Imagery: Harnessing the Power of the Mind
Imagery is the practice of creating or recreating experiences in the mind. This is a practice that anyone can use, but I will discuss it in this blog in the context of athletics. Many people know it as visualization, but the sport psychology field has shifted to using the term “imagery” instead (which I will explain later in the blog).
Two Main Components of Imagery
There are two main components that are associated with successful imagery. One of these components is vividness. When imagining a scene, you want it to be as realistic as possible. For example, if you are imagining yourself standing in the middle of a soccer field, it is important that this scene in your mind feels as close as possible to the real thing. In your mind, you will want to be able to imagine as many details as you can so that it feels like you are really there. Can you see the lines on the field? The goals where they should be? To make the scene even more vivid, you will want to incorporate other senses as well. This is why we use the term imagery now instead of visualization – you want to use other senses besides your sight. Can you smell the fresh cut grass? Can you hear the wind whistling? Can you feel your clothes against your skin? The addition of other senses makes the scene feel even more realistic.
The second component is controllability. When imagining any type of movement, you want to be as in control of that movement as possible. Just as when you are dribbling a soccer ball in real life and you direct your feet to touch the ball at certain intervals and to run at a certain speed, you want to be able to have that same level of control and direction in your mind. If you want to dribble faster in your mind, then the speed of dribbling should pick up. If you want to shoot the ball into the corner of the goal, then that is where the ball should go.
When starting out with imagery, start with imagining a scene in which you are sitting or standing. Controlling movement is typically more difficult for people, so it may be helpful to start with surveying a scene and take in as much detail as you can using all your senses. Once you start to feel more adept at imagining a scene, then feel free to start to incorporate some movement, starting with slower, easier movements before then working up to quicker movements and more complex skills. Imagery itself is a skill, so it can take time and practice to really start to feel comfortable with it and to be able to use it as a tool to improve performance.
How To Use Imagery
There are two main ways that an athlete can use imagery. The first is to intentionally evoke mental states that are more conducive for peak performance. One of the most common mental states that athletes often try to increase is confidence. To do so, athletes may utilize imagery before a competition. In their mind, they might recreate past performances where they played well to remind themselves of their ability. Or they may create a new experience by imagining themselves performing well in that competition that day. There is a lot of research that demonstrates people who believe that they can accomplish something are more likely to actually accomplish that thing. Having a positive inner dialogue and thinking positive thoughts is an important skill. However, seeing those positive thoughts in action through imagery can be even more powerful. With imagery, the saying “see it to believe it” is always possible.
Athletes may also want to create a sense of calm, especially before a big performance. To help achieve this, athletes could imagine themselves in a place that is peaceful and calming to them, whatever that may be (e.g., somewhere in nature, childhood home). This can take the attention away from worrisome thoughts about the upcoming performance, as well as result in calming the body (e.g., reducing heart rate).
The second way that an athlete can use imagery is to practice skills. When we imagine acting out a certain movement in our minds, the same neural pathways in our brain that fire when we actually do that same movement in real life also fire. It is as if our mind really believes that we are performing the same movement. Those neurons do not fire as strongly, though, when we imagine the movement as compared to actually doing the movement. This means that imagery allows us to get a “mental rep” in, which can have numerous advantages even if these mental reps do not have the same power as an actual “physical rep.” Injured athletes in particular can benefit from imagery when they are physically unable to perform. Many athletes struggle with feeling rusty when they return from injuries and find that it takes some time to return to the same sharpness as before their injury. These injured athletes could spend time imagining themselves playing their sport and practicing certain movements/skills while they are injured so that they have a head start when they return from imagery and do not feel as rusty. Athletes learning a new skill can also utilize imagery. It can be helpful for them to imagine themselves fully completing a new skill in their mind, especially at the beginning when the new skill might be too difficult to complete in real life.
Imagery can be a difficult skill to master. If you are interested in learning more about how you can use imagery to help your performance (either in athletics or other areas), you can make an appointment to meet with our sport psychologist!
1. Contact Sunrise Counseling
2. Meet with one of our caring therapists
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