Have you ever heard that sports are 90% mental and only 10% physical? Well, it turns out that there is more truth to that than people might believe. In fact, many studies have shown that with visualization, your mind can shape everything in your life, including your body and your happiness.
Visualization is a proven technique that involves focusing on positive mental images of what we want in our lives and how to make that happen. Along with focusing and believing in ourselves, visualization becomes a powerful, creative tool that can help us accomplish any goal in life.
Visualization works by activating the same neural networks that physically performing a task does. This strengthens the connection between brain and body. If you’re a runner, for example, you might imagine yourself conquering a huge hill. To do this, you need to think deeply about it. What are you wearing? What are you seeing and hearing? How do you feel? The more detailed and real your visualization is, the better it will work and the sooner you will be crushing your goals!
Champions aren’t made in the gyms. Champions are made from something they have deep inside them—a desire, a dream, a vision.
–Muhammad Ali
In addition to visualization helping us get into better shape, it can help us overcome fear and build self-confidence. This is because the brain doesn’t differentiate between real memory and a visualized one, so if we visualize ourselves being fearless and self-confident, our brains will believe that it’s real.
We can also develop skills faster through visualization. Studies have shown that practicing skills mentally can be as effective at improving them as real practice is. This is because when we visualize an action, the same region in the brain is stimulated as when we perform the skill, and the same neural networks are also created.
Visualization can also help us do things like reduce our anxiety, eat healthier, and improve focus. In fact, when we put our minds to it, anything is possible!
Here are some visualization tips to get you started:
- Go somewhere quiet where you won’t be disturbed.
- Relax, close your eyes, and take several deep breaths.
- Mentally say to yourself what you want to achieve.
- Visualize the situation you desire in your mind as clearly and with as much detail as you can by adding your senses and positive emotions.
- Practice it at least twice a day for about 10 minutes each time.
- Maintain positive thoughts and a good attitude throughout.
- Believe that you can do it!
- Persevere until you succeed.
