Today on the podcast, Chris DeSantis is talking all about Positive Psychology!

Chris and I met a couple months ago when I was a guest on his podcast, The Swim Brief Podcast, and we had so much to talk about that I had to stop him and tell him to save it for this podcast!

Chris is the first athletic coach in the world to get an advanced degree in Positive Psychology (in 2009). Chris is the definition of a pioneer in his industry, and has brought the power of positive psychology to sports. He has been a swim coach his entire adult life and has a unique perspective and application that is so complimentary to what we teach at The Mindset Coach Academy. 

 The cool thing about positive psychology is that none of it is specific to any particular sport. I’m certain that you will be able to apply what you learn in today’s episode to improve countless other areas of your life.

In this interview, Chris digs into the history of positive psychology, how it was founded in the late 90s and how it evolved from the field of psychology that (at the time) only really looked only at what is wrong with people. Chris teaches and entertains with a ton of personal stories, including a time he pissed off Princeton’s swimming and diving team, how exactly to embrace your fear of failure, and the vital role of negative visualization. 

Let’s dive in!

Follow Chris

Website: chrisdcoach.com/

Instagram: instagram.com/chrisd_coach

Facebook: facebook.com/cdswimcoach

Podcast: The Swim Brief Podcast

Related Resources:

• Psychology of Competition: In The Psychology of Competition toolbox, you’ll gain a scientific understanding of the psychology of competition, and be introduced to printable worksheets, on the go guided visualization, and exercises you can use to help you and your team get your mind right before, during, and after competition:.positiveperformancetraining.com/psychology-of-competition

Here’s a glance at the episode…

[1:40] Chris  reveals how he was the first athletic coach in the world to get his advanced degree in Positive Psychology. 

[3:15] Lindsey and Chris dig into the question, “What is positive psychology?” Chris explains why he’s excited about the question, and how the term can be misleading.

[6:51] The field of positive psychology has to work in tandem with pathology. Chris talks about the difference he’s noticed in his business from pre-covid to post-covid and how the world has started to embrace sports psychologists.

[11:03] Lindsey asks Chris to share some actionable things coaches can do to work positive psychology into their curriculum. Chris shares an experience he had where he turned something he loved into a miserable experience because of his fear of failure. 

[16:14] Chris explains where ‘fear of failure’ really comes from. And why he’d love to have “a team full of athletes that fear failure.”

[21:47] Chris shares an example of a time he pissed off Princeton’s swimming and diving team. He then talks about why he believes we were all born with a ‘negativity bias’.

[26:30] What comes after ‘reframing’ failure? Chris makes the case for “negative visualization” and shares how it can actually calm your brain and prepare you for success.

[33:05] Failure creates empathy for the athletes you coach. Chris talks about a time that he failed during a presentation, and what he learned when he reached out to the coach for feedback. 

[37:43] “If you’re a coach who wants to push people really hard, then positive psychology can really help.”

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