Psychological flexibility is a trait commonly used to describe athletes with a strong mental game. It’s something that is sought after by athletes new to their competitive career, ones who have been in it for years, and everyone in between.
Spoiler alert: it's impossible. If your goal is to eliminate anxiety or "block out" the bad thoughts, whether they are distracting or negative in nature, you're playing a losing game. This can be hard to accept for many athletes...
Boston Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla presents a perfect example of how to deal with criticism that stems from a classic tool in working on your mental game, reframing, when discussing the unfair criticism that Jayson Tatum receives.
