful athletes. What I find fascinating is that top performers in OTHER fields also report using these same psychological skills.

The most fundamental skill is what I term "Action Focus". It is the ability to focus your energies on action, on getting the job done, without constantly worrying about what the result will be. Most of the athletes I see in my practice who have problems are having problems in this area. Anxiety about performance results paralyzes athletes and stops them from reaching their potential. For example, a college golfer I am working with now can play very well if he's in match play. Then, the score doesn't matter. But in stroke play, where every shot counts, his performance is getting worse and worse the harder he practices!

MsgId: *breakthrough(17)
Date: Wed Aug 13 21:16:22 EDT 1997
From: moderator At: 152.163.213.139

What are the psychological techniques you're teaching him?
MsgId: *breakthrough(18)
Date: Wed Aug 13 21:17:26 EDT 1997
From: Shane_Murphy At: 152.163.205.155

You know, it's very simple. A lot of it has to do with the goals he sets. For example, like most of us, he has been taught by society to set RESULT goals. So he is trying to break 70, or his goal is to win the next tournament. I am helping him focus his attention on what he needs to do to play every shot as well as he can. It's hard to hit a fading 3-iron over water to a tight pin if you're focused on "I hace to birdie this hole to win!" Instead, I am helping him take deep breaths before he swings, visualize the shot he wants to hit, and his goal is to commit 100% to hitting the shot with all his attention.

So he is learning some of the other 8 skills, such as "Keeping Cool", which means staying calm in pressure situations, and "Creative Thinking" - using your imagination to help you perform at your peak. So you can see that all the skills fit together

MsgId: *breakthrough(21)
Date: Wed Aug 13 21:21:57 EDT 1997
From: moderator At: 152.163.213.139

Are there other components to setting goals? Can these techniques travel off the playing field--do your patients tell you about how they use the techniques in other areas of their lives?
MsgId: *breakthrough(23)
Date: Wed Aug 13 21:24:12 EDT 1997
From: Shane_Murphy At: 152.163.205.155

Absolutely! I have athletes I work with tell me how much these skills help them at school, for example. And I work with clients in many areas besides sport. Business, for example. Psychologically managing your performance is crucial in areas such as sales and in team performance.

Many U.S. companies are emphasizing teaching their staff these "self-help" type skills to improve their performance on the job. Such skills used to be called "soft" skills (not hard - technical - skills). But they are actually hard to master!

MsgId: *breakthrough(25)
Date: Wed Aug 13 21:27:13 EDT 1997
From: moderator At: 152.163.213.139

If we could get a little technical for a moment, do you use relaxation techniques, or imagery? Are the patients all given individual sessions?
MsgId: *breakthrough(26)
Date: Wed Aug 13 21:29:03 EDT 1997
From: Shane_Murphy At: 152.163.205.155

Learning relaxation techniques are a big part of learning to "Keep Cool" under pressure. I use a lot of the research of people like Dr. Herbert Benson. And imagery is a big part of "Creative Thinking." The research in imagery is growing at a fantastic rate! Just exploding!

I think imagery skills are THE most powerful skills you can learn in the Achievement process. I have seen and heard of the most amazing things accomplished with imagery. And, yes, I prefer to work with clients individually. Although I often do workshops with companies and teams to teach some of these skills in a group format. But I still like to follow up individually.

MsgId: *breakthrough(29)
Date: Wed Aug 13 21:31:42 EDT 1997
From: moderator At: 152.163.213.139

Fine tuning the mind/body connection seems to be part of your techniques. Could we talk a little about the relaxation techniques your clients use?
MsgId: *breakthrough(30)
Date: Wed Aug 13 21:33:47 EDT 1997
From: Shane_Murphy At: 152.163.205.155

Yes, in sport especially, the mind and body must work as one. When the perfect state of harmony is reached, athletes call it "being in the Zone". That's why I called my book "The Achievement Zone".

What I emphasize with my athletes is that they must utilize processes THEY feel comfortable with. The athlete has to be in control. So I am very eclectic in the relaxation methods I employ with athletes and other clients. Deep breathing, and doing abdominal breathing, is very important for peak performance. I also use muscle relaxation techniques, biofeedback, centering, and autogenic training. Many athletes I work with get a lot of benefit from studying the martial arts. Judo, tai chi, taekwondo, karate - all these can teach a lot about complete relaxation and about a full mind/body connection.

MsgId: *breakthrough(34)
Date: Wed Aug 13 21:38:59 EDT 1997
From: moderator At: 152.163.213.139

What about imagery? Do all clients adapt similarly to these techniques?
MsgId: *breakthrough(35)
Date: Wed Aug 13 21:40:20 EDT 1997
From: Shane_Murphy At: 152.163.205.155

No, there are very large differences in the imagery styles and preferences people use. For example, the golfer I am working with has a very hard time using imagery to picture the shots he wants to hit. So I have to do a lot of work assessing the syles of imagery the person prefers, and their skill level. Some people are very visual. Many athletes are very kinesthetic. For other clients, most of their imagery is primarily emotional.

Most of my own personal research has been in the imagery area. Imagery can be used in so many ways to manage perforamance. Most people are familiar with "mental practice" - using imagery to rehearse performance. But athletes use imagery in many. many other ways.

Problem solving is a good example. Athletes can "try out" a strategy via imagery to see if it might work. Where else can you experience what it feels like to do something you have never done - except in imagery?

