52 Weeks of Mental Mastery - Week 4: Respond, Don’t React

Week 4: Respond, Don’t React ~ Slow Down Your Mind, Speed Up Your Power

💬 QUOTE

“Between stimulus and response, there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and our freedom.”
— Viktor Frankl

🔍 QUESTION

Are you reacting on autopilot or responding with intention?

📘 STORY – E+R=O (Urban Meyer, Ohio State)

When Urban Meyer took over at Ohio State, he brought in a simple but powerful mindset tool:
E + R = O — Event + Response = Outcome.
He taught his team: You don’t control the event, but you do control your response, and your response shapes the outcome.
Whether it was a blown play, a bad call, or pressure from the crowd, they trained to pause and respond, not react.
That mindset shift helped fuel a cultural turnaround and a national championship in Year 3. It wasn’t just through talent, but through mental discipline.

🧠 SCIENCE

Reactions come from the amygdala, which is fast, emotional, and often impulsive.
Responses come from the prefrontal cortex, which is the part of the brain responsible for decision-making, logic, and emotional regulation.
Just a short pause and a deep breath can shift activity from the emotional brain to the rational brain, giving you control under pressure.

👣 STEP FORWARD – Use PBS: Physical → Breathe → Self-Talk

Next time you're triggered, frustrated, or feeling pressure, try PBS:

• P – Physical or Pause: Do something to break the autopilot; clap your hands, re-tie your shoe laces, adjust your clothing/jersey, clinch your fists and then release, or simply pause.

• B – Breathe: One slow deep breath calms the nervous system and signals control.

• S – Self-Talk: Use a cue phrase like “I’ve got this,” or “Next play.” Talk to yourself like a great coach would.

  Just like Public Broadcasting Station reveals what’s on the air, you’re always broadcasting your mental state to the world.
  When you don’t control your emotions, your body language, tone, and actions do it for you.

  Train your PBS — so what you broadcast is calm, focused, and intentional.

💥 Train your ‘Response Muscle’ in small moments so you’re ready in the big ones. Responding instead of reacting is one of the most powerful tools in mental performance.