The 2026 Olympic Games are about to begin. They generate excitement around the world because they highlight, in part, what humans can accomplish. Athletes often go to their physical limit, but what separates the truly elite athletes from the rest? According to Shilagh Mirgain, PhD, a distinguished psychologist at UW-Health, there's a big part of performance which is mental. The psychologist says because these Olympic athletes are competing on a world stage, there's pressure to succeed, but a lot of the effort goes into the physical aspect of the work. Mirgain says it's important, though, to concentrate on mindfulness and the mental aspect of the performance.  She also discusses how we can all learn from those experiences and make them a part of our lives. 

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