MsgId: *breakthrough(39)
Date: Wed Aug 13 21:48:34 EDT 1997
From: moderator At: 152.163.213.139

Do you counsel clients about their physical conditioning? Or their habits, if they are detrimental to achieving their zone?
MsgId: *breakthrough(40)
Date: Wed Aug 13 21:49:25 EDT 1997
From: Shane_Murphy At: 152.163.205.155

Of course, the other very important skill is using your VERBAL self-talk effectively. Some people who are poor visualizers are very self-verbal. One of the skills I discuss in the book is "Energizing". And an important aspect of this skill is having the Physical energy to do all the things you want to do. So physical conditioning is an important part of peak performance. But you know, I never tell my clients to exercise.

I believe the key to staying in shape is to be physically active at things you love. And unfortunately, for many people, "exercise" is like strong medicine. It tastes bad and you only take it when someone forces you to.

As for bad habits - yes, they certainly get in the way of high achievement. particularly the addicitions - to food, to drugs, to sex, to alcohol. I believe a person's imagery is a key to breaking out of addictions.

MsgId: *breakthrough(44)
Date: Wed Aug 13 21:53:46 EDT 1997
From: moderator At: 152.163.213.139

How do you hear clients describe being in the 'zone'? And when things aren't working, what do you tell them to look for?
MsgId: *breakthrough(46)
Date: Wed Aug 13 21:56:39 EDT 1997
From: Shane_Murphy At: 152.163.205.155

The Zone is the best! Athletes are always searching for it. They describe it as "effortless", "powerful", "fun", "confident", "inspiring". I think you can have excellent performances which are not quite in the Zone - but the Zone is the best.

Part of becoming good at reaching Zone levels of performance is being able to identify when things are not working. When things are going wrong. And then changing. So self-observation skills are important. One method stands out.

I can't tell you how many of the great Olympic athletes I have met keep a journal or diary. I'd say about 90% of them do. It's something I always look for in a good young athlete.

MsgId: *breakthrough(49)
Date: Wed Aug 13 22:03:27 EDT 1997
From: moderator At: 152.163.213.139

Are there any good habits that you recommend for improving the mind/body connection?
MsgId: *breakthrough(50)
Date: Wed Aug 13 22:04:33 EDT 1997
From: Shane_Murphy At: 152.163.205.155

Well, we have already talked about one important good habit. Physical fitness. The other two that are important for Energizing are good nutrition and sound sleep habits. Sleep is a much ignored area in general, but interestingly, I find that many high achievers try to push themselves on too little sleep, and this hurts them. Lack of sleep can be very disruptive to high achievement. MOST people need about 8-9 hours of sleep a night. I have seen people perform well on just 4 or 5. But another important aspect of sleep is regularity. The body responds well when you go to bed and get up at the same time every day. This is a problem for shift-workers, for example. I highly recommend the book "The 24-hour Society" for lots of good ideas about good sleep habits.

As for nutrition - well, it affects the mind/body much more than many people relaize. But I tend to be conservative with my nutrition recommendations. Many athletes overdo it in their quest for that "extra edge". All the money they spend on nutritional supplements!!

MsgId: *breakthrough(55)
Date: Wed Aug 13 22:10:20 EDT 1997
From: moderator At: 152.163.213.139

Do your business clients have a different approach than your athletes to any of these suggestions as they try to achieve peak performance? Sleep? Physical fitness? Is one harder to add in than another?
MsgId: *breakthrough(56)
Date: Wed Aug 13 22:12:56 EDT 1997
From: Shane_Murphy At: 152.163.205.155

Well, athletes have a huge advantage when it comes to being fit! :)

Think about the "typical" businessperson and how sedentary he or she is. It's hard to find the time to be active. A recommendation I have made to some of the companies I work with is to be more active in the day! Northeast Utilities bought their staff bikes to ride, and began to organize volleyball games at lunchtime to help re-energize staff.

Actually, the problem for athletes is OVERtraining. They spend so much time training, that their bodies actually start to break down under the stress. Research indicates that mind/body relaxation methods may help prevent such overtraining.

But many people also find it hard to fit in proper sleep habits. We try to cram so much into our busy days nowdays, don't we?

MsgId: *breakthrough(60)
Date: Wed Aug 13 22:17:09 EDT 1997
From: moderator At: 152.163.213.139

If we could go back to one sport you mentioned -- martial arts. How does it help athletes who compete in other areas, and do business clients use it to generally help reach peak performance?
MsgId: *breakthrough(62)
Date: Wed Aug 13 22:19:03 EDT 1997
From: Shane_Murphy At: 152.163.205.155

I HAVE met business clients who practice tai chi or something similar. Even more of them I have met use some form of meditation during the day to unwind and refocus. I think both martial arts and meditation help my clients in similar ways. It teaches them how to focus. How to concentrate. How to block out distractions, let go of the unimportant stuff, and think about the big picture. Achieve what Dr. Csikszentmihalyi calls "FLOW". And I believe there are many ways to learn this. Martial arts is one. Meditation is another. But some clients achieve this focused state while gardening. Or some while walking a dog!
MsgId: *breakthrough(65)
Date: Wed Aug 13 22:23:44 EDT 1997
From: moderator At: 152.163.213.139

Anything to achieve 'the zone'. Definitely. But I think it's more fun to use the imagery and relaxation. Thank you so much for joining me on Breakthrough Medicine.
MsgId: *breakthrough(66)
Date: Wed Aug 13 22:24:37 EDT 1997
From: Shane_Murphy At: 152.163.205.155

Thank YOU Madeleine! The last 90 minutes passed so rapidly! I must have been in the Zone! But my typing fingers can use some good rest. Good night.
MsgId: *breakthrough(67)
Date: Wed Aug 13 22:26:30 EDT 1997
From: moderator At: 152.163.213.139

Goodnight! Please join me next week for Breakthrough Medicine!


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