Working hard is stressful for most people, and everyone’s stress response differs. The essential trick is to take it easy on how you talk to yourself when you exercise. Positive self-talk while working can give you better results.
Positive self-talk is one of the simplest principles of sports psychology, yet it’s one of the toughest to master.
Studies confirmed that motivational self-talk programs could perform better in physical activities, mostly endurance ones.
Continue to read how to improve your progress.
How To Practice Self-Talk
What works for one person may not work for another, but the general part is to focus on what you should be doing for yourself. Dr. Lagos said that identifying negative thinking is the first step to improving your self-talk. These negative thoughts are split into four categories:
The first category is magnifying. What exactly does it mean?
Well, you focus on the worst parts of a situation and ignore the positive ones.
The second category is polarizing. For example, you think you must always be perfect, and if you make a little mistake, you fail.
The third category is about personalizing. Everyone blames themselves when bad things happen and assumes it is their fault.
Also the last category is catastrophizing. At the start of the workout, you expect the worst, and you don’t have an excellent first set, and the rest of the training will be the same.
This process is complex but takes time and would be a success.
Why Positive Self-Talk Makes The Workout Feel Less Hard
Stress can activate your sympathetic nervous system, a fight or flight response. This is beneficial because it increases blood flow and the ability to breathe, improving your performance.
According to Dr. Lagos:
Moreover, self-talk has been linked to greater enjoyment, self-confidence, and higher perceived self-competence.
Effectiveness performance depends on situational factors, the athlete, and the features of self-talk.
This exercise will help you be more productive at your workout. Sit tight because more information is coming!