“There's a window of tolerance. All changes, whether they actually are physical changes to our muscles, or to the cells of our brain, all these changes kind of find that window of tolerance between mild and moderate levels of stress. That's the sweet spot for change. And so what I want to create for my clients is some distress, but mild to moderate levels of stress. Where they're going to have the greatest chance for change. Now I'm going to give them tools and support them in those things, so usually by the time we're ready to bridge that out, hopefully I've done my job and they're really ready and they want to, and it seems just like a natural process.”

Landon Hildebrand is a Registered Psychologist and trail runner living in Edmonton, Alberta, who loves his job and especially the opportunity to work with athletes. Being an athlete himself means that he’s able to relate with his competitive clients. Through relating and his experience, Landon knows how to help athletes get results.

Not only does he love working with athletes in his office, but he also loves volunteering at trail races, where Approach Psychology will often run aid stations. How cool is that?! An aid station with all the physical aid you need, with the added benefit of mental aid as well! I love that idea and it brings me joy just thinking about it. Joy is something Landon strives for with his athletes.

“Success should, in my mind, be both measured by how well they're doing in their races or activities, but also how much joy they're experiencing during it. That is the number one thing I'm looking at is I really want to increase the joy. Because being on the podium is cool, but only because it's fun. I don't think it actually proves anything in the world. The joy needs to be the number one factor for us.”

I really enjoyed the conversation with Landon and the insight he shared. The mental side of our sport is one I really enjoy hearing more about. It’s fascinating and doesn’t seem to be as explored as much as the physical side, which makes it all the more intriguing to me! I hope you enjoy the chat as much as I did and if you’re in Alberta and interested in working with Landon or anyone at Approach Psychology, reach out to them.

Alberta Trail Running Film Festival tickets available

Tuesday, June 4, 2024, Edmonton (Garneau Theatre) $25

Wednesday, June 5, 2024, Calgary (Globe Cinema) $25

Thursday, June 6, 2024, Canmore (Partnering with artsPlace) $25 (members receive a discount)

Friday, June 7, 2024, Crowsnest Pass (Blairmore) (Frank Slide Interpretive Centre partnering with Sinister Sports) $25

#Naaksquad - Try it and get 15% off

I enjoy the Naak products, even if the sauces took a few tries to grow on me. They get the job done and they don’t give me any issues, and isn’t that the point? So I applied to be part of the squad to get a discount on the products I plan on using a bunch. Reach out to me if you have any questions and I’ll do my best to answer! They give me a referral code, so I’m including that today.

If you’re gonna check it out, click through this link (CTR15 for 15% off), I appreciate it.

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Music by Paolo Argentino from Pixabay

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