SELF-TALK CHANGES RESULTS
September 6, 2023
As humans we have millions of thoughts running through our minds throughout any given day. We subconsciously and automatically talk to ourselves. This is called self-talk. We use self-talk to explain the world around us and why things happen to us. As athletes and high performers, the way we talk to ourselves matters a lot. The way we explain events that happen to us is called our explanatory style. Athletes and high performers who use Optimistic Explanatory Style have been shown to be more likely to persevere after failure, to be more confident, highly motivated, and to perform better.
Self-talk can be described by three dimensions:
Internal/external locus of control: was what happened a result of my actions or was that out of my control?
Stable/unstable: will this continue to happen over and over again or can things change?
Global/specific: will this apply to all areas of my life, to everything I do? Or was this specific to this situation?
Optimistic Explanatory Style
People who use an optimistic explanatory style tend to describe negative things that happen to them as largely out of their control, something that can change, and as being specific to that particular event.
Pessimistic Explanatory Style
On the contrary, people who use a pessimistic explanatory style tend to view negative events as their fault, as likely to repeat themselves, and something that will affect more than the situation at hand.
Cultivating an Optimistic Explanatory Style
Implementing an optimistic explanatory style pattern of self-talk is possible. Here is how to start changing how you talk to yourself:
Start journaling. Write down your thoughts and how you talk to yourself after both wins and losses, successes and failures.
Identify patterns. How does your self-talk change from successes to failures? How does it range in terms of the three dimensions: internal/external, stable/unstable, global/specific?
What beliefs do you have about yourself? Are these beliefs helping or hurting you?
Reframe your thoughts. As you face new adversities and obstacles, remember that your thoughts are not facts. What evidence is there to support the thoughts you’re having? When thinking about an adversity you faced:
How much of what happened was out of your control?
If you put the work in, can you change this outcome next time?
Is everything you do a failure? Or was this just an obstacle? Look at the bigger picture. Remind yourself of what you’ve done right.
Everyone faces obstacles and everyone has setbacks. It is impossible to be performing at your best 100% of the time. We are human and we are going to make mistakes. What matters most isn’t the mistakes we make, it’s what we choose to do next. It is up to you. Are you going to see setbacks as opportunities to try harder and improve? Or are you going to let them hold you back. Changing your self-talk explanatory style can take time, however, it is possible. A more optimistic explanatory style can help you perform better and it starts with how you talk to yourself. Treat yourself fairly and have your own back.
Written by Noa Marley
References
Celestine, N. (2019, April 9). 4 Ways To Improve And Increase Self-Efficacy. PositivePsychology.com. https://positivepsychology.com/3-ways-build-self-efficacy/
Hodges, J. (2020, October 28). Sports Optimism: Building a Positive Mental Attitude in Sport. Sportsmind. https://www.sportsmind.com.au/sports-optimism-building-a-positive-mental-attitude-in-sport/
Peterson, C., & Steen, T. A. (2009). Optimistic Explanatory Style. 312–322. https://doi.org/10.1093/oxfordhb/9780195187243.013.0029
Ph.D, A. N. (2020, November 26). Optimistic Explanatory Style: 5 Examples Of How To Foster It. PositivePsychology.com. https://positivepsychology.com/optimistic-explanatory-style/#:~:text=Even%20though%20we%20may%20present
Wadey, K. (2010, March 2). Explanatory Style: Methods of Measurement and Research Findings. PositivePsychology.org.uk. http://positivepsychology.org.uk/explanatory-style/