This is how self-talk can improve your concentration & performance
Self-talk, or internal dialogue, is a powerful tool in sports psychology that can help athletes manage distractions and improve performance. Although self-talk can act as a distraction in itself, its potential to increase concentration, break bad habits, initiate action, sustain effort, and acquire skills is significant.
Different types of self-talk
Self-talk can be divided into three main categories: positive, instructive and negative.
Positive self-talk focuses on increasing energy, effort and a positive attitude, without specific prompts. One example is swimmer Nelson Diebel, who used the word "now" to motivate himself to kick harder at certain points in a race.
Instructional self-talk helps the athlete focus on technical or task-related aspects to improve performance, such as "keep your eyes on the ball" or "bend your knees."
Negative self-talk is critical and self-deprecating and can lead to anxiety and reduced self-confidence.
The impact of self-talk on performance
Studies have shown that self-talk plays a key role in how athletes react to situations and how these reactions influence future actions and emotions. Self-talk acts as a mediator between an event and a reaction, which is evident in athletes' performance and mental state.
An interesting aspect of self-talk is its "ironic effects." Research has shown that attempts to suppress specific thoughts often lead to those thoughts becoming more frequent. This phenomenon is called ironic processes , and it has been explored in sport psychology by researchers such as Janelle (1999) and Wegner (1997).
Ironic processes
Ironic processes refer to the psychological paradox where attempts to avoid a specific thought or action lead to an increased likelihood of that particular thought or action occurring. This paradox occurs when the individual focuses on not thinking about something, which ironically makes the thought more salient in consciousness.
Research in this area has shown that instructions such as "Whatever you do, don't miss now" or "Don't drive the ball into the water" often lead athletes to do the very thing they are trying to avoid. This phenomenon is particularly prominent under pressure, where athletes who are instructed to avoid a specific part of the goal, such as a certain corner of the net in a soccer match, tend to focus on and thus aim the ball at that particular part.
Examples of ironic processes
A clear example of ironic processes are studies of soccer players who are instructed to avoid shooting the ball to a specific part of the goal. Research has shown that these players more often watch and direct the ball towards the forbidden part of the goal, especially in pressure situations. Similarly, studies with golfers show that instructions to avoid a specific mistake, such as overshooting the ball, lead to that mistake occurring more often during competition.
This phenomenon is explained by the theory that in order to follow an instruction that includes a forbidden thought, the individual must hold the forbidden thought in his mind. It is this focus that makes the forbidden thought more salient and thus more likely to occur. Studies by Woodman and Davis (2008) have shown that individuals who try to suppress anxiety-related thoughts become more likely to commit ironic mistakes, because their cognitive load increases when they try to inhibit these thoughts.
Improving self-talk
To effectively use self-talk as a tool for performance, certain techniques can be used. Two of the most successful methods are thought stopping and changing negative self-talk to positive self-talk.
Thought stopping involves consciously stopping negative thoughts by using a trigger such as a word or physical action, then focusing on a task-related thought. For example, a golfer thinking "Avoid the water hazard" might use a physical trigger such as snapping his fingers and saying "Focus" and then focus on his technique instead.
Changing negative self-talk to positive means identifying negative thoughts and replacing them with encouraging and motivating statements. A runner who thinks "I'll never make it" can replace it with "I'm strong and can do this," which helps change the focus from failure to achievement.
Self-talk in practice
Self-talk can also be combined with self-feedback to further improve concentration and performance.
Self-feedback involves the athlete giving themselves direct feedback about their performance, which can contribute to deeper involvement in the learning process and more positive problem solving when the coach is not available.
Examples of self-feedback might be a basketball player telling himself after a successful shot "Good job, keep that technique" or after a missed shot "Okay, adjust aim and keep focusing". This helps the player maintain focus and make necessary adjustments without getting caught up in negative thoughts.
Final thoughts
Self-talk is a versatile tool that can help athletes in many ways, from increasing confidence and motivation to improving technical skill and managing stress. By consciously using and improving self-talk, athletes can maximize their performance and create a more positive and productive mental state. To avoid the negative effects of ironic processes, it is important to focus on what to do instead of what not to do. With the right techniques and strategies, athletes can use self-talk to strengthen their mental toughness and reach new heights in their athletic careers.