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Talking to ourselves is a natural human characteristic, but how important is our internal dialogue to our performance?
Sport psychology research has examined self-talk and found that it is used by athletes as a way to express what they are experiencing mentally and emotionally. In some situations, self-talk carried out by an athlete can be seen to draw their attention to the negative things they are thinking or feeling, and because of this, performance can be impacted. But before we get fully into what the research suggests, let’s establish what self-talk is, the different types, and why it can be worthwhile to YOU.
What is self-talk?
Self-talk is defined as “the verbalisation or statement an athlete repeats to themselves, either internally or out loud, prior to or during skill execution” (Hardy, 2006).
Examples include statements such as “let’s do this”, “there is no way this will work”, or “slow and steady”.
Types of self-talk:
As you can see from the examples above, self-talk can be carried out in a range of emotional tones, also known as valence. Researchers have categorised self-talk into positive, negative, and neutral (Van Raalte et al., 1994, 1995, 2000).
Positive Self-Talk: this form of self-talk refers to verbalisation or statements that provide encouragement and a self-assuring tone, motivational self-talk can be considered a subcategory of positive self-talk and involves statements that aim to enhance motivation – “you can do it!”
Negative Self-Talk: this form of self-talk refers to verbalisation or statements that are discouraging and take on a self-deprecating tone – “I can’t do this”
Neutral Self-Talk: this form of self-talk refers to verbalisation or statements that are neither positive nor negative, and instead can be instructional statements that may relate to tactical or strategic cues – “body position”
Why is it worthwhile?
Although it is a matter of personal preference, as not one size fits all; it is generally advised that self-talk is positive or neutrally phrased opposed to negative, with a focus being on what you should do rather than what you should avoid.
This is supported by an abundance of research which has found positive self-talk to:
Improve confidence.
Positively affect performance.
Enhance skill acquisition.
Helps to maintain attentional focus.
Is most effective when practiced.
If you address yourself by your name or ‘you’, this self-talk is found to be more powerful than ‘I’ statements.
Based on the above findings it is obvious that mastering the skill of self-talk is not only a great time investment, but it is a worthwhile skill that can contribute to reaching optimal performance. Here are some simple techniques to start off your journey to mastering your self-talk:
TOP TIPS FOR EFFECTIVE POSITIVE SELF-TALK
Find what is productive for you in certain situations, whether that be positive/ negative/ neutral statements, individual preferences are fine.
To get into a routine of being more self-aware of your inner dialog, question your thoughts, ask yourself “How is this helpful? Unhelpful?”
Be aware that different situations may result in different self-talk.
It isn’t easy to turn off self-talk, and for most individuals it will occur whether you work on it or not, the key is to be aware of this and work to make that inner monologue as helpful as you can.
Over to you! Try using this technique to help you find your optimal performance every time your feet hit the playing field.
Let us know how you get on!
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