What is self-talk?
Everything you do, every action you take, starts in your brain…with your thoughts. When thoughts form as images it is called visual thinking and when thoughts form as words it is called self-talk. Self-talk, also referred to as your inner voice, is the constant mental conversation you are having with yourself every minute of every day and it takes place in both the conscious and subconscious parts of your brain. The quality of your self-talk is important because it has a tremendous impact on how you feel and how you perform, which can either support or sabotage your efforts.
negative thoughts
Negative thoughts show up as negative self-talk. Often called the inner critic, negative self-talk erodes confidence, clarity and motivation, which keeps you from accessing peak performance and optimizing your potential. Negative self-talk can be repetitive and habitual. We call this negative thought patterns. In order to become a peak performing athlete, it is important to neutralize negative thought patterns so they do not subtract from your mental resources. You do this by practicing self-awareness. In other words, pay close attention to your self-talk, catch when it is negative and use various techniques to neutralize it. This is the first step in mastering your mindset and it is very important to athletic and personal development.
all great athletes use self talk
Self-talk is a powerful tool that all great athletes use to reset after mistakes, restore confidence, and maintain intentional focus. Check out what eight-time All-Star, six-time Silver Slugger, six-time Golden Glover, and two-time World Series winner, LA Dodgers shortstop, Mookie Betts has to say about self-talk.
Original audio at FIndJoeFlow
Bio: Antoinette Datoc is a certified Mental Performance Coach who specializes in helping athletes, their parents and coaches cultivate growth mindsets and mental strength. She is a competitive ballroom dancer and together with her partner (who happens also to be her husband) has accumulated more than a dozen national championship titles and represented Team USA in three world championship events.
