Self-Talk Strategies

You talk to yourself constantly. The running commentary in your head narrates your life, evaluates your actions, and predicts your future. This internal dialogue happens whether you're aware of it or not—and it profoundly shapes your performance.

Elite athletes learn to manage their self-talk deliberately. They understand that the voice in their head can be their greatest ally or their worst enemy. This chapter teaches you to harness self-talk as a performance tool.

Understanding Self-Talk

Self-talk is the internal dialogue you have with yourself—the thoughts, statements, and interpretations that run through your mind. It includes:

• Running commentary on what's happening
• Evaluations and judgments
• Instructions and reminders
• Predictions and expectations
• Encouragement or criticism
• Questions and problem-solving

Self-talk happens automatically, but it can also be deliberately controlled. This controllability is what makes it a trainable skill.

Types of Self-Talk

Positive self-talk: Encouraging, supportive statements that build confidence and maintain motivation.

"You've got this." "Stay focused." "One more rep." "You've done this before."

Negative self-talk: Critical, discouraging statements that undermine confidence and performance.

"You're going to fail." "Everyone's watching." "You always mess this up." "Who do you think you are?"

Instructional self-talk: Technical cues and reminders focused on execution.

"Shoulders over hands." "Drive the hips." "Stay tight." "Breathe."

Motivational self-talk: Statements focused on effort, energy, and persistence.

"Push through." "You can do hard things." "Empty the tank." "Don't quit."

How Self-Talk Affects Performance

The mechanism connecting self-talk to performance involves several pathways:

Attention direction: Self-talk influences where you focus. "Stay tight" directs attention differently than "Don't mess up."

Arousal regulation: Self-talk can increase or decrease physiological arousal. "Calm and controlled" versus "Let's go, explosive power."

Confidence: Positive self-talk builds self-efficacy; negative self-talk erodes it.

Emotional state: Self-talk shapes emotional experience during performance.

Cognitive processing: What you say to yourself affects how you interpret situations and respond to challenges.

Research consistently shows that deliberate, constructive self-talk improves athletic performance across skill levels and sports.

Identifying Your Current Self-Talk

Before changing self-talk patterns, you need to know what they are. Most people have never examined their internal dialogue systematically.

Self-Talk Awareness Exercise

During your next training session, monitor your internal dialogue:

Before attempts: What do you think/say to yourself before challenging skills?

During execution: What runs through your mind mid-movement?

After success: How do you respond internally to successful attempts?

After failure: What do you say to yourself after failed attempts?

During difficulty: What thoughts arise when things get hard?

Write down the actual phrases and patterns you notice. Be honest—no one else needs to see this.

Common Negative Self-Talk Patterns

Catastrophizing: Assuming the worst outcome is inevitable. "I'm definitely going to fall. I always fail at this."

Mind reading: Assuming you know what others think. "Everyone thinks I look stupid. They're all judging me."

All-or-nothing thinking: Seeing things in black and white. "If I don't nail this perfectly, I'm a failure."

Should statements: Rigid demands about how things must be. "I should be able to do this by now. I shouldn't struggle with this."

Personalization: Taking everything personally. "They're laughing—it must be about my attempt."

Fortune telling: Predicting negative outcomes. "I just know I'm going to fail the transition."

Labeling: Applying global labels based on specific events. "I'm such an idiot. I'm terrible at this."

Recognizing these patterns is the first step to changing them.

Changing Negative Self-Talk

Negative self-talk is habitual—you've been practicing it for years. Changing it requires deliberate effort and consistent practice.

Step 1: Catch It

You can't change what you don't notice. Build awareness of negative self-talk as it occurs.

Techniques:

• Mental "alarm bell" when you notice negativity
• Post-session review of self-talk patterns
• Training partner feedback (they often hear your verbal expressions of internal talk)

Step 2: Challenge It

Question the accuracy and usefulness of negative thoughts.

Questions to ask:

• Is this thought accurate? What's the evidence?
• Is this thought helpful? Does it improve my performance?
• What would I say to a friend who said this about themselves?
• Am I catastrophizing or mind-reading?

