Building Resilience and Performing Under Pressure with Dr. Kate Lund – Episode 288

By Coach Damon

January 12, 2026

Posted In: Podcast

This episode is sponsored by Nutty Buddy:

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Dr. Kate Lund is a Connecticut-based psychologist, best-selling author, TEDx speaker, and host of The Optimized Mind podcast.

Her work focuses on mental resilience, emotional control, and performance psychology, helping athletes, parents, and professionals thrive under pressure. With a lifelong passion for the inner game, she has become a respected voice in the fields of sports psychology and human performance.

Kate’s interest in resilience was born from her own early life challenges.

As a child managing hydrocephalus and repeated hospital stays, she learned firsthand about adversity, recovery, and the strength that comes from navigating difficulty. This foundation shaped her approach to performance psychology while combining scientific rigor with practical, accessible tools that help people regulate stress, build confidence, and show up fully in every moment.

In her work, Kate emphasizes simple, evidence-based practices that create meaningful shifts in mindset and emotional regulation.

One cornerstone technique she teaches is derived from the relaxation response, pairing deep breathing with a calming word or phrase to modulate stress and maintain focus. This approach isn’t just a tool for competition; it’s a way to cultivate baseline resilience that carries into everyday life.

But what truly defines Kate’s impact is how she brings both compassion and clarity to the mental side of performance. She helps athletes and parents deepen their awareness of their internal experiences, broaden their strategic thinking, and strengthen the habits that support long-term growth.

Her guidance equips individuals to manage pressure, rebound from setbacks, and make thoughtful, confident decisions under stress.

With a blend of clinical expertise, personal insight, and practical application, Dr. Kate Lund continues to empower others to move beyond survival and toward thriving. What sets her apart isn’t just her knowledge, it’s the intentionality, empathy, and depth she brings to every conversation, workshop, and coaching interaction.

We explore her work in resilience, emotional intelligence, and performance psychology — and share powerful strategies for athletes, parents, and anyone striving to perform at their best under pressure.

Here’s a link to Dr. Kate’s new book: