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Why negative thoughts affect our focus – Positive vs. negative self-talk

If thoughts like ‘I’m not good enough’ or ‘I’ll make a mistake again’ cross your mind, you are likely using negative internal self-talk.

Increase your chances of success by using positive internal self-talk.

Positive self-talk

Internal self-talk, in sports terms, refers to the phrases that an athlete directs at themselves before, during, and after a sports activity (e.g., ‘push a little harder,’ ‘hold on,’ etc.). Additionally, internal self-talk is an extremely effective technique from the mental skills toolkit that allows athletes to regulate their thoughts, emotions, confidence, and performance. It can manifest as positive, encouraging the athlete to perform even better, or as negative, hindering their performance. Negative self-talk is one of the main causes of a decline in performance quality during sports activities.

Negative self-talk

Research shows that negative self-talk most often occurs when an athlete unexpectedly loses a point. Negative internal self-talk is one of the main reasons why some athletes struggle to get back into the match. Negative phrases like ‘How could I lose a point so stupidly?’ ‘Now I’m going to lose,’ or ‘Everything I did well in the match is now lost…’ hinder the athlete and make it difficult for them to continue the match. This type of negative self-talk can last from a few seconds to several minutes. What exactly happens during negative self-talk, and why is it not beneficial?

An athlete undermines their confidence through negative self-talk, and their concentration is directed towards negative thoughts instead of the technical and tactical tasks and game plan. We can say that the athlete is in a kind of ‘vacuum’ where the focus is on negative thoughts, causing them to lose motivation and concentration. What often happens is that the athlete makes several more mistakes in a row.

One of the factors that distinguishes top athletes from others is the ability to quickly shift from negative self-talk to positive self-talk or from negative self-talk to specific tasks. Negative self-talk occurs in all athletes, regardless of age, sport, or level of professionalism, and this is normal. What is crucial is the skill of quickly shifting from a negative to a positive state, meaning replacing negative phrases with positive ones that encourage and motivate athletes.

Types of positive self-talk

There are two types of internal self-talk used for different purposes – instructional self-talk and motivational self-talk.

Instructional self-talk is used when learning a new exercise or perfecting a movement (e.g., ‘Shift your weight to the front of your foot and increase hip rotation!’). This type of self-talk enhances performance by increasing focus, with attention directed towards elements crucial for successful execution.

Motivational self-talk is useful when an athlete needs extra energy for strength or endurance and wants to boost their confidence (‘I am ready,’ ‘I’ve trained hard, and now I will show it’), increase persistence (‘I will pull a little more energy from within,’ ‘I’ve given too much to give up now at the end’), and put themselves in a positive state before and during competition.

The advantages of these self-talk techniques are that the athlete stops thinking about the consequences (‘What if I miss?’) because they repeat only the phrases that help them stay in the present and focus on how to execute the movement/task as well as possible.

How to replace negative self-talk with positive self-talk

To eliminate negative self-talk, i.e., negative phrases, an athlete must first become aware of it and then consciously and intentionally shift their attention to the technical elements they need to improve. This helps them avoid repeating the same mistake. Many athletes have a pre-prepared plan for 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 the competition. Controlling internal negative self-talk can be practiced not only during training but also in everyday situations. In this way, the athlete gradually develops self-efficacy and the belief that they can stop negative thoughts and shift to positive ones when needed.

The more this self-control is practiced, the shorter the time it takes to shift from negative to positive self-talk becomes.

Luka Škrinjarić, MSc psych.
Mental Training, Director

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