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The benefits of saying the statements out loud are that: (1) it orients and stabilizes us in the moment when we may be unsure or confused; (2) it emphasizes more clearly the content of the message; (3) it acts as a supportive push to reinforce an action you wish to take; and (4) it demarks a shift from one activity to another, for example, "OK, its time to turn off the computer and get ready to go to the office." |
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You will also notice people talking to themselves during different activities. It is common for golfers hitting balls on the practice range, for example, to make comments to themselves after hitting shots, as a way to reinforce a good shot, or to think about something in their swing they want to pay attention to. |
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This kind of guiding self-talk is useful as a shaping device, as we monitor our behavior and make changes that are supported by it. Many athletes, musicians, and others doing physical tasks find it helpful to shape their behavior through self-talk. Especially during practice sessions, when one is working to improve performance, self-talk may be potent in facilitating the learning of new tasks that require repetition. |
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Watch out especially for self-talk that is coming from the "critical parent" part of yourself. This tends to come out negative, punitive, and self-critical and sounds like what has been told to you as a child. Examples would be: |
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"I'm a lousy trader, unable to execute fast enough." |
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"My decisions as to when to enter a position always seem to be wrong." |
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"I can't seem to get the knack of moving fast enough to keep up with all the data coming at me." |
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"I don't know enough about any companies to take chances with individual stocks." |
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"The analysts I hear on TV know much more than I do. Yet they all disagree. How can I trust anyone's opinion?" |
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"I can't seem to get the money I'm risking out of my mind." |
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"I'm not good at knowing when to sell." |
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Negative self-talk is usually not very useful, unless it can be done in a way that is forgiving and also tells us what to do to correct the mistake: "Come on, you're pulling your head up, keep your eye on the ball!" Since one of the most powerful and torturing inner voices we hear is the critical parent, this voice will only be reinforced if it is the one that you put into words. So, it is best to use self-talk that is verbalized for orienting, emphasizing, supporting, and demarking shifts. |
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