“He's spaced out.”
“She could do better if she were more focused.”
We hear these lines regularly—after a competition, in the locker room, on the way out of training. We also hear them in other contexts: among students, children…
Being “spaced out” is immediately associated with a lack of concentration, a drop in performance, sometimes even a lack of engagement. And very quickly it hits self-confidence. The young athlete doubts. The student is self-critical. The parent worries.
Yet the truth is that “spacing out” is a normal aspect of human functioning. It's not necessarily a problem. It's often a signal. And sometimes even a useful step toward performance.
What “spacing out” really means
Spacing out doesn't mean thinking of nothing. It means that attention has shifted.
The human brain cannot sustain maximal voluntary concentration continuously. It naturally alternates between a conscious, analytical, controlled mode and a more automatic, intuitive mode linked to the unconscious. This alternation is biological, healthy and necessary.
Research in neuroscience, notably work around Libet's half-second, shows that brain activity precedes our conscious decision-making. In other words, our brain initiates action before we have the feeling we've decided. The unconscious therefore plays a major role in our behaviours, choices and sporting gestures.
When a golfer is about to putt, their body already “knows” a lot. Postural adjustments, force and trajectory are largely managed in the background. If, at the last moment, they try to control everything consciously, they disrupt that automatic system. They cut off access to their intuition. They break the balance.
What is sometimes called being “spaced out” is actually a normal fluctuation between these two modes.
Concentration and performance: a more nuanced view
For a long time we've promoted the idea that performance depended on constant concentration. But concentration isn't an on/off switch. It's a dynamic dial.
In my mental training sessions I work a lot on this idea: it's not about being focused all the time, but about knowing how to return to the right level of concentration at the right moment, depending on the goal.
A student in a preparatory program may zone out for a few seconds during class. That doesn’t mean they lack ability. It can indicate cognitive overload, a need for a brief mental reset, or insufficient stress management. What matters is their ability to return to the task and reconnect with their goal.
It's exactly the same in sport. Performance relies on the ability to switch—what's sometimes called the Switch. Being able to navigate between intense engagement and controlled relaxation.
The role of stress, emotions and pressure
When we talk about being spaced out, we often forget a central element: pressure.
Yes, the fear of winning exists. It can be surprising, but it's common. When an athlete approaches a new level, the unconscious can hold them back. Changing status, taking on a new role, attracting more attention… all of that generates emotional load.
Managing emotions therefore becomes decisive. If that management is insufficient, attention scatters. The athlete seems “elsewhere.” In reality, they're regulating an internal tension.
Mirror neurons also play an important role. The brain picks up the emotional state of the environment. A stressed parent, a tense coach, an anxious atmosphere unconsciously influence the athlete. The young person absorbs these signals. Their nervous system adapts. Their stress level changes.
And sometimes the brain disconnects slightly to protect itself.
It's not a lack of seriousness. It's an adaptation mechanism.
Cognitive biases and loss of confidence
What makes the situation worse isn't the state of fluctuation itself. It can simply be the effect of a cognitive bias.
A parent may interpret the behaviour as a lack of effort. A young person may interpret it as a personal fault: “I'm not focused enough.” “I'm not cut out for this.”
Guilt appears. Confidence drops. Pressure increases. And performance falls.
Mental training also works to deconstruct these biases and restore a more accurate reading of human functioning.
Flow, intuition and balance between control and letting go
There's a lot of talk about flow in the field of performance. That state where everything feels fluid, natural and aligned: engagement, smoothness, adaptation, energy.
Flow is not a tense focus. It's a relaxed presence. A balance between conscious and unconscious. A cooperation between analysis and intuition.
Whether I work with a golfer, a tennis player or a student in an intensive prep program, I don't aim to eliminate attentional fluctuations. I teach them to recognise their internal states, to put in place adapted focus routines, and to regulate their stress management and emotion management.
A focus routine is not a magical ritual. It's an anchor point. It helps return to the goal, stabilise attention and regain clarity.
Sustainable performance clearly depends on this capacity to adjust.
__________________________________________________________________
There's no need to worry when a young athlete says they feel “spaced out.” It's an entry point. An indicator. A point to work on.
We explore together the context, the pressure, the goal, stress management and the emotions present. We set up concrete strategies. We work on concentration, routines and emotional regulation.
And gradually the athlete discovers something essential: they don't have a problem. They have a way of functioning to understand and optimise.
“Performance is not the absence of fluctuations.
Performance is the ability to navigate between states.”
__________________________________________________________________
Spacing out is not a weakness. It's a human phenomenon.
What will make the difference—in sport, in studies or in the workplace—is the ability to turn this understanding into a lever for performance.
It's one of the key roles of mental training.