The IGNITE Peak Performance Blog
If you’re here, you’re probably looking to make meaningful and lasting change in your life. As a professional coach who specializes in working with women and mothers, I can help you.
The best way for us to get to know each other is for you to contact me! You can also sign up for my monthly newsletter below. In the meantime, keep an eye on this page for monthly blogs containing research-based tips, reading recommendations, and other resources that can help you IGNITE to reach your goals!
Gendered Attention in Classrooms
“A 2018 collaboration between researchers at the Inter-American Development Bank, the University of Virginia, and the University of Michigan found that, even today, teachers tend to pay more attention to boys than to girls, a phenomenon called the “gender attention gap”. After collecting almost 600 hours of videotapes in fourth grade classrooms in Chile, they analyzed how often teachers interacted with their students, whether that was praise, criticism, or calling on them by name. Not only did the research show that teachers’ attention favored boys in every type of interaction, but they also found that classrooms with larger gender attention gaps, where teachers paid more attention to boys than girls, also had girls scoring lower in math.”
Olympic Mindset
“When I watch Olympians before they compete, I always see the same thing. Intense focus and concentration to prime the brain, some sort of stretching or movement to prime the body, and big smiles. I expect to see the first two things, but I’m always surprised by the pre-performance smiles. I cannot imagine smiling before performing in front of millions of people for just a few minutes after training for years. It really goes to show the importance of focusing on the joy of the experience. There’s also research showing that even putting on a fake smile will help you feel happier!”
Winter Olympians & Mothers
“I realized that I was asking questions about female athletes that I’ve never asked myself about male athletes. How do male athletes juggle all the demands on their time and attention with their demanding training schedules? How can they be dads and athletes? I’ve never once wondered how some of my favorite male athletes cope with their roles as dads.”
Don’t Believe Everything You Think
“Let’s say you’re rushing off to a stressful meeting and, just after you shut your house door, you realize your keys are inside. Annoyed, you reach for the doorknob. It’s locked. You’re standing there in the cold, late for your meeting, with no keys. Luckily, your neighbor has your spare key, so you’re able to let yourself back in. You get to your meeting – late, but you get there. We all have days like this and do things like this. What we tell ourselves in these moments can have a huge impact. Do you think to yourself over and over, “wow, I’m so stupid!” The next time you find yourself in this kind of situation, try to catch yourself and remember that just because you think it doesn’t make it true!”
Research on the Empty Nest
“Last week’s blog was a reflection on my and my clients’ experiences of the transition to an empty nest. Since I’m all about using science to IGNITE change, I thought this week we’d dive a little deeper into research about how parents may react when their children leave the house.”
Empty Nesting
“One day your house is full of snacks, backpacks, shoes thrown everywhere, and dirty dishes. There is a lot of laughter and chaos. Yes, there are also tears and raised voices. Kids forgetting this and that. Losing things. Running late. They all need one thing or other, and you are the ringleader of the circus. Then, they leave. Maybe they go to college, maybe they get their first job and move out. Suddenly, all the chaos comes to a screeching halt. Are you prepared? What do you do when the ringleader of the circus is only required during school breaks? “
Wellness in the New Year
“Something I’m really proud of from 2021 is completing my science-based training in positive psychology health and wellness coaching and then passing the National Board of Medical Examiner’s Certification in Health and Wellness Coaching exam. This means that in addition to having my PhD and being an ACC, I’m now also a National Board Certified Health and Wellness Coach (NBC-HWC)! I’m really looking forward to using what I learned to better help clients reach their health and wellness goals in 2022!”
Verstappen’s Victory
“This weekend, winning took every ounce of mental strength from Verstappen. But what about Hamilton? For the majority of that race, it looked inevitable that he would win. In that last lap, that tiny little blip of color on the chart, it was all taken away from him. Despite that, he stood up in front of the cameras and congratulated Verstappen. He shook his hand. I have no doubt that Hamilton, who is also the definition of a champion, will come back to win more races.”
Theory or Action?
“One of the fundamental lessons I’ve learned over my thirty-plus-year career is this: “An ounce of action is worth a ton of theory.” (Ralph Waldo Emerson) Of course, some insight is relevant to the process of growth and change. Self-reflection can help us to understand who we are and why we behave the way we do. But gaining that insight, in and of itself, is not sufficient to produce change. Ruminating on the past keeps us anchored in it, and focusing on the past does not help us change the present.”
Thanksgiving Reflections
“This Thanksgiving was not my most festive. I was feeling a little down. I was caught in a negative spiral. I was focusing on all the things that were bothering me. I needed to pull myself out of it. As usual, I took a deep breath and thought about all the things that I’m thankful for in my life. This reminded me of how my grandfather consistently focused my attention on gratitude. He did it long before it was a popular thing. He wouldn’t ever dismiss my feelings, but he did consistently draw my attention back to the positive, and he made it a point to teach me to do that on my own.”