Case Study: Jonas Converted Performance Anxiety Into Eagle's Eye Mastery and Found Joy Under Pressure

Jonas Foerts is a professional basketball player competing in both 3x3 and 5x5 basketball. He also coaches two teams and recently became a father, living an unpredictable, high-performance lifestyle where he must perform consistently under varying pressures.

What was happening in your body and performance when we started working together?

Jonas Foerts, Professional 3×3 Player

Jonas came to our work after exhausting traditional performance optimization methods - strength & conditioning, nutritionists, technical skills training. Despite having all the physical tools, he was experiencing a critical gap in his performance consistency, especially under competitive pressure.

"I thought, what can I still do? Is there another aspect that could have an impact on my game, but also on my well-being? And then I thought, okay, I'm going to try that with Olivier. I've done everything towards extra training skills. Strength and conditioning, nutritionist - those are all things I've done."

The most significant challenge was his relationship with playoff pressure and high-stakes competition:

"When I had playoffs, three or four games a week, that playoff period was just one long game for me. I couldn't turn it off between games. I was continuously occupied with it. After a match I couldn't sleep because that film was replaying in my head."

This pattern was creating exhaustion and eventual burnout, despite his love for the game.

What concerns did you have about this body-based approach?

Like many elite athletes, Jonas was initially skeptical about approaches that went beyond traditional physical training methods. However, his openness came from recognizing that he had optimized everything else and still felt there was untapped potential.

The work built on his previous experience with trauma release exercises, which gave him a foundation for understanding that the body holds intelligence beyond conscious control.

What was it like learning to work WITH your body intelligence instead of against it?

The breakthrough came when Jonas discovered he could access what he calls "Eagle's Eye perspective" - a state of elevated awareness during competition where he could observe the game from above rather than getting caught in the intensity.

"I could view the game from the Eagle's eye perspective. I stood almost above it as if I was playing that game precisely. Everything came to me. I was very down-to-earth."

However, when external pressure increased, he noticed himself losing this perspective:

"As more pressure came from outside, instead of the Eagle's eye, I got more pulled into the field. That's a bit difficult to explain, but I hope you understand what I mean."

The learning process involved systematic training to maintain that elevated perspective regardless of external circumstances:

"I had to learn, and it took a long time, to accept what is there, take a step back, reset that perspective, try to see everything and react to the things that happen, instead of acting in advance."

What specific results have you achieved?

Mental Resilience Under Pressure:"I've learned to better let go and take a step back. Less getting caught in a certain spiral, positive or negative, it doesn't matter. Just being able to detach things from myself."

Sleep and Recovery Transformation:"I no longer lay in bed before sleeping with all kinds of things in my head that started playing out, thinking 'that's still a good idea,' and replaying things. When I got into a certain rush, experiencing stress when there was no stress, through all the things I thought I had to do - I can now calmly say, 'those things will come, I'm here now, and I'll handle them when they're there.' That gave me enormous peace."

Burnout Prevention:"I think also at the right moment, because I wasn't super far from a starting burnout at one point. That goal, that hope, has been fulfilled. And I think just in time."

Body Intelligence Integration:"My body took over at that moment and did the movements it wanted to do at that moment. From session two, we reached that stage quite quickly - that's not possible for everyone, I think, but that's because I had that background. Even new movements emerged. That's something I didn't know was possible."

Present-Moment Awareness:"Then I'm very much in the present. Then I'm really just in the now. Everything I was thinking about, what I still had to do, or what I had done, was just not there anymore. I was very present, very alert to everything. I noticed everything. I felt everything much more intensely than just before the session."

What's your biggest takeaway from our work?

Internal Mental Step-Back Ability: The most significant skill Jonas developed was the ability to take an internal mental step-back during high-pressure moments, allowing him to maintain the Eagle's Eye perspective even when stakes are highest.

No Expectations Approach:"Expect nothing. Because as soon as you have expectations, they work against you. It slows down the process in my eyes. So expect nothing. Give yourself completely over to it. Experience everything."

What do you think would have happened if you hadn't learned to collaborate with your body?

Jonas was clear that he was heading toward burnout from the mental and emotional intensity of competitive pressure. The constant replaying of games, inability to separate from competition stress, and the exhausting mental patterns would have likely shortened his career and diminished his enjoyment of the sport he loves.

"I think also at the right moment, because I wasn't super far from a starting burnout at one point."

Who would benefit most from this body intelligence approach?

"I think much more people need this. I actually think everyone needs this and can use it. It's the same as having breakfast or taking certain vitamins - everyone needs this."

However, Jonas noted that openness is essential:

"It's only possible to talk about this with people who are somewhat open to it, or have already experienced something related to it. Someone who is very classical and totally not open to it - I won't put effort into that because it won't make sense."

For athletes specifically, Jonas sees this work as addressing critical gaps in sports culture around mental health and sustainable performance.

Final message to someone disconnected from their body but wants to unlock their natural performance capacity

"Just try it once. Experience it. You can't do anything wrong with it. But you really have to dare to surrender to it. And expect nothing. I think that will be the biggest tip - expect nothing. Because as soon as you have expectations, they work against you."

"It's like an internal shower, a complete carwash. Everyone can use this in their life."

Ready to convert your performance anxiety into Eagle's Eye mastery and find joy under pressure?

Jonas's transformation demonstrates how body intelligence work can help elite performers access their natural capacity for calm, clarity and joy even in the highest-pressure situations. His "Eagle's Eye perspective" didn't come from adding more techniques - it emerged from removing the interference patterns that were blocking his innate performance intelligence.