Self-talk strategies for the send
Photo by Abandonship Productions Nick & Bekah Andrew
How often do you notice your inner dialogue while climbing a route?
We run mental scripts that operate beneath our conscious awareness all the time. Depending on one’s habits of self-talk, these automatic narratives can make or break the send of a climb.
Unproductive inner dialogue is often the culprit that kills concentration. When we speak negatively to ourselves, this can influence our biochemistry and elevate our stress levels. Focusing on fear, weakness and doubt essentially feeds them into existence. (Read about sourcing strength amidst fear here.)
The way the mind speaks is influenced by a myriad of factors from early childhood development, internalized projections, societal pressure, media messaging, poignant memory and more. Though some narratives run deep, the science of brain plasticity and behavior change reveal the innate power and potential that we have to rewire our habitual thought patterns and strengthen neural pathways that affect one’s confidence and performance.
Positive self-talk is a strategy for strength, trust, performance and achievement used by athletes, leaders, facilitators and more. The strategies are simple: we can alter our self-talk to be instructional or motivational and enhance the positive effects of our inner narratives. The practice is what makes a difference.
Here are 7 tips to transform your self-talk into strength
1. Recognize when negative self-talk happens.
As with so much of life, awareness is a key to change. Be deliberate with your attention so you can notice narratives and thought patterns that hold you back. It’s the essential ingredient in rewiring the brain to favor new neural pathways that are helpful. A few types of unproductive self talk includes
Listing all the reasons you might fail
Dwells on things outside your control
Letting the inner critic berate you
2. Challenge the validity of your thought.
Do you believe your thoughts to be real? Or are they made up, projected, fiction? Often when worry surfaces, it’s an anticipation of what we fear. It is not real, in the moment and does not have to become real unless we feed it.
3. Reframe. Replace negative talk with a positive instruction.
Self talk can be instructional and/or motivational. Shifting your mental script to the positive can increase motivation and ignite greater trust in oneself. Recalling past success and using memory as fodder for your positive affirmation can fortify your confidence. If you are hesitant on the reframe, remember that even a placebo has proven efficacy. A few examples:
The moves are impossible → The moves will grow my skillset.
I’m going to fall → I’m going to commit.
I’m scared → I am strong.
My hands are too sweaty → My muscles are warmed up and working.
I want to take → One more move.
4. Shuffle your focus.
A negative narrative is an attention drain, yet sometimes it can be hard to shake a certain belief. If it feels inauthentic to negate a belief, shuffle your focus to a completely different statement. For example, if you are having trouble changing “I’m scared” to “I’m strong,” shift it all together to “I love climbing” (or something that resonates with you). Shuffling your awareness is a way of refocusing concentration towards supportive narratives and assisting in down self-regulation of arousal.
5. Avoid using “don’t” as part of the instruction.
This also includes words like ‘no’ or ‘cannot.’ Examples includeL: ‘don’t fall, no hesitating, i cannot take.’’ Eric Hörst refers to this as the pink elephant effect. If you tell yourself ‘don’t think of a pink elephant,’ what are you thinking of? The brain doesn’t register the word ‘don’t’ and the mind will conjure an image of the very thing you’re trying to avoid to seize your attention.
6. Use imagination and release fantasy.
Our imagination wields unlimited powers. Imagination is an innate skill that lends itself to creative problem solving, major breakthroughs and what Albert Einstein calls ‘a new level of thinking.’ Fantasy, on the other hand, from a psychological lens can be understood as feeding the unfolding drama. Imagination is a faculty of the brain that elevates performance, is a key component of visualization practice and bridges the gap between present and potential.
7. Add an affirming mental image to your self-talk.
Inner narrative and imagery go hand in hand. Engaging the senses while witnessing desired outcome in the mind’s eye ignites the same part of the brain as performing the action in real time. If your positive self-talk is ‘I’m going to send,”couple it with a mental rehearsal of mindful movement and a successful ascent.
These are just a few idea-starters on how to take the reins of your internal dialogue.
We dove deep into this topic during our inaugural ClimbWell Reading Group in which we explored Eric Hörst’s guide, Maximum Climbing Mental Training for Peak Performance and Optimal Experience. If this topic interests you, we highly recommend this read and invite you to join us to practice and play with mental training at one of our retreats.
Written by Gaby Colletta | www.gabycolletta.com | @wanderingvayu