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Your brain doesn’t care if you lie to it. This is a very important concept to understand when you are beginning to dive into the idea of self-talk. It is completely true: Your brain DOES NOT care if what you tell it is a lie. It simply takes what you tell it and creates your reality. With this idea in mind, it is extremely important to begin to monitor your self-talk and strive to use it to forge the reality you want. The 5 Different Methods of Self-Talk There are five different methods in which we can use self-talk to impact our lives: Silent Self-Talk, Self-Speak, Self-Conversation, Self-Write, and Self-Audio. Silent Self-Talk: Monitor Your Thoughts The internal thoughts you have on a daily basis is called your silent self-talk. How can you change negative silent self-talk? Step 1: The most important step in changing your self-talk is to rid yourself of that little voice telling you that all this “self-talk stuff” is garbage, rubbish, baloney. You need to give yourself permission to buy in. Step 2: Allow yourself to be aware of the self-talk that is working against you. Step 3: Immediately turn the negative self-talk around. If you find yourself saying you are always late, instantly tell yourself the opposite: “I am consistently on time!” This turnaround of self-talk will actually change how you feel. If you find your self-talk exclaiming how sad, tired, or upset you feel...change it. Immediately tell yourself you are extremely happy, you are energized, you are calm. Change the signals that are being sent to your brain. Remember, your brain doesn’t care if you are lying to it; it has no moral compass. It will just take what you consistently tell it and create that reality. Self-Speak: Monitor What You Say Aloud What you say aloud affects your subconscious, so beginning to monitor your conscious, aloud self-speak is essential. Work to keep your thoughts positive! Are you complaining? Complaining is basically negative visualization and it doesn’t change your circumstances: it perpetuates it. When you complain about something going on in your life, you may feel better for a little bit, but it doesn’t change your actual circumstances. How can you stop? Try to reframe how you see the problem and find the value. For example, if your boss is sometimes rude and disrespectful, see that as a challenge you can grow from. The situation can be viewed as an opportunity to build patience and kindness in some tough circumstances. Self-Conversations: Monitor the Conversations You Have With Yourself The art of talking with yourself aloud and hold multiple sides of a conversation is Self-Conversation. We’ve all done it, so don’t feel like you are crazy. :) Those times when you are making a decision and you say something like, “Well, I think that would be a terrible idea.” And then you say, “You are probably right about that.” ... all aloud…to yourself. Remember, you are NOT crazy. How can you take advantage of the skill of self-conversation? One way to utilize self-conversation is to have daily aloud conversations with yourself regarding beneficial topics. For example, begin each day exclaiming, “Good morning! You look like you feel great today! I bet you can handle anything that comes your way!” Then respond, “I feel great and I know today is going to be awesome!” This may seem kind of weird, but I challenge you to try it. Find a private place tomorrow morning, and just try it. You might be amazed how it makes you feel. Why is this effective? It forces you to put thoughts into words, and words have a dramatic impact on how you feel. Self-Write: The Power of the Written Word Self-write is the act of creating written or typed messages to read to yourself. How can you implement Self-Write?
Audio-Talk: Audio Files to Reprogram Your Thoughts Audio-talk is the act of creating audio files of powerful, positive self-talk statements that you can listen to on a handheld device or computer. How can you create and utilize Audio-Talk?
HOW TO CREATE AND USE SELF-TALK STATEMENTS
Duane Jourdeans Director of Performance Psychology Western WI Golf
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 Echo Visualization (Echoing)
If you are like us in Western Wisconsin, getting on the course this spring has been next to impossible. Mother Nature has been cruel, and this weekend’s snow storm hasn’t helped. If you can’t hit the course, there are still many other ways to improve your game. Golf domes are one option, but mental training can be just as beneficial, so I thought I would share a visualization strategy to give you an edge...particularly how to watch golf and get better. An "echo" can be defined as a close parallel of a style or event. Echo Visualization means you purposefully view a player watching his or her strategies and techniques. But it goes a step further...you also visualize yourself in that person’s shoes...like you are watching yourself instead of just that player. When that player swings, it is YOU swinging. The Power of Echo Visualization When Tiger Woods was an infant, he spent hours watching his dad hit golf balls into a net in their garage. Tiger would sit in a high chair soaking in each strike of the ball. In essence, Tiger was purposefully visualizing. By the time Tiger was nine months old, he was able to hit his own ball into the net. By watching his dad, it was a form of Echo Visualization. Vonn Miller, linebacker for the Denver Broncos, was once confronted by a reporter: “You play so much like Derek Thomas of the Chiefs. It is amazing!” Miller then explained how honored he was because Thomas was his favorite player. Miller revealed that he spent time every day in college watching film clips of Thomas. Miller’s hours and hours of analyzing his favorite player had allowed many skills and techniques to transfer to his own game. Another success story of Echo Visualization. How to Echo Echoing can work for you on the golf course, and here are some steps to success:
Echo Visualization will not only help you through times when you can’t get on the course, but you will improve your game and learn along the way. Duane Jourdeans Director of Performance Psychology, Western WI Golf |
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