So, what do I mean by “Self-Talk”? This is your internal voice or your subconscious that is constantly being influenced by what you say to yourself. Spend a moment and reflect on what your internal dialogue sounds like. Write in your Confidence Journal (there is a link on my articles tab) what you discover about yourself. There is no right or wrong answer here, just listen and reflect.
Do you have any negative commands that you are giving yourself and reinforcing your behaviour? Are you saying “…. oh that’s because I am a …..nervous rider …… a terrible rider ….. I have terrible balance …..” How many times when you ride or describe yourself are you using these negative commands? What if, with a little bit of effort and vigilance, you could change these thoughts and super charge your self talk. Now, I’m not talking about making things up, more an honest reflection of exactly what your skills are.
I’ve mentioned this before, but simply changing the way we speak can have huge impact. What about “I am a rider occasionally affected by nerves” instead of “I am a nervous rider”. It’s a subtle difference, however it will make a big difference in that nervousness is not intrinsically part of who we are. Ultimately, we can question if we really need to describe ourselves in this way at all?
Anyway, a short blog from me today. I’m really keen on what your journey with your horse is this week. Why not be vigilant about your internal dialogue for this week and let me know what you have achieved. Just pop it in the comments section or email me. This can be applied to EVERY part of your life. My personal favourite is changing my opinion of myself when it comes to public speaking.
Until next week,
Bianca xx
