Science has proven that when you visualize yourself running, jumping, or performing any type of movement, the visualised group of muscles in your body activate, just as if you were actually doing the activity. Let’s dive deeper into how the mental rehearsal technique works.
Mental rehearsal is the process of you imagining that you are doing a specific action or skill without actually moving your body. It’s a form of mental training that taps into your brain’s incredible ability to simulate real experiences. This means your body can “get activated” even when you’re sitting or laying in your bed. The secret sauce is the fact that your brain doesn’t fully see a difference between vivid imagination and an actual experience. When you visualize doing something, the same neural pathways and muscle groups activate, and help you strengthen those skills over time.
More simply, the cells in your body have their own memory. Everything you’ve ever done, every motion, reaction, and sensation, leaves an imprint on your nervous system. Once your brain has experienced something, even just once, it knows what that action feels like. Because of this, you can reproduce that experience purely in your mind. That’s the mental rehearsal totally simplified, you can train your body and mind by imagining doing an activity or succeeding in it before it happens in the live world.
Is Mental Rehearsal Real?
Can you really get better at something without physically doing that activity? The answer is YES! Numerous scientific studies have shown that mental rehearsal can improve coordination, accuracy, and confidence in the skills of the monitored athletes. The technique was used by Olympic athletes, musicians, and even surgeons, all with the goal to improve their performance. The practice session is not only in the gym or on the stage, but also in the mind.
How can you use mental rehearsal in your own life?
The technique is simple, but like any skill, you need practice to get better at it. Start by finding a quiet space, where you won’t be disturbed, and close your eyes. Then, visualize yourself performing the task or skill you want to master. Don’t just see it, feel it. Imagine every detail:
- Hear the sounds around you.
- Feel your body’s movement, the air against your skin, and the texture of objects you interact with.
- Sense the rhythm and timing of your actions.
- Most importantly, feel the emotion you would experience when you successfully perform that skill.
“The more vivid and realistic your imagined scene is, the more powerful the effect will be”.
As you do it more and more, this kind of visualization strengthens the same neural pathways that physical practice does, allowing you to perform with greater ease, precision, and confidence.
Mental rehearsal can be applied to anything you think of (and is an actual skill), whether that’s improving your golf swing, refining your piano technique, practicing public speaking, or even improving your typing speed. It’s a technique that helps you turn your mind’s intention into your body’s performance.
So, close your eyes, take a deep breath, and start with your mental training. Your brain and your body are listening and will reward you for your hard work.