Visualization
Rehearsing a performance in your head before you do it for real
Running a performance in the head before doing it for real: one specific scene, held in as much sensory detail as possible, from the sound of the room to the exact movement wanted. Athletes use it before competition, musicians before a recital, speakers before a talk. Sessions tend to be short, five or ten minutes, and repetition matters more than length. Sport psychologists have studied it since the 1970s and mostly find it works as a supplement to real practice rather than a substitute. Some people fold it into a meditation session; others keep it as its own block, often the night before or an hour out.
People on record
Sorted by strength of stance
Does it: documented as part of their own routine. Recommends: explicitly advises other people to do it. Discusses: covered it substantively without clear personal adoption; this can include criticism or disagreement.
- Novak DjokovicDoes it
Tennis player · Record 24 Grand Slam singles titles
Told The New York Times he meditates in order to visualize rather than to get away from a problem, and that he strongly believes in it. Psychology Today set that beside a passage from his book on mindful practice changing how he handles a shanked backhand.
Source: Psychology Today: Champion Novak Djokovic Reveals the Power of Visualization
Aimed at the same thing
Other entries filed under focus or stress.
- Protocol$$$Cheap: Roughly under $50, or under $15/month.
Deliberate cold exposure
Cold showers or ice baths used deliberately, usually a few minutes at a time
On record from 25 of 62 tracked people: 19 do it, 6 have discussed it - ProtocolFREE, no cost
Non-sleep deep rest (NSDR)
10-20 minute guided body-scan rest, sometimes called yoga nidra
On record from 2 of 62 tracked people: 1 does it, 1 has discussed it - ProtocolFREE, no cost
Physiological sigh
Two inhales through the nose, one long exhale; heart rate drops within seconds
On record from 2 of 62 tracked people: 1 does it, 1 recommends it - ProtocolFREE, no cost
Shipping creative work
Publishing on a schedule rather than waiting for the work to feel ready
On record from 2 of 62 tracked people: 1 does it, 1 recommends it - Protocol$$$Expensive: Several hundred dollars and up.
Transcendental Meditation
Silent mantra repetition, about 20 minutes twice a day, taught in a paid course
On record from 2 of 62 tracked people: 2 do it - ProtocolFREE, no cost
Vision setting
Write down a specific picture of who you are becoming, then filter decisions through it
On record from 2 of 62 tracked people: 2 do it
Protocol entry · notes paraphrased from cited sources, quoted excerpts copied from the transcript they link to. Not medical advice. Not affiliated with, endorsed by, or reviewed by anyone listed. How this works.