Blue Brain VS Red Brain

In the world of psychology our brain is described as having two different parts, often described as the BLUE brain and the RED brain. This is a helpful concept for athletes to understand about themselves and recognize how both parts of the brain can impact their performance.

The BLUE brain represents the part of our brain known as the prefrontal cortex. This part of our brain is responsible for decision making based on logic and reason and makes us aware of our thoughts/feelings/actions. A BLUE brain is often characterized by a sense of calm and control.

The RED brain represents the part of our brain known as the amygdala and our limbic system. This part of our brain is responsible for keeping us attuned to potential dangers and threats and helps us react quickly to them. A RED brain is often characterized by strong feelings/emotions, a heightened sense of threat, and reactionary behaviors.

The RED brain often gets a bad rap because of its connection to strong emotions like fear, anger, or frustration. Most athletes are encouraged to work to minimize the impact of their RED brain.

However for most athletes to perform at their best they need both parts of the brain working together. When the BLUE brain takes over completely we tend to over-think and over-analyze. When the RED brain takes over completely we tend to be driven by emotion. Neither of these scenarios is ideal for peak performance. Peak Performance requires both parts of the brain to work together and not against each other.

For every athlete the mixture of how much RED brain and how much BLUE brain they to perform their best varies. In my work with athletes I’ve found some athletes need their RED brain dial turned up higher, they perform their best when they play with some emotion. Some athletes need their BLUE brain dial turned up higher, they perform their best when they are in more of a calm state.

To learn a little more about the BLUE brain and the RED brain, watch this 2 ½ minute video. Stack some ammo as you watch & then on to your journal activity for the week.

JOURNAL ACTIVITY

Imagine I gave you 15 units of “brain activity” that you could split however you want between your RED brain and your BLUE brain. If you reflect back on your best performances in your sport, what would the ideal mixture be for you to create a mental environment that allows you to compete to your best?

5 parts RED and 10 parts BLUE?

9 parts RED and 6 parts BLUE?

12 parts RED and 3 parts BLUE?

I would encourage you to stay away from a 7-8 mixture. Why? I think our natural tendency is to split them evenly because we assume that is the best mixture. However very few athletes operate at a high level with a more even split. Think deeper!

What do you see in your best performance that led you to pick that mixture?