Don't Believe Everything You Think
If you’ve known me since I started working at Marino’s in 2017, you might know that I haven’t always been a sports fan. Fast forward to today, most know me as an avid Phillies fan who enjoys watching the Eagles when baseball season is over. Something that often crosses my mind while watching any sport is the mental toughness it takes to play at such a high level. A quick google search indicates that the Astros, a baseball team in Texas, invests approximately $2 million on sports psychology per minor league player who makes it to the majors. In my opinion, this alone is proof that what’s going on in your mind plays a major role in your success. Afterall, the MLB is a business, the money spent on players is essentially an investment.
My point - If the MLB finds psychology to be a worthwhile investment in the pursuit of a World Series win, why wouldn’t the average person apply similar techniques to achieve personal goals?
What you say about yourself matters.
A significant facet of sports psychology is self-talk. For instance, the internal dialogue of a pitcher on the mound with the bases loaded, two outs and a full count. If they tell themselves they can’t get out of it, they probably won’t. While at work, I’ll often hear clients say things like “I can’t do that” or even “I’m so dumb.” As a fitness coach, this always stings a little because those phrases (whether said aloud or internally) truly hold people back. Self-talk is more than just words, it’s a reflection of how we see ourselves and the world around us. The question is; do all our thoughts accurately reflect who we truly are and what we are capable of achieving?
Thoughts are temporary narratives, not unchangeable truths.
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) is a mindfulness-based approach to manage compulsive negative self-talk by accepting the unwanted thoughts while committing to activities that align with your values.
Self-talk is both a powerful tool and a potential source of suffering. If negative thoughts dominate your self-talk, you’re probably suffering. The key is acknowledging them without allowing them to define you. I know, easier said than done, however a compulsive thought is just that and ultimately you have the choice to believe it or not.
Trust me, I have found myself in this negative and compulsive pattern of thinking many times. It’s something I work on with my therapist to this day. It is not easy, but it is worth the work.
Here is my suggestion for those of you who struggle with self-talk… use your time in the gym to build both physical and mental strength. While in the gym, if you have a negative thought (said aloud or not), acknowledge it and then make a choice to distance yourself from the thought. This is the first step in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). The second step is to continue to commit to activities that align with your values. If you go to the gym regularly, you must value your health, so you’re already doing the activity that aligns with your values.
Please keep in mind that I’m not a therapist, I’m only passing along what I’ve learned in my own therapy sessions and research - with that in mind I strongly urge anyone who is having compulsive negative self-talk to seek out a therapist who works for them.