Why do we choke under pressure, and how do elite performers stay calm when everything is on the line? In this episode of The Jennifer Valoppi Podcast, Emmy winning journalist Jennifer Valoppi sits down with Dr. Mena Mirhom, a board certified Sports and Performance Psychiatrist, Columbia University Medical Center faculty member, and NBA consultant, for a masterclass on performance anxiety, mental resilience, and the science of showing up under pressure.

Dr. Mena Mirhom works with NFL and NBA players, Olympic athletes, Fortune 500 executives, and public speakers on the exact same problem: how to perform your best when the stakes are highest. Whether you deal with stage fright, public speaking anxiety, imposter syndrome, panic attacks, or the fear of choking in a big moment, this conversation gives you the toolkit the pros actually use.

WHAT WE COVER IN THIS EPISODE
. Why performance anxiety is one of the most common mental health issues today
. The real difference between performance anxiety and a panic attack
. Why public speaking ranks as the number one fear in America, higher than death
. How to turn fear into focus with the butterflies in formation technique
. Navy SEAL breathing techniques and box breathing to calm your nervous system
. The science of visualization used by Michael Jordan and Olympic athletes
. Imposter syndrome and how to withstand criticism without losing confidence
. The injury framing for recovering from a career defining choke
. Building your personal timeout toolkit for when you feel yourself spiraling mid performance
. When beta blockers, SSRIs, and other medications help with anxiety
. Why self medication with alcohol, marijuana, and prescription drugs is so common among high performers
. Nutritional psychiatry, supplements like L theanine and magnesium, and sleep hygiene for mental health
. Cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT I) and why it works
. The mental health gap between men and women and how to close it
. How absent father figures impact athletic and professional performance decades later
. The one piece of advice that has shaped Dr. Mirhom's entire career

PERFECT FOR
Anyone who has ever walked into a big meeting, taken the stage, sat for a job interview, pitched a client, auditioned, played a championship game, or faced a moment where everything was riding on their next move.

CHAPTERS
00:00 Introduction
02:30 Why performance anxiety is so common
08:00 Butterflies in formation
15:00 Public speaking as our greatest fear
17:30 Performance anxiety vs panic attack
25:00 Box breathing and Navy SEAL techniques
29:00 Imposter syndrome and confidence
34:00 Choking on game day as an injury
38:00 Building your timeout toolkit
43:00 Michael Jordan visualization
47:00 When medication helps
55:00 Self affirmations that work
62:00 Men, women, and emotional vocabulary
66:00 Nutritional psychiatry and sleep
73:00 Meditation and phone addiction
77:00 Family dynamics and absent fathers
83:00 The one piece of advice

GUEST
Dr. Mena Mirhom, MD. Board certified Sports and Performance Psychiatrist, Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at Columbia University Medical Center, Chief Wellbeing Officer at Athletes for Hope, NBA consultant.

HOST
Jennifer Valoppi. Emmy winning journalist, author, and founder and President of the Women of Tomorrow Mentor and Scholarship Program.

LINKS
Website: https://jennifervaloppi.com
Instagram and TikTok: @jennifervaloppi
Women of Tomorrow: https://womenoftomorrow.org

ABOUT THE SHOW
The Jennifer Valoppi Podcast is a twice weekly conversation series on business, mentorship, and resilience. Content support for the Women of Tomorrow Mentor and Scholarship Program. Produced by Murray Hill Press, LLC. New episodes every Tuesday and Thursday on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and YouTube.

KEYWORDS
performance anxiety, how to perform under pressure, stage fright, public speaking anxiety, panic attack, imposter syndrome, mental health for athletes, sports psychiatry, NBA mental health, Dr. Mena Mirhom, Columbia University, box breathing, visualization, Jennifer Valoppi, Women of Tomorrow

New episodes every Tuesday and Thursday. 🎙️ The Jennifer Valoppi Podcast™ Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube Presented by Murray Hill Press, LLC.