Beating negative self-talk
Dr.
Andrew Jacobs has been a sport psychologist for 25 years and has
worked with all levels of competitive athletes from youth sports
to the professional and Olympic level. He recently led a
teleseminar with Fred Engh about "How to avoid and overcome the
issues that can ruin your sports experience."
We have all had the dream. Standing at the free throw line with a chance to win the game, having to get one more out in the bottom of the ninth for the victory or needing one more point to win and walk away as the champion.
The Kansas City Chiefs failed to advance in the 1996 playoffs after place-kicker, Lin Elliot, missed his third of three field goals in a home loss to the Colts. After the game, Elliot was interviewed at and when asked what he was thinking before the last kick, stated, "I was trying not to be negative.” Well, when you are trying not to be negative, you are doing what you are trying not to do….and that is being negative.
A study done on negativity and positive thinking found that the average person requires 12 positive statements to overcome one negative statement. For example, if you say that this putt is “too difficult,” you will have to say "I can make this putt" 12 times in order to give you a better chance to make it.
For years, I have worked with athletes in virtually every sport who will tell me how difficult it is for them to perform when the pressure is on because they become consumed with negative thoughts. Anything from statements like, "I can't do it" to "I am not good enough" to "I know I will miss it" are common for most athletes.
So what is the solution? It is a combination of mental preparation and positive self talk. Become aware during your normal day how often you think negative thoughts about anything--whether it is when you are driving your car, sitting in a sales meeting or working at your desk.
Think about how often you think "I can't" instead of "I can.” The first step in beating the negative self talk cycle is recognizing how often you think negatively. The second step is substituting positive thoughts for the negative ones. So when you catch yourself saying "I can't make the putt" substitute the thought with "I can make the putt." In addition to saying the positive statement, visualize yourself making the putt in your mind and see yourself doing it over and over.
Once you become aware of your negative thinking, and substitute the negative thoughts with positive ones, you will have a much greater chance of succeeding than you may have ever imagined.