Positive Self Talk - Your New Best Friend
Hello Champion,
One of the most important elements of winning the mental game is your self-talk. How you talk to yourself and how you perceive the situations you are in can be a driving force for your results.
Even with all of the physical training in the world, if you are not in control of your thoughts and your mind, then it will be difficult to see the results you desire.
The greatest athletes in the world can maintain positive self-talk and concentration when the pressure is the highest. Mental performance is a skill.
Here are three ways to optimize your mental performance:
Maintain an internal locus of control
Surround yourself with positive influences
Use self-talk to control your thoughts and emotions
When you are in a difficult situation, the easiest way to regulate your negative thoughts and emotions is to maintain an internal locus of control. The idea of this mindset is that there are certain circumstances outside of your control and it is important to focus on the actions, attitudes, and behaviors that you can control.
Surrounding yourself with positive influences in your life is essential to maintaining a positive mindset. Having friends and family that support your goals and can offer words of encouragement or motivation when you face hardships can be helpful to keep moving forward.
Using negative language in your thoughts and words can be a major detriment to your success. Sports psychologists continue to urge athletes to focus on improving their self-talk. The best way to make this a possibility is to make it a habit. The more you practice using positive words for every situation, the easier it will be to maintain a positive attitude.
One strategy that helps many athletes is developing a mantra or phrase that you can use habitually when you face adversity. Many people who practice meditation or activities that require concentration use mantras to focus their thoughts. For example, a long distance runner could continue to tell themself, “Pain is temporary”. This reminder can serve them as they continue moving forward.
Using positive self-talk habits can help improve your mental performance on the field or your mindset in life. One tool that you can use to support your positive affirmations is the Athlete’s Edge Journal. Our mental performance journal includes motivational quotes and encourages athletes to write down positive affirmations every morning to support their mindset.
Are you ready to take your mental performance to the next level?
The WTMG Team