For championship week
These are values and processes, not predictions.
- Say the values in the days leading up to the game.
- The instructional affirmations should be saved for game day.
Don’t mix them up. “I will go home to the same people who love me” isn’t any use to you when you’re standing over a free with two minutes to go.
Values
- The work is done whether today goes well or not.
- I am here because I want to be here.
- I can be nervous and still play well. They aren’t opposites.
- My job is to focus on the next ball. Not the last one or the scoreline.
- I would rather play badly than not play at all.
- Whatever happens today, I will go home to the same people who love me.
In the moment
- Head up. Find the pass.
- Two more steps, then strike.
- Breathe out, then go.
- Find your player
- Head down when striking the ball
How to actually use them
Pick two affirmations. Make sure you believe them to be true.
Write them somewhere where you can easily see them for example; Back of your phone case, top of your notes app, inside your gear bag.
Say them out loud. This will feel silly BUT It works better than thinking it.
Then leave it alone. If your mind starts making claims that aren’t true, go back to these affirmations.
Why the usual ones fail
If you don’t already believe the affirmation, your brain will start to argue back.
For example:
“I am unstoppable.”
“I am the best player on this pitch.”
You might end up listing three players who you believe to be better, which can lead to feeling worse than before you started.
What works instead
Not telling yourself you’re great, but reminding yourself what you value.
NOT “I am the best player on this pitch,” BUT “I play because I love it” or “I show up for my teammates.”
One is a claim your brain can dispute. The other isn’t up for debate, it’s true regardless of how the game goes.
Affirming personal values lowers stress hormone responses under pressure.
Values, not ability. That’s the difference.
Separately, self-talk improve performance, but the type matters.
Instructional self-talk tends to work best for precise skills.
Think “head up, find the pass” right before you’re on the ball.
NOT “I’m a brilliant passer”
One gives your brain something to execute. The other gives it something to doubt.
Put these together and you get the rule:
Affirm your values, instruct your skills, and stop making claims about your ability that your own brain will dispute.
For life outside sport
Same rule, you must believe them to be true.
- I am allowed to find this hard.
- I don’t have to be at my best to be worth something.
- This feeling is real, and it’s also temporary.
- I’ve gotten through worse and I was on my own then.
- Asking for help is ok.
- I can do the next small thing. That is enough for now.
Related articles
References
- Cohen, G. L., & Sherman, D. K. (2014). The psychology of change: Self-affirmation and social psychological intervention. Annual Review of Psychology, 65, 333-371.
- Creswell, J. D., Welch, W. T., Taylor, S. E., Sherman, D. K., Gruenewald, T. L., & Mann, T. (2005). Affirmation of personal values buffers neuroendocrine and psychological stress responses. Psychological Science, 16(11), 846-851.
- Hatzigeorgiadis, A., Zourbanos, N., Galanis, E., & Theodorakis, Y. (2011). Self-talk and sports performance: A meta-analysis. Perspectives on Psychological Science, 6(4), 348-356.
- Hardy, J. (2006). Speaking clearly: A critical review of the self-talk literature. Psychology of Sport and Exercise, 7(1), 81-97.
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