Example:

Negative thought: "I always fail at muscle-ups."

Challenge: "Always? I've had successful attempts. I've improved significantly. 'Always' is an exaggeration that doesn't help me."

Step 3: Replace It

Substitute negative thoughts with more accurate, helpful alternatives.

Guidelines for replacements:

• Must be believable (fake positivity doesn't work)
• Focus on what you want, not what you fear
• Be specific and relevant to the situation
• Use first or second person consistently

Example replacements:

Step 4: Practice Deliberately

New self-talk patterns require repetition to become automatic.

Practice methods:

• Write new self-talk scripts and read them daily
• Rehearse replacement thoughts during visualization
• Practice during low-stakes training before high-stakes situations
• Correct negative self-talk immediately when noticed

Effective Self-Talk Strategies

Cue Words

Cue words are short, powerful words or phrases that trigger desired states or focus.

Types of cue words:

Technical cues: Focus on specific technique elements

• "Tight" (core engagement)
• "Push" (press through the movement)
• "Snap" (explosive transition)

Motivational cues: Build energy and determination

• "Power"
• "Strong"
• "Now"

Focus cues: Direct attention appropriately

• "Here" (present moment)
• "Smooth" (quality of movement)
• "Process" (focus on execution, not outcome)

Calming cues: Reduce arousal and anxiety

• "Easy"
• "Breathe"
• "Relax"

Developing your cue words:

1. Identify what mental state or focus you need
2. Experiment with different words during training
3. Notice which words resonate and produce the desired effect
4. Practice until the cue automatically triggers the state

Self-Talk Timing

When you use self-talk matters as much as what you say.

Before attempts:

• Use motivational self-talk to build readiness
• Use instructional self-talk to prime technique focus
• Example: "You're ready. Stay tight through the transition."

During execution:

• Keep self-talk minimal—trust preparation
• Use single cue words if needed
• Example: "Snap!" at the muscle-up transition

After attempts:

• Acknowledge outcome without harsh judgment
• Extract learning regardless of outcome
• Example: "Good effort. The timing was early—adjust next time."

During difficulty:

• Use motivational self-talk to maintain effort
• Remind yourself of purpose and capability
• Example: "You can handle this. Keep going."

First Person vs. Second Person

Research shows interesting differences between "I" and "you" self-talk:

First person ("I can do this"): Feels more personal and immediate. Good for motivational self-talk.

Second person ("You've got this"): Creates slight psychological distance, which can help with anxiety and pressure. Often more effective for performance under stress.

Third person (using your name): Creates even more distance. "Marcus can handle this." Some athletes find this helpful for high-pressure situations.

Experiment with both and notice which works better for you in different situations.

Positive vs. Instructional Self-Talk

Research suggests optimal self-talk type varies by task:

Fine motor skills and precision: Instructional self-talk tends to be more effective.

"Slow and controlled. Stack the joints. Fingers active."

Strength and endurance: Motivational self-talk tends to be more effective.

"You're strong. Push through. One more rep."

New skill learning: Instructional self-talk helps with technique acquisition.

"Step one, step two, transition, finish."

Well-learned skills under pressure: Motivational self-talk helps maintain confidence and effort.

"Trust your training. You know how to do this."

Self-Talk Scripts for Common Calisthenics Situations

Pre-Handstand Attempt

"Hands set, shoulders ready. You know this. Kick up smooth, find the balance. Float."

Mid-Set Fatigue

"Three more reps. You can do three reps. Stay tight. Quality movement."

After Failed Attempt

"That didn't work. What information can I get? Transition was early. Adjust and go again."

Before Competition/Testing

"You've prepared for this. The work is done. Now just execute what you know. Trust the process."

During Fear/Anxiety

"Nervous is normal. This feeling means you care. Use the energy. Focus on the skill."

Stuck on Plateau

"Progress isn't always visible. Trust the process. Keep showing up. The breakthrough is coming."

