Positive vs. Negative Self-Talk
If phrases like "I'm not good enough" or "I'm going to mess up again" are running through your head, you are very likely using negative internal self-talk.
Increase your chances of winning by using positive internal self-talk.
Positive Internal Self-Talk
In sports terms, internal self-talk refers to the statements an athlete directs toward themselves before, after, and during an athletic activity (e.g., “push a little harder,” “hang in there,” etc.). At the same time, internal self-talk represents an exceptionally effective technique from the mental skills toolkit, enabling athletes to regulate their thoughts, emotions, self-confidence, and performance. It can manifest as positive self-talk, prompting the athlete toward an even better performance, or as negative self-talk, which handicaps their execution. In fact, negative self-talk is one of the primary causes of performance drops during athletic activities.
Negative Internal Self-Talk
Research shows that negative self-talk most frequently occurs the moment an athlete unexpectedly loses a point. Negative internal self-talk is one of the main reasons why certain athletes find it much harder to get back into a match. Negative phrases such as “how could I lose that point so stupidly,” “here it comes, I’m going to lose now,” “everything I did well in this match is gone now”… handicap the athlete and make it difficult to continue playing. This type of negative self-talk can last anywhere from a few seconds to several minutes. What exactly happens during negative self-talk, and why is it harmful?
Through negative self-talk, an athlete erodes their own self-confidence; their concentration becomes anchored to negative thoughts rather than technical-tactical tasks and the game plan. We could say that the athlete finds themselves in a sort of “vacuum” where the focus is entirely on negative thoughts, causing them to lose motivation and concentration. What usually happens next is that the athlete makes a series of consecutive errors.
One of the factors that differentiates elite athletes from the rest is precisely the ability to quickly switch from negative self-talk to positive self-talk, or from negative self-talk to concrete tasks. Negative self-talk occurs in all athletes, regardless of age, sport, or professional level, and that is completely normal. What is crucial is the skill to quickly pivot from a negative to a positive state – meaning, replacing negative sentences with positive, encouraging statements through which athletes cheer themselves on.
Types of Positive Self-Talk
There are two types of internal self-talk used for different purposes: instructional self-talk and motivational self-talk.
We use instructional self-talk when learning a new exercise or refining a movement (e.g., “Shift your weight to the balls of your feet and increase hip rotation!”). This type of self-talk enhances performance by sharpening focus, directing attention toward the elements critical to successful execution.
Motivational self-talk is useful when an athlete needs an extra burst of energy for strength or endurance, and when they want to boost self-confidence (“I’m ready,” “I’ve trained long and hard, and now I’m going to show it”), increase persistence (“I’ll dig deep and find that last bit of energy,” “I’ve given too much to give up at the very end”), and get themselves into a positive state before, as well as during, a competition.
The advantage of these self-talk techniques is that the athlete stops worrying about consequences (“what if I miss?”) because they only repeat statements that help them stay in the present moment, focusing entirely on how to execute the current movement or task as effectively as possible.
How to Replace Negative Self-Talk with Positive Self-Talk
To eliminate negative self-talk—that is, negative thoughts—an athlete must first become aware of it, and then consciously and intentionally redirect their attention to the technical elements that need correcting. This helps them avoid repeating the same mistake. Many athletes have a pre-prepared plan of what they will say to themselves if negative self-talk arises before a competition, and what they will say if (and when) it occurs during a competition. Controlling internal negative self-talk can be practiced not only during training sessions but also in everyday situations. In this way, over time, the athlete develops self-efficacy and the belief that they can halt negative thoughts and switch them to positive ones whenever necessary.
The more this type of self-control is practiced, the shorter the transition time from negative to positive self-talk becomes.
