Negative self-talk in sports can undermine athletes' confidence, lead to overthinking, fear mistakes, and make it hard to perform at their best during games. In this episode, I explain how self-talk affects athletic performance, how to overcome negative self-talk, and how to develop more positive, productive thinking to compete with greater confidence.

👉 Want help with your mental game? Learn more about my 1-on-1 Mental Performance Coaching: https://www.successstartswithin.com/mental-performance-coaching/

I work one-on-one with athletes to help them overcome performance anxiety, fear of failure, overthinking, low confidence, and other mental blocks that keep them from performing their best in competition.

In this episode, you'll learn what self-talk is in sports, the difference between direct and indirect self-talk, how automatic thoughts develop, and how your thinking influences your confidence, focus, emotions, and performance through the thought-feeling-action cycle.

I'll also show you how to practice positive self-talk as an athlete, change negative thinking in the moment, and build a daily self-talk routine to boost confidence and improve your natural thought patterns.

We'll cover self-talk before, during, and after competition, including instructional self-talk, resetting after mistakes, and managing negative thoughts during games. I'll also explain common self-talk mistakes athletes should avoid, such as forcing positive thinking, using statements they don't believe, and overthinking during competition.

Not quite ready for 1-1 coaching? Learn more about my two self-paced online courses.

👉 The Confident Competitor Academy: https://www.successstartswithin.com/confident-competitor-academy/

👉 The Mentally Tough Kid: https://www.successstartswithin.com/the-mentally-tough-kid/

CHAPTERS

0:00 Intro
1:44 What Is Self-Talk in Sports?
3:32 Automatic vs Deliberate Self-Talk
5:15 How Self-Talk Affects Athletic Performance
9:32 Understanding Negative Self-Talk in Athletes
13:12 Changing Negative Thinking During Games
22:50 Reframing Thinking
26:18 Using Self-Talk Before, During, and After Competition
28:48 Common Self-Talk Mistakes Athletes Should Avoid
32:08 One-On-One Mental Coaching to Improve Your Self-Talk

📖 Read my complete guide to Self-Talk in Sports: https://www.successstartswithin.com/sports-psychology-articles/self-talk-for-sports/how-to-practice-positive-self-talk-as-an-athlete/

Listen to the Podcast

If you want more in-depth mental training episodes like this:

🎧 Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/1DkRcMhKcNDcw4SaiKyMaO?si=0b51f098625f4949

Work with me!

🧠 1-1 Mental Performance Coaching for Athletes: https://www.successstartswithin.com/mental-performance-coaching/

👉 Confident Competitor Academy: Go from playing with fear & anxiety to playing with confidence in just 6 weeks!

👉 Mentally Tough Kid Course (for youth athletes)

📖 Mind Games Book: https://a.co/d/gXZfORN

📖 Athlete Mental Training Book: https://a.co/d/bfojamY

Free Training: Top 5 Mental Mistakes Athletes Make

*This podcast is for educational purposes only and does not constitute psychological or medical treatment. I am a mental performance coach, not a licensed psychologist. For clinical concerns, consult a licensed professional.