Why Talking To Yourself Is The Best Kind Of Motivation

From full-blown monologues to the odd mutter under your breath, whether it’s realised or not, everyone talks to themselves. Ignore worried glances from your colleagues, friends and family members as it is a good thing; new research has suggested that this is now one of the best ways to increase your motivation: positive self-talks.

In a major experiment run in conjunction with BBC Lab UK, over 44,000 people played a competitive online game, using different motivational techniques to see which one was most effective.

The first skill intervention was to use imagery; another was self-talk and the third psychological skill intervention method was to “if-then plan,” where the participants were told to plan how to achieve an outcome. Researchers found that people who used ‘self-talk? – for example, reassuring themselves “I can do better next time” and so fourth ?- to motivate themselves performed better in every part of the task.

So, by giving yourself a positive pep talk you are much more likely to succeed.

The experiment was led by Professor Andrew Lane, professor of sport psychology at the University of Wolverhampton, who described the results as ?inspirational and educational.?

Professor Lane and his colleagues pointed out the importance of being able to motivate ourselves in a competitive environment in the?Frontiers in Psychology?journal as competition – whether in terms of a job, business deal or sports – is a part of our daily lives.

They also pointed out that psychological skills that help people regulate emotions and cope with the demands of competition through interventions such as online games ?would have large appeal.?

The next time you find yourself feeling unsure, don’t be afraid to big yourself up and have a little more faith that you can accomplish the task at hand. Remember: you got this, and you have the power to make good things happen.

Read more about the study HERE