Instagram story viewer> @diyavaleja> Posts

Diya Valeja | Sport Psychology

@diyavaleja

489

followers

423

following

studying the mental side of sport
🧠 doctoral trainee in sport & exercise psychology
✨ research, reflections and the trainee life
📍glasgow, scotland

POSTS STORIES REELS TAGGED

Some things don’t show up on the scoreboard.

Not every difficult experience in sport is visible, and not every athlete who is struggling will look like they’re struggling.

This year’s World Mental Health Day theme, “Lived experiences heard: real voices, real change,” feels relevant here. Because there’s so much about an athlete’s experience that we might never see from the sidelines. Sometimes, the most important parts of their story are the ones that don’t make it into a performance review, a post-match interview or a results sheet.

A World Mental Health day reminder 💚

#WorldMentalHealthDay2026 #SportPsychology #AthleteMentalHealth #MentalHealthInSport by @diyavaleja

10

1

7 days ago

Been away from this space for a little while, so here’s an honest update ❤️

Some days on the DPsych make you feel like a hamster on a wheel. That’s how I’ve felt these past few weeks. Between tutoring, attending my own classes, taking client sessions, writing notes, navigating everyday life stressors, trying to have a bit of a social life, missing home, and generally looking after myself… I’ve very much felt like the 🐹 lately.

And the thing is, none of this is particularly new. I’ve been juggling these things for a while now. So why do some periods feel more intense than others?

I think I’m learning that it isn’t always about what is happening, sometimes it’s about how much capacity we have for what is happening.The same workload can feel manageable when we’re sleeping well, feeling connected, making time for things we enjoy, moving our bodies, eating properly, or simply feeling a little more like ourselves. And that same workload can feel considerably heavier when some of those things start to slip.

Which has made me think more about protective factors, something we talk about so often in psychological practice, but which can be surprisingly easy to overlook in ourselves. As trainee practitioners, we spend a lot of time thinking about how to support other people. But our own wellbeing doesn’t have to wait until the workload eases up. Sometimes the protective factors are precisely what help us keep going through the busy periods.

For me, that has meant reminding myself that rest, relationships, movement, having a life outside of the course, and making space to properly switch off aren’t luxuries or things I need to “earn” once everything is done. They’re part of what keeps me going.

#Reflections #FoodForThought #DoctoralTrainee #TraineePsychologist by @diyavaleja

101

24

9 days ago

Some of the best learning happens beyond the classroom🥊

Today, watching elite athletes compete at the Commonwealth Games was a reminder that performance is so much more than what we see in the ring. Behind every moment are years of preparation, pressure, resilience, and support.

It was also so special to cheer on Team India 🇮🇳 while being in Scotland, bringing together the two places I call home. 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 Bumping into @mirabai_chanu was an absolute pleasure, she’s someone whose resilience, humility, and dedication have inspired so many, myself included.

Feeling grateful for experiences that continue to shape me as a practitioner and a human. taken in SEC Armadillo by @diyavaleja

137

14

3 months ago

Never imagined my doctorate would lead me here.

So grateful to be part of Psychology for Common(wealth) Good and to contribute psychological support to athletes at the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games. This project provides support to teams that cannot access psychological support in-team.

Here’s to sport, and here’s to the humans behind every performance ❤️

Let the Games begin. @glasgow_caledonian_university @glasgow_2026

#AllIn #Glasgow2026 by @diyavaleja

160

26

3 months ago

This semester, I stepped into the role of a seminar tutor for the first time. Teaching was always something I’d wanted to try, but I wasn’t sure I’d actually enjoy it. Turns out, I really did.

Reflecting on it, it pushed me to think differently, not just about what I know, but how I communicate it. It was about making ideas land, holding attention, and creating a safe space where students feel comfortable engaging.

I also found myself thinking about one of my favourite school teachers, someone who made things click, made me feel seen, and made learning feel less intimidating. That was something I hoped to embody too.

