Jonah Oliver: Discomfort, Pressure, and Performance

Pressure doesn’t mean something’s wrong - it means something matters. In this episode, world-leading performance psychologist Jonah Oliver explains why discomfort is the gateway to growth, and why trying to control your thoughts or emotions is the very thing that undermines performance. With over two decades working across elite sport and high-stakes environments - from Olympic athletes, UFC fighters, and Formula One drivers, to AFL clubs, corporate leaders, surgeons, and top-tier teams - Jonah blends sports psychology, neuroscience, and behavioural science into a practical and deeply human approach to high performance. We explore: • the paradox of control (why fighting fear makes it stronger) • experiential avoidance and how it quietly sabotages performance • the relationship between arousal, attention, and decision-making • how values-based clarity creates real composure under pressure • why seeking discomfort trains the mind more effectively than “positive thinking” ever could • the difference between confidence and competence • what true game day readiness looks and feels like If you’re an athlete, coach, fighter, creator, or anyone who performs under pressure, this conversation offers a new framework for mental toughness - one grounded not in suppressing emotion, but in understanding it.