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Imagine you’re stepping onto the field, the court or the stage. Your heart is racing. Pressure is mounting. What’s running through your mind? How did you prepare? Are you ready? Have you done everything you can to be your best?
We know that the separation is in the preparation…and as you prepare, you have two choices. You can either worry or rehearse! We also know that all other things being equal (or close), those who mentally prepare consistently outperform those who don’t!
Although we have talked a ton about the mental training tool of mental rehearsal, today I want to put a different spin on this awesome tool!
When we think about mental skills, we often focus on fixing weaknesses. But what if we could train our brains to feel more joy, ease, and confidence ON DEMAND?
We know that our brain doesn’t know the difference between something vividly imagined and something actually experienced. We know that confident performers use what is called motivational imagery to help manage their emotions and movement in a quest to be their best.
Since we know this, it’s time to find a way to use our knowledge in a simple tool!
No matter what we “see”, “feel” or “rehearse, neuroscience proves that when we relive a moment, whether a joyful one or an ESPN Top 10 play we made, we are strengthening those neural pathways, priming ourselves for success.
As I was listening to a podcast this week, I heard Dr. Wendy Suzuki’s talk about what she calls Joy Conditioning. I have heard her speak before, but this time, her description set off the light bulb in my head and connected it to the Highlight Reel technique we use with our athletes.
And if you don’t have a highlight reel, you need one! And if you haven’t heard of joy conditioning, you need that, too! 😊 Read on!
Our brain is constantly predicting what will happen next based on past experiences. But here’s the deal. Our most emotional experiences get pulled up more quickly than others, and most of our emotional experiences aren’t ones we want to compare the future to!
Why? Because when we screw up, we feel it. When we do what we should and more, we move right through it, almost pooh poohing it as if it was nothing…just what was expected! Thus, we connect very little emotion to the productive and positive moves we make!
Knowing this, it seems obvious that we need to do a little better at tying positive emotions to the good stuff! And what better way to add to their value than to HIGHLIGHT THEM…and relive their JOY?
Why? The more you replay positive, successful experiences, the more your brain expects success.
AWESOME!
As author Jason Selk says in Executive Toughness, “Remembering a successful moment is a great confidence-boosting technique. Recalling a past performance in the present allows us to relive the same full range of emotions that we experienced when we performed the feat at the time.”
Neuroscience backs this up. Dr. Suzuki’s research explains that Joy Conditioning strengthens the hippocampus, the brain’s memory center, by actively reliving joyful moments. This counteracts stress and fear responses triggered by the amygdala. And we know, to be our best in the moment, we need to keep that amygdala in check!
More research shows that athletes who rehearse past successes activate the same neural circuits as when they physically perform the task. Dr. Huberman adds that visualization and sensory recall increase neuroplasticity, helping us optimize performance under pressure.
The bottom line? What we focus on, we strengthen.
This is where Joy Conditioning and our Highlight Reels come in.
Dr. Suzuki describes Joy Conditioning as the intentional reliving of positive memories using all five senses to strengthen their impact. By repeatedly revisiting joyful experiences, we teach our brain to default to positivity instead of fear.
How do we do it? It’s as simple as it is joyous!
Recall a joyful experience: Maybe it was a great vacation, a fun night with friends or a moment of pure accomplishment.
Engage your senses: What did you see, hear, smell, taste, and feel?
Relive it in vivid detail for 30 seconds: Close your eyes and immerse yourself.
What does this have to do with performance on a field, court or stage when your heart is racing and the pressure is mounting? It can help us to shift from stress to joy, settle that heart rate and help us manage some of that pressure!
Joy Conditioning works because your brain will replay whatever you feed it, so why not feed it something good?
Now, let’s take this a step further. What if you could train your brain to expect success?
The Highlight Reel technique is all about replaying your best performances as if they are happening now.
Athletes from the Olympics to the NFL to the teams I work with each week use this tool to reinforce confidence, execution and readiness under pressure. Research shows that visualizing success increases the likelihood of replicating it because it strengthens motor patterns in the brain.
How do we use it? It is as simple as making a list- a detailed list!
Recall a peak performance moment: A time when you felt unstoppable, when everything clicked.
Replay it in detail: What did you see? Hear? Feel? What was your body doing? What did you have on? What did the crowd do? What did the environment feel like?
Step into the emotion: Relive the pride, confidence, and control you felt.
Our Highlight Reel is not resting on our laurels or looking at the world with rose colored glasses.
It’s a neural blueprint for future success. When we perceive something as a win or relive one, our brain releases endorphins and this makes us more resistant to stressful moments.
AWESOME!
Why does reliving good stuff help our performance?
Every time we recall joy or success, our brain reinforces those patterns, making them easier to access under pressure. These tools strengthen neural pathways. Instead of defaulting to stress, our brains learn to default to confidence and joy, counteracting fear and anxiousness!!
The truth of it is that all great performers don’t just control (and train) their bodies. They control (and train) their thoughts and emotions.
I wonder what it would be like if we tried this for a week. Want to try it with me?
I was on campus yesterday with one of my teams, and the assistant coach asked, “Can you call me every morning to remind me how powerful my mindset is?" This got me thinking about what we could do each morning with this tool.
What if we started a Morning Mental Warm-Up, beginning our day with Joy Conditioning? We have 30 seconds, I know we do! What would happen if we took that time to relive a joyful moment…for 30 seconds?
Then, no matter who we are or what we do, we all perform throughout the day. How about some Pre-Performance Prep, using our Highlight Reel before practice, games, sales calls, presentations or competitions? How would this change the way we show up for others…and ourselves? (30 seconds is all you need here, too!)
And finally, what if we institute a Post-Game Review, and instead of replaying mistakes, we replay our best moments to reinforce confidence? We can do our After Action Review, too, but let’s start here!
The best athletes, business leaders, musicians, you name it, don’t leave their mindset to chance. They use their physiology, memories and emotions to their advantage. They train their brain just like they train their body.
So, what will you replay today? Joy or doubt? Success or failure?
The choice is yours. And your brain is listening.
Manage the moments!
Julie
P.S. Get your team started with a mental performance training program! Are you a high school coach? Check out our 5-week program to help you get to and through your conference play at your peak! You can find out more about it HERE.
Julie Jones
Mental Performance Coach
SSB Performance
juliej@ssbperformance.com • 234-206-0946
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