Why are we often kinder to others than we are to ourselves?

In this powerful episode of Mind Set Go, mental performance coach Daniel Osen explores the psychology of self-criticism—where it comes from, how it sabotages us, and what we can do to change the internal narrative.

From childhood comparisons and capitalism’s hustle culture to perfectionism and emotional self-sabotage, this episode digs deep into why we judge ourselves so harshly—and how to stop. Featuring insights inspired by Jordan Peterson, real-world metaphors (including babies on doorsteps and walking toddlers), and the latest research on perfectionism, self-compassion, and mental health.

🧠 Learn why accountability is not the same as blame
💡 Discover the difference between healthy standards and psychological drowning
🤝 Try practical tools like self-hugs, “dates with yourself,” and redefining your inner critic

Supported by research from Smith et al. (2020), Gilbert & Irons (2005), and psychedelic therapy studies from Griffiths et al. (2016), this episode gives you both the science and the soul behind self-acceptance.

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📬 Connect with Daniel on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/danielosen
📸 Follow on Instagram: @mentaltrenerosen

Be kinder to your mind. You live there.

🎧 The Inner Voice: Competing for Yourself, Not for Them

Why do so many athletes burn out, break down, or lose their love for the game? Often, it’s not the training. It’s not even the pressure. It’s the fact that they stopped listening to their own voice.
In this episode, I explore why following your inner voice isn’t some fluffy self-help advice, but a performance imperative. We talk about identity, autonomy, parental pressure, and what it actually means to take ownership of your career.

🎓 Hosted by Daniel Osen – mental coach, PhD student in performance psychology.
🔗 Connect: LinkedIn | BuyMeACoffee | Instagram

Episode 14 - Make Priorities and Decide!

Are you constantly busy — but rarely productive? In this episode of Mind Set Go, we explore how to take control of your time and focus by mastering your priorities using insights from performance psychology, neuroscience, and the well-known Eisenhower Matrix.

You’ll learn:

• The difference between urgent and important tasks (and why we often get it wrong)

• Why decision fatigue affects even high performers

• How unfinished tasks clutter your mind — and what to do about it

• Why multitasking doesn't work, cognitively speaking

• Simple strategies and exercises to help you regain focus and take action

We’ll also look at how Warren Buffett and Steve Jobs used strategic prioritisation to achieve extraordinary results — and how you can apply the same tools in your everyday life.

🎯 Follow me on Instagram: @mentaltrenerosen
💼 Connect with me on LinkedIn: Daniel Osen
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Thanks for tuning in — now set your mind, and go.

To Believe or Not Believe: Faith & Resilience in Sport

Discover how prayer, ritual, and community support can become an athlete’s clutch play under pressure. In this episode of Mind Set Go, Dr. Daniel Osen breaks down the rituals of champions—from Tim Tebow’s sideline prayers to Mohamed Salah’s post‑goal gratitude—and shows you how to weave brief faith‑based pauses into any performance routine.

You’ll walk away with simple, actionable strategies for moving beyond setbacks, sharpening focus, and cultivating unshakeable mental resilience.

🔗 Connect with me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danielosen
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Episode 12 - Self-Compassion, Elite Sport & Burnout with Melanie Stokke

Former pro tennis player Melanie Stokke joins Mind Set Go to talk about chasing excellence — and the emotional toll that often follows. From training alone in Spain to competing at the highest level, Melanie shares how self-doubt, pressure, and perfectionism nearly broke her.

Now a psychology student and coach, she explores the science of self-compassion and how it can prevent burnout, boost resilience, and help athletes feel "good enough" — both on and off the court.

We discuss mental toughness, identity, emotional recovery, and how coaches and parents can better support young athletes. A must-listen for anyone striving in silence.

🔑 Topics:
– The 3 pillars of self-compassion (Neff, 2003)
– Why self-kindness
– Emotional recovery after failure
– Burnout, perfectionism, and fear of failure
– Practical tools you can use today

🎾 “You are not your ranking. You are not your results.”

Check out Melanie's coaching expertise here and give her a follow on Instagram here.

🎙️ Episode 11 – The Person Behind the Performance: Personality in Coaching & Sport

In this episode of Mind Set Go, we dive into the fascinating world of personality psychology and its powerful impact on the coach–athlete relationship. From the widely recognised Big Five (Five-Factor Model) to the insightful Jungian Type Index (JTI), we explore how understanding personality differences can unlock stronger communication, deeper trust, and better performance in sport.

Whether you're a coach, athlete, or someone curious about what drives human behaviour, this episode offers practical insights, relatable examples, and useful strategies to apply in any high-performance environment.

🧠 Learn how personality shapes motivation, stress responses, feedback preferences, and more — and why the best coaches are also students of human behaviour.

👉 Follow my performance psychology work and articles on LinkedIn:
linkedin.com/in/daniel-osen

☕ Support the podcast and my independent research via Buy Me a Coffee:
buymeacoffee.com/danielosen

Episode 10 - Set Clear Goals!

In times when smartphones and other distractions put us away from our goals and achievements, honesty is needed! Did you actually exercise today, or did you just say you should? Did you push through for eight reps, or did you just do six? Coaches and athletes need to know if you did what you planned to did in order to track your trajectory and path to your goals.

We dive into SMART-goals and also Result, Performance and Process goals.

If you do want to support my free charity work of knowledge being spread to your ears, go to BuyMeACoffee and support me.

Make sure to follow me on LinkedIn for more posts on performance psychology.

Episode 9 - Recovery

"A lot of athletes train hard enough, but they do not rest well enough" is a common quote issued by professional coaches.

Why is that sleep is so important? And what should I do to improve my sleep? Older people needs less sleep... Right? Or...?

In this episode I am breaking down Dr. Matthew Walker's: QQRT framework—Quality, Quantity, Regularity, and Timing

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if you consider my work worth it and want to donate to my free contribution of free knowledge so I can increase spending my time on this, visit BuyMeACoffee and donate a small amount!

Episode 1 - Who Am I?

I will In this brief episode, I will give you a little bit of my background and a bit about my two professions. I will not go too much into my private endeavours, but I will share some small parts!

You can read my articles on LinkedIn, and/or

You can contribute to my charity of sharing knowledge for free by buying me a coffee, a metaphor for donating money to my research, publications, podcasts-work and keynotes. In short, feel free to donate, aka 'buy me a coffee' at BuyMeaCoffee.com/DanielOsen . It really helps, more than you can imagine. Thank you very much for listening and for the possible donation!

Episode 8 – Self-Esteem vs. Self-Confidence

What’s the difference between self-confidence and self-esteem? And why does it matter for athletes, performers, and anyone striving for success?

In this episode of Mind Set Go, we break down the key distinctions between what you do (self-confidence) and who you are (self-esteem). You’ll learn:
✅ How self-confidence is built through experience and repetition.
✅ Why self-esteem remains stable even when you fail.
✅ How your brain distorts reality—and what to do about it.
✅ A simple five-question framework to challenge self-doubt.

If you’ve ever struggled with setbacks, felt like your confidence disappears under pressure, or tied your self-worth to achievements, this episode is for you.

🎙 Tune in now and take control of your mindset!

Check out my LinkedIn for articles on performance psychology and please feel free to buy me coffee (meaning supporting me using my free time on this social media hell we are all going through) --> https://buymeacoffee.com/danielosen