As you stare at this screen, your conscious mind is doing the reading for you. But deeper in lies the subconscious mind, doing and thinking about a million other things. That’s exactly how Dr Jarod Spencer described the human mind on October 9th in the Hubbard Performance Hall during his talk “The Mind of the Athlete: Clearer Mind, Better Performance”.

Students may know Dr Spencer from the All-School Meeting, where he discussed the important role of sleep in performance and mental health. He introduced himself as a renowned sports psychologist who specializes in the mental health of athletes. Rightfully so, his athlete talk was rich with information and filled with fascinating activities. Vivian Zou ’29, an attendee of the talk, said “[The talk was] just as interactive, if not more than the All-School one,”.

Zou ’29 recalls an activity that Dr. Spencer hosted even before the talk began, in which the audience was instructed to hold out both their arms and have a partner push them down. Except for the first time they did it, they would have to answer a question about themselves truthfully, and the second time with a lie. They found that their arms were much more easily pushed down when telling a lie.

Several athletes also attended with their sports teams. Maeve Rodgers ’29, a freshman on the varsity volleyball team, said: “Even focusing on a simple lie like lying about my name made me physically weaker.” Maeve now realizes how strong the connection between the mind and the body is, and how heavy thoughts that occupy your mind debilitate your physical performance. She reminds herself more frequently to practice simple actions such as taking deep breaths in order to clear her mind.

Dr. Spencer also discussed a phenomenon by the name of “post-Olympic depression”. Jolie Chung ’28 was perplexed by Dr Spencer’s initial mention of this seemingly contradictory term – after all, shouldn’t the mere opportunity to participate in such a large-scale competition bring joy?

But Jolie understood when Dr. Spencer explained the term. Athletes who participate in the Olympics usually experience a winning streak during their time playing, winning medals here and there, being the center of attention as they swim and run and hit at balls…

And suddenly, after the end of their competitions, they don’t have anything to do. Swimmers, for instance, feel as if their whole identity is defined by swimming, and that they are nothing outside of sports. Upon learning that post-Olympic depression was a thing, Chung ’28 learned how mental well-being in and out of sports was just as important as playing the sport itself: “[Dr Spencer] made me realize just how important it is to have a good balance of mind and body.”