I didn’t expect teaching to feel this meaningful, but it reminded me that sometimes the things we’re unsure about become the things we connect with most.

Definitely something I’d choose to do again ☺️

(teaching, psychology, sport psychology, reflection) by @diyavaleja

98

8

5 months ago

#TraineeReflections ☕️🌊

A tendency i’ve seen in myself and so many of my fellow doctoral trainees is to equate productivity with effectiveness. This time of the year gets tough for everyone in one way or another. But pushing through fatigue, stress, sickness or low energy rarely results in meaningful or high-quality work.

The same holds true for athletes. Performance is often viewed purely through the lens of effort, more training, more intensity, more time. But sustainable performance requires periods of recovery, self-regulation, and honest self-assessment.

When the “cup” is empty, it becomes harder to access confidence, focus, emotional control, and adaptability. Learning to recognise your own limits, and to respect them, is not vulnerability. Rest is not a gap in performance; it is a key component of performing well.

Remember to refill your own cup ❤️

(Self care, practitioner self care, #selfcare, sport psychology) by @diyavaleja

46

7

5 months ago

#TraineeReflections // somehow I now work in high performance football. Which is wild considering… I did not grow up following football. At all.

I now check premier league fixtures. I have opinions. “Possession” has a whole new meaning in my vocabulary. Hey, we’re evolving! 🥳

What I have learnt since I started a couple months ago:

• I’ve become more decisive (because football moves fast and so do the people in it)
• I’ve had to find my voice in rooms that don’t look like me. This did not come easy to me, but that’s helped me personally develop A LOT.
but most importantly..
• Scottish weather does not cancel training. You just stand in the rain and...improvise, adapt, overcome

It’s stretched me.
It’s challenged me (hello.. peer supervision hours xD)
It’s made me better.

But most importantly, somewhere along the way… I think I have started to really like football ❤️ by @diyavaleja

131

21

8 months ago

scribbles from post-session reflections from last week. I’ve come to realise, what keeps me connected to this work is the reminder of the passion people carry and the resilience they build through experiences we’ll never fully see 🩷

#SportPsychology #ProfDoc #TraineePsychologist #ReflectivePractice by @diyavaleja

57

37

8 months ago

Its been a week of intensive learning which also means looking back on the journey so far.. this brings back #TraineeReflections 🌱

These are bits and pieces from my reflective scribbles from september to now. I’d love to hear from my fellow trainees ☺️⬇️

(#profdoc #doctoraltrainee sport psychology) by @diyavaleja

70

10

9 months ago

I realised i’ve never really introduced myself, and what better day than today to get back here 👊

I am Diya, a Trainee Sport & Exercise Psychologist (Stage 2) at @glasgow_caledonian_university. I work with athletes, but I’m just as interested in the person behind the performance. My research focuses on Athlete Mental Health 💚

If you’re an athlete, coach, parent, practitioner, or just someone curious about the psychology of sport, welcome!

(Sport Psychology, #SportPsychology, Mental Performance, #MentalHealth, #PsychologyOfSport) by @diyavaleja

105

19

10 months ago

What we bring to sport begins with how we care for our minds.

For athletes, it might mean recognizing that rest isn’t weakness, but a part of performance. For practitioners and support staff, it might be giving ourselves permission to slow down and be self-compassionate. And for anyone simply trying to get through the week, it’s okay if your best looks different every day.

So, today and every day, here’s to:
🕊️ Pausing before pushing.
🗣️ Checking in, not just checking boxes.
💚 Kindness to others, and ourselves.

Happy #WorldMentalHealthDay!

#SportPsychology #WellbeingInSport #PerformancePsychology #AthleteMentalHealth by @diyavaleja

42

5

a year ago

Life, like sport, gives us second innings. Moments to rest, reframe, and regroup. To pause, to reset, to REFLECT, and to step back into the game with intention.

Glasgow, round two. Here we go 😊

#TraineeLife #DoctoralTrainee #sportpsychology #glasgow by @diyavaleja

164

39

a year ago