Most of us would have heard of the word ‘self-talk’, especially in the sporting context, people keep using this word. This is one the easiest and most frequently used techniques in Sports Psychology. But what is it? And how do we get it right?
We usually do talk to ourselves, without our awareness. It’s something that is almost constant within us. Self-talk is a way in which we talk to ourselves. It is the talk or thoughts directed to ourselves. This inner dialogue can make us or break, depending on the way we use it. We most often emphasize its relevance but rarely on how integral it is for us and also on how to go about it in our everyday lives. The reason this inner dialog is so important is because it serves as a signal to us. It allows us to direct ourselves to do things and focus on what needs to be focused.
In sports, while you’re training or even competing, one of the most convenient and easiest techniques that can be used is Self-talk. But getting the self-talk right is crucial and essential. Apart from guiding us or directing us to engaging in a particular task, it also enables us to feel a certain way. Sports being a space where emotions and mindset plays a big role in the performance of an athlete, self-talk can be a key factor that plays a vital role.
The “How” of self-talk
- Frame it as a desire and not a condition
Most of us use the word ‘Should’ for almost everything. We have this idea and notion that we ‘should’ do a certain thing, be a certain way. When you keep having these conditions in your mind as “I should play this stroke well”, or “I should win this game”, it puts immense pressure. We think it is a condition or rule we have to live by, else we form conclusions about ourselves. Example, “I should win this match, else I’m not good enough”.
We can certainly have the desire to win and aspire to get better, making it a condition simply makes us get trapped in the cycle of guilt and not work on getting the skill right or putting that effort to perform better.
- Frame your self-talk phrase in present-continuous tense instead of future tense
Setting an intention as ‘I am becoming more focused’ or ‘ I am winning the tournament tomorrow ‘ helps you become more process oriented. When you have a goal, your work starts right when you set it. For example, when you say you are winning the tournament next month, your work and effort towards that and your winning starts right there. The win at that point is just a continuation of the effort put in.
- Direct yourself to what you want instead of what you don’t want
‘I don’t want to lose’, ‘don’t get angry’, these are some of the things we keep telling ourselves day in and day out. The thing is that when we talk about things you don’t want, there’s always a confusion on what you actually want. So it’s very important to be clear and direct yourself to what you want to do instead of what you don’t want to do. For example in the sporting arena, instead of telling yourself, “don’t miss this shot”, you could say “focus on getting this shot right”.
One of the most common issues that we face is that we are not aware that our self-talk is self-critical. It is very important to be mindful of what you speak to yourself so that you can watch out and rectify it. So the next time you are out there training, listen to what you speak to yourself and make sure that it is gradually changed and monitored.