On this episode we talk to the wonderful Dr Arabella Ashfield - recorded in the podcast studio at Leeds Trinity University. Arabella has extensive experience in performance lifestyle. She has worked for the UK Sport Institute (UKSI; formerly EIS) for the past 15 years, initially as a performance lifestyle advisor with GB canoeing before progressing to a senior performance lifestyle coach with the GB Olympic Cycling Team. She is currently the Performance Lifestyle Research Lead at the UKSI. Arabella educates us on what performance lifestyle is based on her own experiences. We discuss the responsibilities that performance lifestyle advisors have in terms of athlete wellbeing and what exactly PL's might address to support this. We also have a detailed conversation around Arabella's research which focuses on flourishing and languishing and what these mean in relation to wellbeing and mental health. As psychologists there is likely to be a time where we work alongside peformance lifestyle practitioners. To work effectively in a multi disciplinary team (MDT) it's important we know what they do which will optimise the way we collaborate with them and in turn maximise the support offered to the athlete(s). Arabella has provided us with a lot more clarity on the role of a PL and we hope that any practitioners tuning into this episode feel the same. Stay tuned for more performance lifestyle conversations later this season... We always enjoy our time down in Leeds so thanks to the team at LTU and Arabella for making this happen. Connect with Arabella on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/arabella-ashfield/ Arabella has recently pivoted towards supporting mothers through motherhood. Visit her website to learn more and access her services: https://www.ascendingmotherhood.com Talking Points 1. Intro and welcome to episode (00:00) 2. Arabella's experience in sport growing up (3:08) 3. What is a performance lifestyle practitioner? (14:18) 4. Wellbeing responsibilities as a PL (21:45) 5. Is there a focus on performance lifestyle of staff? (31:53) 6. Flourishing and languishing (37:12) 7. Boundaries between mental health and wellbeing (49:21) 8. Implications for NGB's (59:16) 9. Educating practitioners: then and now (1:06:03) 10. Closing thoughts: (1:12:56)