This text is based on an article on Addicted2Success.com.
What is visualisation?
When Alex Honnold was preparing for his record-breaking (and, according to many people, insane) free solo climb of El Capitan, he spent hours on end sitting or lying down with his eyes closed, practising visualisation. He was imagining the route he already knew by heart, going over in his mind all the steps he would have to take, and trying to put himself in the situation he would find himself in.
Thanks also to the use of this technique, in the end he did not fall off the rock and successfully climbed it.
Visualisation is a technique which involves imagining in advance a situation that awaits us. The athlete or whoever else tries to visualise this situation as realistically as possible and "experience" it many times before it actually occurs. They try to imagine what they will be doing, what they will see around them, and what they will feel. They can also visualise various alternative situations, including crisis scenarios. By going through these in their mind many times before they occur, they will be much calmer and more prepared when something actually does happen in real life, having experienced it mentally many times before. This technique can be used in sport, but also, for example, before important social occasions, fear-inducing events, or even prior to important business meetings.
Tips on using visualisation successfully
- Start early. Start visualising long enough in advance in order to go through the situation repeatedly and thus have sufficient experience of it.
- Imagine different scenarios. Do not focus only on the planned situation, but try to imagine different scenarios of how things might unfold so you are prepared for them too.
- Try to keep calm. The goal is to be as focused and calm as possible while experiencing the real situation. So your goal during visualisations is not only to imagine the situation as realistically as you can, but also to remain as calm as possible.
- Do not neglect other training. Visualisation should only be a supplement to your training. Do not rely on it too much, as if it was a miracle technique that will solve everything by itself. Do not neglect technical and practical preparation for your performance.
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