Insights

Thoughts, reflections and lessons from Andrew “Diesel” Bennett on mental health, mental performance, sport and everyday life.

How to hug a hedgehog...

 ·  3 min read

How to hug a hedgehog...

There are people we love dearly, yet every conversation feels like navigating a minefield. A different way to look at the prickly characters in our lives - and how to handle them with care.

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I Swear

 ·  4 min read

I Swear

Inspired by the film about John Davidson and his Tourette Syndrome - why I am taking on the title "Suicide Prevention Activist" to help break the stigma and drive social change.

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Who coaches the coaches?

 ·  4 min read

Who coaches the coaches?

Coaching qualifications teach the technical skills, but rarely how to coach the human being. Powerful questions, key skills, and the barriers that get in the way.

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Decision making

 ·  2 min read

Decision making

There is a big difference between reacting impulsively and responding thoughtfully - and understanding it can transform the quality of your decisions and how you handle stress.

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Imposter syndrome

 ·  5 min read

Imposter syndrome

Following International Women's Day, a look at the self-doubt that tells people they are not good enough - its root causes, how it affects confidence, and how to overcome it.

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What if self help books worked?

 ·  4 min read

What if self help books worked?

A thought experiment: imagine a world where self-help advice perfectly worked and mental health issues vanished. What would we gain, and what would still remain?

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The cost of winning...

 ·  5 min read

The cost of winning...

We celebrate victory as the ultimate achievement, but the relentless pursuit of winning carries a hidden mental health toll - and ways to keep it healthy.

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The cost of losing...

 ·  4 min read

The cost of losing...

Defeat can stir up emotions that run far deeper than disappointment. The psychological pressure of losing, and strategies to cope and grow from it.

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The fear of taking the leap.

 ·  6 min read

The fear of taking the leap.

Standing on the 10m board at the London Aquatic Centre got me thinking about fear, the brain's freeze response, and how athletes can take back control.

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Mental health

 ·  3 min read

Mental health

Announcing a refocus into Talks, Mental Health and Performance, and the launch of the 2-hour K&RYN Mind (re)Set session for anxiety, panic attacks and confidence.

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International Men's day

 ·  3 min read

International Men's day

What the day is really about, its 6 Pillars, this year's theme of positive male role models, and my own reflections on growing up without one.

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Prepare for failure

 ·  4 min read

Prepare for failure

Reflections from a Sport and Mental Health panel at the Fitzwilliam Museum - 1-in-3 depression in elite sport, the value of a Plan B, and preparing for both failure and success.

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Don't stand still...

 ·  2 min read

Don't stand still...

From a mindset perspective, where is the scariest place to be? I believe it is staying in the same place for too long - and how to start moving forward.

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Why me...??

 ·  2 min read

Why me...??

Not a self-indulgent question, but a why-should-you-work-with-a-mental-performance-scientist one. We maintain our bodies but neglect our brains - here is why that matters.

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Under the carpet...

 ·  3 min read

Under the carpet...

Inspired by Modern Family and a Keane lyric: why bottling problems up eventually trips you up, illustrated with my bottle-of-water analogy.

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Back to school confidence

 ·  4 min read

Back to school confidence

Helping anxious children through the return to school - identifying what they fear, controlling the controllables, and being mindful of the worries we project onto them.

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Welcome to K&RYN

 ·  2 min read

Welcome to K&RYN

My very first blog. A bridge photo from a dog walk became a metaphor for the leap of launching K&RYN, the stigma around mental health, and my aim to help others speak out.

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