Hey Brainiacs,
Welcome to this week’s newsletter! Let’s dive into visualization and how this can be used to improve performance.
What is visualization?
Visualization, also known as mental rehearsal or mental practice, is the conscious process of purposefully and repeatedly imagining a specific object, movement, or situation without actually seeing it or doing it, with the goal being to improve performance 1. This process is very common in the world of athletes and has become popularised by Olympians like Al Oerter and Billie Jean King, who used it in the 1960’s2. And more recently, it’s being used in the healthcare and music industries!
The rationale behind visualization is that when we ‘do’ an action, our brain stores a representation of this action internally3. We activate the same representation when we repeat the action physically, or when we imagine repeating the action3. So, by imagining the action, you’re strengthening the internal representation of the action, which will be used by the physical action. This results in better physical performance.
Does visualization actually work?
Yes! Visualization works in many different scenarios with lots of different goals. In sports, visualization improves performance, enhances athlete confidence, reduces performance anxiety, and improves selective attention toward the task.
In professional golfers, using visualization in combination with physical practice improved bunker-shot performance more than just physical practice alone4. In fact, using visualization alone improved performance as much as physical practice alone4! And studies have shown that this visualization is useful for young non-professional athletes too5. It’s no wonder that imagery is used by elite athletes so much6.
Visualization led to a significant increase in sports confidence in high-level badminton players7. In fact, visualization is such a powerful motivational tool that professional footballers use it more for motivational purposes than performance purposes8. Not only has visualization been shown to improve self-confidence, but when used in a different group of footballers, it was shown to reduce both cognitive anxiety and the physical symptoms of anxiety9 .
The ability for visualization to calm anxiety and boost confidence goes nicely with its ability to enhance selective attention. A major issue for high-level athletes is that at competitions there are significantly more distractions than during training. It can be hard to ignore these distractions, which can increase feelings of anxiety. In a study of softball players, the use of visualization helped them integrate the external stimuli at a highly-attended event into their actions, rather than allowing it to override their actions10.
Reducing anxiety, increasing self-confidence, blocking out large crowds….it makes you think this technique would be great for public speaking! Oh yeah, it is11.
What about for us non-elite athletes?
I hear you, I do. The good news is that visualization helps with performance at all levels of physical activity, and it will help you motivate yourself to do some exercise! In fact, visualization during physical activity increases strength gained more than just the physical activity alone12. This is because visualizing the muscle movement helps the brain signal the muscles to move12! So next time you’re strength training, try to imagine the muscles you’re using and visualize them moving!
Even more good news: visualization can help in so many other areas of life. It can help with all motor skills, which is why musicians and surgeons are taking to the idea of visualization in combination with physical practise13,14,15. And its even more important effect, I would argue, is its ability to help with anxiety and stress. This is also partly why musicians and healthcare professionals have taken to it; performing in front of thousands of people and trying to save someone’s life are high-pressure situations16. Having some mental preparation is never a bad thing!
So maybe you want your squatting posture to improve, maybe you have an important presentation coming up, or maybe you’re learning to play the guitar! Try visualizing the experience, how you’ll move, what you’ll say, how it feels to present or to move, and how the room looks, every detail is important! Use all your senses when imagining the situation, and remember to imagine the process, not just the end goal.
The science behind it…
We know it works, but how? It’s still not entirely clear, as with many things, but we do have some ideas.
I mentioned earlier that the idea behind visualisation is that the internal representation of an imagined scenario is the same representation used for the actual physical scenario. Evidence for this theory comes partly from studies on rodents, who are exceptional at navigating their environments. In the hippocampi (brain region for memory, remember?) of rodents, there exists a type of cell called a place cell17. This cell is activated only when the animal is in a specific location, essentially acting as an internal representation of the external world. A more fun way of saying it is that they have a map in their brains17.
What’s even cooler is that the order in which the cells activate during the learning task is repeated during their sleep, suggesting their ‘dreams’ are replaying where they went earlier in their day18. They are using this ‘internal map’ or internal representation to visualize their external experience18.
A similar process may be happening in our brains, where the mental imagery of doing an action activates the same areas as when physically doing the action. And as we know, the beauty of the brain is that cells that fire together, wire together. So, the more an action is imagined, the better the brain gets at doing it, the better we perform19!
Book Launch is One Week Away!
Guys, I cannot tell you how excited I am! Thank you so much to everyone who has already pre-ordered, it means the absolute world to me to have your support. And to those of you who want to pre-order, hit the button below! Let’s rewire together!
Live Q&A and Book Signing
Double excited! Come ask me some brainy questions, get a book signed, or both! If London’s too far, you can book tickets for the livestream!
I’ll be talking about how you can use the power of neuroscience to break old habits, make positive changes and live happier! Remember, it’s not you, its your brain.
Until next week,
Nicole x
P.S. Let me know what topics you want covered in future newsletters in the comments!
References
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/21520704.2013.781560 .
https://www.nytimes.com/2014/02/23/sports/olympics/olympians-use-imagery-as-mental-training.html
Psychological Interventions for the Fear of Public Speaking: A Meta-Analysis - PMC (nih.gov)
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1931720413001888
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1876139917300440
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0896627319300790?via%3Dihub