Visualize your Success
by Ashley Samson, PhD, CMPC
University of Kentucky Kinesiology & Health Promotion
Think back to your last run, and picture it in your mind. What was the weather like? How did it feel against your skin?
Where did you run, what did it look like? Did you hear the noise of traffic or other people, or were you lucky enough to be surrounded by the sounds of nature?
What did it feel like physically? Were your legs tired or were you energetic and strong?
Spend a moment painting that image in your mind’s eye. What you have just engaged in is known commonly as imagery and it is one of the most used psychological skills by recreational and professional athletes in all sports. Imagery is the process of creating or recreating an experience in your mind. In some circles, it is also known as visualization, mental rehearsal, or mental practice.
How Does Imagery Work in Sports?
Imagery can be effective for enhancing our psychological toughness, and most athletes swear by it. Science has discovered that when we focus intently and imagine performing a skill in our minds, our brain lobes light up in response as if we were physically doing the task and not just picturing it. By doing this repeatedly, we’re strengthening the neural pathways in the brain, which makes the desired response more likely to happen when the real situation comes up.
Here’s an example: You’re preparing for an upcoming race and you know you always get the jitters when you step to the starting line. During the weeks leading up to the race, you practice visualizing the start line in your head and see yourself walking calmly and confidently up to the line to begin.
As you do this over and over, your brain starts to make an association between the starting line and a calm, confident feeling. On race day, you reach the start line and feel calm and ready to run because your brain has created the pattern of “see start line, feel calm and confident.”
Two Forms of Imagery
Imagery can take two forms: internal and external. When you close your eyes, did you see yourself through your own eyes or did you see yourself as if you were watching a video of yourself?
If you saw yourself through your own eyes, then you have a tendency to engage in internal imagery. If you saw the video perspective, then you are using external imagery. The two types can be equally as effective; what matters is that the images are vivid (meaning very clear and detailed) and controllable (meaning you paint the picture that you want to see and don’t let your mind wander).
Athletes use imagery for a variety of reasons, such as: improving concentration, building confidence, controlling emotional responses, acquiring and practicing strategy, and preparing to cope with pain and adversity.
How to Start Using Imagery
To incorporate imagery into your regular practice, here are a few tips to get started:
Proper Setting: Make sure you are in a setting where you can be quiet and undisturbed.
Relaxed Concentration: Get yourself physically relaxed before you try to start visualizing anything.
Realistic Expectations: Imagery is hard! Start with just a few minutes and increase from there.
Vivid and Controllable Images: Paint a very detailed picture that includes all the senses. And try not to let your mind deviate to other, random thoughts.
Positive Focus: Focus on what you want to happen, not trying to avoid what you don’t want to happen.
Listen to Ashley’s interview on the Kentucky Running podcast
Previous posts from Ashley Samson:
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