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It was a long time ago, but I remember it like it was yesterday! We played the night before until 2:30 am in a semifinal 21-inning game to advance to the championship. There was ONE restaurant open in Detroit on the way back to the hotel…and we had to drive through to get great food to refuel, as you can imagine.
We had no time to wash socks, sliders or anything else, so what we had was what we wore the next day for the championship game. Amy Kyler, our pitcher, had 10 strikeouts going into the 4th.
We were in control…and it was a blast!
But before this happened, I learned something about Kyler, now the head coach at CSU and about to be out of a job since they are cutting the program. (That’s another story!)
What I learned was this. Kyler took Dr. Ziegler’s (our amazing sports psychologist) words to heart. She built a mantra and reset that she used whenever she started to feel pressure. AND IT WORKED! As she was being interviewed by a reporter that morning, after setting the NCAA strikeout record in the wee hours of the day, I heard her say something to the tune of, “When I start to get ahead of myself or feel any pressure, I say ‘focus, focus, focus!’” I knew right there we were going to win!
It’s hard to measure the power of mental performance tools, but when you hear something like this, you know something good is happening!
As I talk with athletes who are struggling (and those who are cruising and feeling the pressure of repeating it every day), we often turn to mantras, or what I call SCRIPTS! No matter what we call them, everyone needs them!
These mantras, or scripts, that help direct our self-talk aren’t just motivational fluff. They’re science-backed tools that prime the brain for peak performance. Whether you're stepping up to the plate, leading a huddle or preparing for a critical moment, what you say to yourself matters!
The brain is wired to respond to repeated phrases, making our scripts a simple yet powerful tool for peak performance. Neuroscientific research shows that repetitive positive statements can strengthen neural pathways associated with self-belief and research consistently supports its power to enhance focus, confidence, and resilience under pressure.
Although author Trevor Moawad doesn’t agree with the “positive” part of the research (he argues for “neutral” statements), no matter whether you choose positive or neutral, what you aren’t doing when you are repeating your script is talking crap to yourself!
Sports psychology research backs this up. A meta-analysis published in Perspectives on Psychological Science (2021) reviewed 32 studies on self-talk and found that athletes who used instructional self-talk (“Stay low, drive through”) or motivational self-talk (“I am strong, I am ready”) performed significantly better under pressure than those who didn’t.
Take this one step further and include Dr. Ethan Kross’s research which found that when we talk to ourselves in the third person (“You’ve got this, Julie” instead of “I’ve got this”), we create psychological distance from the stressor. This reduces emotional overwhelm and allows for more objective thinking.
Another study published in Scientific Reports (2017) used brain imaging to show that talking to yourself, especially in a calm and instructional tone, activates the prefrontal cortex. We know this part of our brain governs our rational thinking and emotional control. Talking to ourselves in the third person activates this as well! This shift from our amygdala to rational thinking is crucial in pressure situations where emotions can hijack our performance.
Other simple shifts in language matter, too! Back to Dr. Beilock’s research again, whose studies show that changing phrases like “Don’t mess up” to “Focus on what you need to do” keeps the brain from fixating on failure. We are talking about what we want to do instead of what we are trying to avoid! ORDER WHAT YOU WANT!
Another study found that silent or scripts spoken aloud activate the brain’s reward system, releasing dopamine, that awesome neurotransmitter linked to motivation and confidence. This means that saying, “Stay calm, stay sharp” before a high-stakes moment can literally help an athlete or leader step into a more focused and confident state.
So, whether we are a struggling athlete, one who’s riding a high, or if we are coaching a team, leading a business or stepping into a high-pressure meeting, using self-talk strategically can make a difference. Here’s how:
As Dr. Kross recommends, use third-person or second-person self-talk. Instead of saying, “I need to stay composed,” try “You’ve handled tougher situations before.” This simple shift can increase resilience and self-regulation.
As I recommend (I know! I didn’t do academic research on this, but others did and I have seen it work time and time again), say out loud, not just in your head! Saying it aloud engages more sensory pathways in the brain, enhancing focus and confidence. I didn’t need to do the research, but I did read what neuroscientists at the University of Illinois found…vocalizing scripts
increases their effectiveness compared to silent repetition.
Dr. Andrew Huberman’s work on neuroplasticity and performance states adds to the efficacy of this tool. Not only does talking out loud change the way your brain responds to the script, but spoken mantras and self-talk activate the vagus nerve, calming the nervous system and reducing anxiety.
If you’re getting the crap kicked out of you, being positive isn’t realistic. Overall, I tend to agree with Trevor Moawad’s neutral thinking method. If we go this route, we build neutral, fact-based self-talk (rather than positive or negative talk) to stay mentally sharp in pressure situations. We talk about where we are, what we can do and how we can do it asking simple questions like, “What’s next?” or using statements that have no emotional quotient like “One pitch at a time” or “Control what you can control.” These keep the brain out of negative emotional spirals and focus on the next action step. Yet we aren’t telling ourselves “You’re the best” or “You’re good” when we are feeling the opposite!
Finally, I am convinced that everyone, from athletes to CEOs, can benefit from developing simple scripts or mantras. Why? Because we don’t choose our thoughts. They just happen.
And when we are under pressure, we don’t think straight!
And sometimes it’s better to have something ready to think about instead of trying to decide what to think!
Enter scripts, stage right!
Dr. Don Greene, who has trained some of the world's best musicians, athletes and Navy SEALs, has found that short, powerful phrases like "Stay loose" or "Breathe and attack" help performers quiet the inner critic and stay present under pressure.
For this tool to work, it must be developed and practiced like any other skill. To do so, create a “Script Bank”! I used to think one “reset” phrase or word was enough, but the longer I do this, the more I think we should develop a few…since lots of things disrupt our performance.
Choose one for confidence, one for focus and one for bouncing back after mistakes. THEN…practice speaking them out loud in practice or anytime you get off track throughout the day.
Only then will something as simple as “Fast hands, smooth follow-through” for your hitters, “Lead with clarity, coach with confidence” for you, Coach. Or, “Stay calm, communicate clearly” for you, business leader, be your “go-to” when you need it the most!
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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