The next psychological skill in this miniseries is self talk. We all use self talk throughout our daily lives, often without thinking or realising its influence. What many people don’t realise is that self talk can be deliberately harnessed and structured to positively influence performance, emotion and behaviour.
In this article I’ll explain what self talk really is, how it influences performance and emotion, and how you can begin turning automatic self talk into deliberate, strategic self talk to enhance performance, confidence and wellbeing.
What is self talk, and what can it be used for?
Self talk refers to what we say to ourselves either silently in our heads or out loud. It can be automatic, without much thought, or it can be used strategically to direct focus, regulate emotion, stimulate effort, or evaluate events and actions.
Automatic self talk is the spontaneous thoughts we have in response to situations. These can be positive, negative or neutral in nature.
“I can do this”
“I’m not good enough”
“Am I speaking clearly to the interview panel?”
Strategic self talk is planned and used deliberately to achieve a specific outcome. It is generally grouped into two categories, instructional or motivational.
Instructional self talk is used to guide technique, strategy, movement or attentional focus:
Technique - “Keep your eye on the ball”
Strategy - “Stay with the lead pack”
Movement - “Follow through”
Attention - “Don’t lose the attacker”
Motivational self talk is used to regulate energy, effort, confidence and emotions:
Stimulation: “Lets go”
Effort: “Give it everything”
Confidence: “You can do this”
Emotional state: “Stay calm and composed”
How and why does self talk influence performance?
Self talk influences performance through several mechanisms:
Attention regulation - It can be used to direct focus to relevant cues and away from distractions to maintain focus.
Emotional regulation - Helps to manage anxiety, frustration and pressures.
Confidence - Shapes belief in ability and perceived control.
Effort and persistence - Increases motivation during fatigue or challenge.
Behavioural execution - Reinforces correct technique and timing.
Research has consistently shown that structured self talk improves both motor skill performance and psychological resilience.
Importantly, it’s not just what you say to yourself, but:
The tone used
The timing
The frequency
The relation to the demands of the task
How can you develop effective self talk?
Self talk is a trainable psychological skill and starts with reflection.
Awareness
Spend time noticing:
What do I say to myself under pressure?
What do I say after mistakes?
What do I say before important tasks?
Identify patterns
Ask yourself:
Is my self talk helpful or unhelpful?
Does it increase my confidence, or breed doubt?
Does it focus me or distract me?
Replace automatic with strategic
Rather than trying to “be positive”, aim to be purposeful
Match self talk to its function:
Technical task - Instructional cue
Low energy - motivational cue
High anxiety - Calming cue
Low confidence - Reinforcing cue
Keep it short and specific
Effective self talk is:
Brief
Personal
Focused in the present
Task relevant
For example - Replace “Don’t mess this up” with “Strong and controlled”.
Link self talk to practice
Use it:
Before performance
During performance
After mistakes
During training
Consistent use will make it automatic and over time strategic self talk becomes the new automatic self talk.
Common misconceptions and mistakes about self talk
Self talk isn’t just about being positive. Forced positivity is ineffective if it doesn’t feel believable, strategic self talk must be authentic, specific to the context and relevant to the performance.
More words doesn’t mean better self talk. Long internal speeches reduce clarity, are less memorable and less effective. Short cues are more powerful, easier to remember and quicker to recite under pressure.
Self talk doesn’t eliminate nerves. Effective self talk will help to regulate nerves, it won’t remove them.
Practical example of strategic self talk
The below can be easily adjusted to any area of performance, be it sport, leadership, arts or business.
Scenario: Delivering a presentation or sales pitch.
Automatic thought: “What if I forget what I’m going to say?”
Strategic replacement:
Before starting: “Clear and Confident”
During delivery: “Slow the pace”
If you lose your place: “Pause. Reset. Continue”
Short. Functional. Controllable.
Structured self talk
Self talk isn’t about completely silencing negative thoughts. It’s about recognising them, understanding their impact, and deliberately shaping your internal dialogue in a way that supports your performance rather than undermining it.
Like goal setting and imagery, self talk becomes more effective when it is structured, personalised and practiced consistently.
If you’d like to learn more about self talk and how you can develop a strategy tailored to your performance domain and psychological profile, drop me a message via the contact form and I’ll be sure to reply.
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