If You’re Struggling with Mental Blocks, Don’t Quit Yet! With Cecilia Cooley episode artwork

EPISODE · Aug 4, 2026 · 38 MIN

If You’re Struggling with Mental Blocks, Don’t Quit Yet! With Cecilia Cooley

from PerformHappy with Rebecca Smith · host Rebecca Smith

In this episode of the Perform Happy Podcast, I sit down with college gymnast Cecilia Cooley to talk about mental blocks, rebuilding confidence, overcoming fear, and learning not to give up on yourself when gymnastics starts to feel impossible. Cecilia shares her unconventional journey from starting gymnastics later than most to becoming a college gymnast, captain, and scholarship athlete. She opens up about struggling with mental blocks across multiple events, feeling like her body and brain were no longer working together, and reaching a point where practice felt exhausting and she considered quitting.Cecilia explains how working with a sports psychologist helped her put words to what she was experiencing and gave her practical tools to move forward. She shares the “billboard strategy,” which helped her learn that she could notice fearful thoughts without automatically believing them. We also talk about rebuilding skills from the basics, using keywords and visual cues, learning when to take a step back, and why listening to your brain can actually help you move forward faster.In this episode you will hearWhy mental blocks do not mean you are brokenHow to work with fearful thoughts instead of fighting themWhy taking a step back can help you move forwardHow keywords and visual cues can help during skillsWhy overcoming a mental block takes patienceHow hard experiences can build confidence and perseveranceWhy you should not give up before getting the right supportThis conversation is a powerful reminder that a mental block does not have to be the end of your gymnastics journey. Sometimes the path forward starts with slowing down, getting help, and rebuilding your trust in yourself one small step at a time.Learn exactly what to say and do to guide your athlete through a mental block with my new book "Parenting Through Mental Blocks" Order your copy today: https://a.co/d/g990BurFollow me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/complete_performance/Join my FaceBook page: https://www.facebook.com/completeperformancecoaching/Check out my website: https://completeperformancecoaching.com/Write to me! Email: [email protected] to help your athlete overcome fears and mental blocks while gaining unstoppable confidence? Discover the transformative power of PerformHappy now. If your athlete is struggling or feeling left behind, it's time for a change. Are you ready? For more info and to sign up: PerformHappy.com

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In this episode of the Perform Happy Podcast, I sit down with college gymnast Cecilia Cooley to talk about mental blocks, rebuilding confidence, overcoming fear, and learning not to give up on yourself when gymnastics starts to feel impossible. Cecilia shares her unconventional journey from starting gymnastics later than most to becoming a college gymnast, captain, and scholarship athlete. She opens up about struggling with mental blocks across multiple events, feeling like her body and brain...

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If You’re Struggling with Mental Blocks, Don’t Quit Yet! With Cecilia Cooley

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