Mental Rehearsal: Practicing New Habits Through The Power of Visualization

A habit is any behavior that we do on a frequent and consistent basis.

The only real way to build new habits is through conscious repetition and practice. As we repeat behaviors more and more, they become more ingrained into our brain and muscle memory, and thus begin to become second-nature to us.

Once a habit is fully learned, a lot of it becomes unconscious to us and therefore takes up a lot less physical and mental energy.

As a simple example, think of learning how to tie your shoes. When you were a kid, you probably needed to really concentrate and practice before you could get it right. You probably struggled at first. You probably made a lot of mistakes. You may have even gotten frustrated and upset a couple of times.

Today, however, you have years if not decades of practice and experience with tying your shoes. Now you can do it without thinking about it at all, it’s barely something that even enters your mind anymore.

Most habits work in a similar way, whether it be learning how to play a song, or hit a baseball, or draw a horse.

When we first learn them, we have to devote a lot of our attention and energy toward getting the mechanics right; but eventually, we can do them automatically without thinking about them much.

Practice makes perfect – nothing will change that – but you don’t just have to practice in the real world, you can practice in your mind through the power of “mental rehearsal” as well.

Let me show you how to use the power of “mental rehearsal” to build stronger habits.

Mental Rehearsal: Visualization for Habit Change

The only real way to successfully build new habits is to start doing them more often, but we can also mentally rehearse these habits through visualization to build the habit stronger and faster.

Neuroscience research has shown that when we imagine ourselves doing a particular habit it activates many of the same regions in our brain as when we are physically doing that same habit. This is strong evidence that “mental rehearsal” can be a useful way to condition ourselves toward new and more desirable behaviors.

Through conscious repetition, “mental rehearsal” can help facilitate neuroplasticity by rewiring our brains toward new habits and behaviors.

The more we visualize ourselves doing an activity, the stronger the neural connections become. At a biological level, this is known long-term potentiation, a cellular process that underlies all learning and memory.

Many professional athletes, actors, musicians, and performers use “mental rehearsal” to improve themselves. They imagine themselves acting out a situation step-by-step, which mentally prepares them to act it out when it’s finally time to take the field or hit the stage.

In sports psychology for example, a baseball pitcher may simulate in their heads how they would like to pitch a specific batter, or a basketball player may imagine themselves shooting a free throw before taking the shot, or a tennis player will mentally rehearse their serve or backhand.

Similarly, an actor may mentally rehearse a script before stepping on stage, or a pianist will mentally rehearse a performance, or a businessman will mentally rehearse an important business meeting or negotiation.

You can use the power of “mental rehearsal” to better prepare yourself for any situation, whether it’s related to work, exercise, creativity, relationships, or new hobbies and skills.

Let me show you exactly how to apply mental rehearsal in your life.

How to Practice Mental Rehearsal in Your Life

Now that you know the power of “mental rehearsal,” let’s find out how to practice it. Here are step-by-step instructions for a short exercise that takes only 5-10 minutes to complete.

• Choose one small habit you want to change. Before starting, we need to first choose what exactly you want to change. Try your best to identify just one small habit you’d like to do differently, even if it’s something simple like being kinder to that coworker who always gives you an attitude, or practicing guitar for 20 minutes after school/work, or doing push-ups every morning. Find the smallest habit you’d like to improve on, then use that as your focus for your first “mental rehearsal.”
• Begin your mental rehearsal with a relaxation exercise. Let’s first get your mind in a clear, focused, and relaxed state. You can begin with a simple 100 Breaths Meditation or Progressive Muscle Relaxation. Beginning your mental rehearsal with a relaxation exercise isn’t necessary, but it will make it stronger and more effective overall. You can also just do an easy “10 deep breaths” before beginning your visualization.
  

• Picture yourself in situations that are similar to your everyday life. Try your best to make your “mental rehearsal” as accurate to your real life as possible, including the situation and environment you’re in. If you are trying to improve work habits, imagine yourself actually sitting in the office at your desk. If you are trying to improve sports performance, imagine yourself on the fields you often play at. If you are trying to improve your social skills, imagine yourself at the bars, restaurants, and music venues you usually go to. The closer your visualization relates to your everyday life, the more effective it will be.
• Visualize process, not just outcomes. The biggest trap with a lot of “visualization” exercises is that they focus on outcomes rather than process. People falsely believe they just need to “imagine getting whatever I want,” and then the universe will bring it to them. However, research has shown that visualizing process is much more effective than visualizing just results. You need to see yourself performing the habit step-by-step, from beginning to end. For example, if you want to go to the gym every morning, start your visualization from the moment you wake up. Imagine yourself going through your morning routine, driving to the gym, walking inside, lifting weights, and then eventually leaving. The more thoroughly you go through each step of the habit, the less likely you are to hit a snag along the way. People try to imagine themselves “fit” and “healthy,” but they never see themselves DOING the habits that it takes to actually become fit and healthy. Remember, the ultimate goal of “mental rehearsal” is to prepare you to take action.
• Imagine all five senses. Effective visualization is about more than just “vision.” When you mentally rehearse a habit, try to imagine as many senses as possible, such as sound, smell, touch, and taste. Take a moment to pause and scan your environment, try to imagine at least one stimulus for each sense. What does your office, or classroom, or gym usually smell like? It sounds silly, but the better you can replicate the actual experience of a new habit, the better prepared you will be to duplicate that habit in the real world.
• Always end on a positive note. Make it a goal to end every mental rehearsal on a positive note or with a “small win.” Imagine yourself accomplishing your goal, feeling good, and celebrating to yourself (or with others). If your goal is to go to the gym, end your visualization by imagining yourself driving home, blasting upbeat music, and feeling proud of yourself. By the time you open your eyes, you should feel a surge of confidence, motivation, and optimism – carry that energy with you into your day. And use it!
• Schedule 5-10 minutes of “mental rehearsal” each day. Mental rehearsal is practice, by definition. It’s not something you just do once and it magically changes you. Like all forms of practice, it takes time and consistency to get good at it and begin to see results. You have to be patient when trying to change old patterns of behavior. The good news is: “mental rehearsal” is super easy to practice. You only need about 5-10 minutes each day. This is especially true since in “imagination world” you can speed up time, so you can imagine a whole one hour exercise routine in just a few quick minutes. Make visualization a part of your morning ritual. You can even practice mental rehearsal in the shower, or brushing your teeth, or during your train/bus ride into work.
• Be ready to act in the real world. Now that you’ve mentally rehearsed your new habit, it’s time to actually do it in the real world. Have a plan to perform your new behavior the next time you find yourself in that situation. Set up an “If…then…” statement. For example, “If I find myself in situation X, then I’ll perform habit Y.” By having a conscious plan to commit to your new habit, you’ll be even more prepared to follow through on it.

Mental Rehearsal is Just One Tool for Change

“Mental rehearsal” is just one tool to help you change habits, but it’s not meant to be a magical cure-all.

No amount of visualization alone will ingrain new habits. That being said, visualization can still be a very valuable tool in guiding your habit change and making it easier.

Think of “mental rehearsal” as a type of behavioral nudge to make you more likely to follow through on a new habit.

At the end of the day: it’s about motivating yourself to make real world changes.

“Mental rehearsal” isn’t magic, it’s simply using your mind as a tool to prepare you for new patterns of behavior. This is how successful businessmen, athletes, actors, and performers use visualization to make real-world changes.

Choose a new habit and try “mental rehearsal” for yourself!

Enter your email to stay updated on new articles in self improvement: