My WHOOP band does not like the Olympics. I am not getting enough sleep since we are recording the NBC Prime Time coverage and watching it too late! But who can resist the drama of the “Redemption Tour” or watching the greatest female swimmer of all time swim in one direction while the rest of the field is still going the other way?
We have witnessed some amazing performances over the past week and those performances and all of them, even those that don’t make the podium, are wrought with mental performance gems!
Two of the gems that have sparkled the brightest as I have watched are these simple tools: SMILING & TALKING OUT LOUD!
Both take NO EXTRA TIME but add IMMEASURABLE ADVANTAGES!
“Gem” #1: THE SMILE!
Did you watch gymnastics? I know, I know. I am sure someone tells them to smile before they start to look pretty (because we know that is how women were judged as much as for their talent back in the day…or still today in the court of public opinion based on the nasty stuff I have read about women in the Olympics online. What crap! Off my soapbox, so read on without opinions...only facts and research!)
But whether it was to look good or not at one point, science says it is a great idea!
Smiling, even when forced, profoundly impacts the brain and body. It influences our emotions and physiological responses. The simple act of smiling triggers the release of neuropeptides, which facilitate communication between neurons, and neurotransmitters such as dopamine, serotonin, and endorphins. These chemicals are associated with feelings of happiness and relaxation.
Since we know that positive emotion is one of the biggest predictors of peak performance, that “happiness” word that I try to avoid when talking about performance, is nevertheless, important!
And we know that relaxed muscles are fast muscles. Good!
Smiling, particularly Duchenne smiling – where you use the muscles around your mouth and eyes, according to Kraft and Pressman, also lowers heart rate and blood pressure and reduces self-reported stress levels during stressful tasks. This physiological response creates a more relaxed state, enabling better performance under pressure.
Still not convinced that a simple smile is worth the muscle movement? The act of smiling can shift your emotional state from negative to positive. Strack, et. al, found that this is due to the facial feedback hypothesis, which suggests that facial expressions can influence emotional experiences, improving mood and emotional regulation (more about this in a minute)!
Smiling enhances perceptions of sociability and generosity, which can improve team dynamics and audience perceptions (there’s the gymnastics nod, so it is worth it ladies…keep smiling). According to research done with baseball cards and nuns, those who smiled more lived longer!!
Smile it up, people!
Here’s crazy the catch. The smile doesn’t even need to be genuine! Strack, et.al., found even those who were forced to smile by holding a pen or chopsticks in their mouths reported more positive emotions compared to those who did not smile. This suggests that smiling during performances can enhance mood and emotional state, potentially leading to better outcomes.
Because their body was signaling to their brain a smile, it did what it always does when we smile. Our amazing brain, based on the feedback it is receiving from the body, releases those mood-enhancing, stress-reducing, cognitive-enhancing neuropeptides and this is GOOD for our performance!
Gem #2: TALK OUT LOUD!
How many athletes have you seen having a conversation with themselves before hitting the runway or any other skill? US Gymnast Suni Lee gave us a great example as she prepped for her medal-winning vault.
Apollo Ono and I read her lips to say "Okay". "You got this". "Last one". "Last one for me". "This one is forever". See Ono’s X post about Suni Lee HERE.
Although she is not telling herself what to do, she is reminding herself that SHE IS IN CHARGE. She is READY. She is talking to herself, not listening to herself. She must have the Feltz and Landers study that found that the verbalization of positive affirmations and motivational cues helped athletes maintain a positive emotional state, which facilitated better concentration and execution of skills.
THIS IS HUGE!
This is SO SIMPLE! We can all talk out loud, no matter who is around, and reap the benefits of this tool. We have talked about the benefits of talking out loud before (reminding ourselves we know what to do, creating a social contract no matter who's listening and reminding ourselves that we get to decide what we do next!).
Here’s why it works!
We all know the benefits of productive and even neutral self-talk (see the copious Tips referring to It Takes What It Takes)! When we talk to ourselves, instead of listening to ourselves, we can organize our thoughts and focus our attention. By verbalizing what we want to happen, we can clarify our goals and intentions, making it easier to align our actions with our objectives and it reduces cortisol levels leading to a calmer, more focused state! (Power Move #3 – You can always manage your state!)
Why does the out-loud part matter? Saying something out loud activates the brain's neural pathways associated with the intended action. This process, known as neural priming, prepares the brain for the task ahead, increasing the likelihood of successful execution.
Is this a magic bullet? Of course not. Nothing is. But priming for what we want instead of what we are trying to avoid seems like a pretty good idea!
Finally, verbal affirmations boost self-efficacy, the belief in one's ability to succeed. Higher self-efficacy correlates with better performance outcomes across various domains, including sports, public speaking, and academic achievements. One reason for the self-efficacy boost is that when self-talk is spoken out loud, it serves as a form of mental practice that could improve motor skill performance. By verbalizing instructions and encouragements, individuals were able to reinforce their mental rehearsal and improve their execution of physical tasks.
These two simple tools produce HUGE benefits.
Both of these tools debunk the fact that we don’t have time for mental training. They take NO time…only attention, intention and repetition!
I love the Olympics. I love watching an athlete smile when they stick a landing. I love the pride on their faces when they walk out with their country’s flag behind them in the picture. And I love it even more when they show us that even the best use their mind to enhance their performance and they remind us that we can do it to be our best, too!
Smile…and talk out loud to manage the moments no matter how big they are!!
Go Team USA!
Julie
P.S. I have room for one more team this academic year! Reach out and get scheduled for the upcoming year!
Not interested in a year-long program, let’s set up a one-time visit and kick off a program you can run for the year!
Send me a text at 234-206-0946 or an email at juliej@ssbperformance.com and schedule a call to see how we can enhance your program’s mental approach!
Julie Jones
Mental Performance Coach
SSB Performance
juliej@ssbperformance.com • 234-206-0946
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