I watched Dear England on iPlayer recently and found myself unexpectedly moved by it – not just as a football story, but as a performance psychologist watching my own world reflected back on screen.
It was genuinely lovely to see the work I do represented so openly and positively — sport psychology, coaching, mindset, identity, communication and emotional regulation — all of the things that sit as the foundation of high performance, not just the “add-ons” that sit alongside it.
Sometimes in my work it can feel quite invisible. A lot of what happens in performance psychology is subtle — it’s the conversations, the reframing, the small shifts in thinking and behaviour that don’t always look dramatic from the outside. So to see these principles brought into a mainstream story like this felt like a really powerful reminder of just how impactful they are when they’re applied well.
What stood out most to me was that performance is still very much the goal — no one is suggesting otherwise — but what Gareth Southgate and his coaching team appear to have understood so well is that performance doesn’t come from chasing performance directly.
It comes from what sits underneath it.
Understanding identity.
Managing fear and anxiety.
Creating psychological safety.
Clear communication.
Genuine teamwork.
In many ways, the shift wasn’t about doing more or pushing harder, but about creating the conditions where people could actually perform at their best without being consumed by the fear of what it might mean if they didn’t. That’s where sport psychology becomes so powerful – not as an “extra layer”, but as something that shapes culture from the inside out.
And perhaps what I appreciated most was how normal it’s becoming to talk about this. There’s still more to do, of course, but compared to even a decade ago, there’s far less stigma around seeking psychological support in sport – and increasingly in business too. Seeing that reflected in a primetime drama felt like a small but meaningful shift.
Because ultimately, this isn’t just about elite football.
The same principles show up everywhere.
In business. In leadership. In careers. In everyday life.
The courage to try something new.
The willingness to do things differently.
The ability to sit with uncertainty rather than defaulting to control or avoidance.
All of it requires the same foundation: psychological safety and a sense that we are not defined by outcomes alone.
If anything, Dear England feels like a really important reminder that bravery in performance isn’t about not feeling fear or anxiety – it’s about feeling it and still choosing to step forward anyway, trusting the process, the people around you, and your ability to adapt as you go.
And as someone who works in this space every day, it was quite special to see that message brought to life so clearly on screen.
