Self-Doubt, Second Guessing, and Negative Thinking with Sports Psychologist Dr. Mitch Greene

I’m the kind of runner, at least lately, who has anxiety about having anxiety. Our guest today calls that the “double whammy.” And I’ve developed a pretty bad case of the whammies.

I wasn’t always this way. I’m the runner who always said, “If you can’t beat fear, do it scared.” But the thing about running, the thing I’ve said so often lately that I’m almost tired of hearing myself say it, is that our relationship with it changes.

A few bad races here, a few incomplete training cycles there, and suddenly you feel like a shadow of the runner you used to be trying to love a sport that seems way out of your league.

I don't know what happened to the fierce competitor who showed up not without fear, but in spite of it.

So I reached out to an expert to help me figure out how to get my mojo back.

His name is Dr. Mitch Greene. He’s a clinical and sport psychologist, and the author of Courage Over Confidence.

And my immediate reaction to that title was:

“Um… hi. I used to have that. Help.”

I consumed his book in about eight hours because I wanted to absorb the cure for what he calls “mind chatter.”

Dr. Greene defines mind chatter as “the conversation we have with ourselves that’s full of doubt, second guessing, and negative thinking.” It’s a term he developed that helps athletes like me finally label exactly what’s happening in our heads before races, workouts, and moments that matter.

During our conversation, we talked about several ways runners can manage mind chatter, many pulled directly from his book.

One of the biggest takeaways for me was learning to separate yourself from the chatter. You are the one who signed up for the race. The chatter is the protective voice trying to keep you from disappointment, embarrassment, or failure.

YOU are not your mind chatter. That felt like very good news for me.

We also talk about preparing for chatter instead of trying to eliminate it. Rather than forcing confidence or pretending fear doesn’t exist, Dr. Greene encourages athletes to expect those thoughts to show up and even greet them with, “Right on time.”

Because the truth is, many of us have been told to “just think positive,” and sometimes that feels like one more expectation to fail at.

I hope this conversation helps you feel less alone in your own overthinking, race anxiety, and self-doubt. More importantly, I hope it reminds you to be scarier than whatever is scaring you.

Learn more about Dr. Greene and his work at:

Green Psych Sports Psychology Practice

Courage Over Confidence