Teaching Self-Talk to Clients

Assessing Client Self-Talk

Listen for verbal expressions of internal dialogue:

• "I can't do this"
• "I always mess up this part"
• "Sorry" after every failed attempt
• Audible sighs, negative expressions

Ask directly:

• "What do you say to yourself when you're about to try this?"
• "What thoughts go through your mind when it doesn't work?"

Introducing Self-Talk Awareness

Help clients notice their patterns without judgment:

• "I noticed you said 'I can't' before that attempt. What else were you thinking?"
• "After that set, you apologized. Why? What were you telling yourself?"
• "Pay attention to your internal dialogue this week and tell me what you notice."

Teaching Replacement

Work collaboratively to develop replacement self-talk:

• "What would be a more helpful way to think about this?"
• "If a friend was struggling here, what would you tell them?"
• "Let's come up with a phrase that captures what you want to focus on."

Cue Word Development

Help clients develop personal cue words:

• Identify what mental state helps their performance
• Brainstorm word options
• Test during training
• Refine based on what works

Modeling Healthy Self-Talk

Your own self-talk matters:

• Verbalize constructive self-talk during demonstrations
• Show how you handle setbacks out loud
• Model the patterns you want clients to adopt

Case Study: Transforming Self-Talk Patterns

The Situation: Nina's training logs revealed consistent negative self-talk patterns. Before difficult skills, she thought "I'm going to fail." After mistakes, she called herself "stupid" and "uncoordinated." Despite physical capability, her performance was inconsistent, and she frequently got down on herself during sessions.

Assessment: Nina's self-talk featured catastrophizing, labeling, and excessive self-criticism. She had never considered her internal dialogue as something she could change—she assumed her thoughts were accurate reflections of reality.

Intervention approach:

1. Awareness building: Asked Nina to track her self-talk for one week, writing down negative statements she noticed.

2. Pattern identification: Reviewed the log together. Identified recurring themes: perfectionism ("should" statements), catastrophizing, and harsh self-judgment.

3. Challenge accuracy: For each pattern, examined evidence. "You said you 'always fail.' Let's look at your training log—what's your actual success rate?" Reality was much better than her self-talk suggested.

4. Develop replacements: Collaboratively created alternative statements:

   • "I'm going to fail" → "I'm going to attempt. Let's see what happens."
   • "I'm stupid" → "That didn't work. What can I learn?"
   • "I should be able to do this" → "This is where I am. I'm improving."

5. Cue word development: Created cue words for her challenging skills:

   • Before attempts: "Capable"
   • During difficulty: "Process"
   • After failure: "Learn"

6. Practice: Assigned daily self-talk practice during visualization. Corrected negative self-talk in real-time during sessions.

Outcome: Over eight weeks, Nina's self-talk patterns shifted measurably. She still had occasional negative thoughts but caught them faster and replaced them more easily. Her training consistency improved, and she reported enjoying training more. The physical improvements followed the mental shift.

Self-Reflection Exercise

Part 1: Self-Talk Audit

For your next three training sessions, monitor your self-talk:

• Before challenging attempts: What do you think/say?
• After success: What's your internal response?
• After failure: What do you say to yourself?
• When things get hard: What thoughts arise?

Write down actual phrases, not summaries. Be honest.

Part 2: Pattern Analysis

Review your audit:

• What patterns do you notice?
• Which negative patterns (catastrophizing, labeling, should statements) appear?
• How do you think these patterns affect your performance?

Part 3: Replacement Development

For your most common negative self-talk patterns:

1. Write the negative thought
2. Challenge its accuracy
3. Write a believable, helpful replacement
4. Practice saying the replacement out loud

Part 4: Cue Word Development

Develop cue words for:

• A skill requiring calm focus: _______________
• A skill requiring power/effort: _______________
• Recovery after failed attempt: _______________
• Managing anxiety/pressure: _______________

Practice these cue words during your next training session.

Self-talk is trainable. The voice in your head isn't fixed—you can consciously shape it to support rather than undermine your performance. This requires practice, but the payoff extends far beyond athletics into every area of life.

This completes our mental skills training module. In the next module, we'll turn to behavior change—habit formation, dealing with plateaus, and overcoming fear of specific skills.