The Case for Mental Rehearsal
In my late 20s, I started to develop serious stage fright. I had just begun a doctoral program in piano performance that required me to perform four 90-minute recitals within a few years, each memorized, and with completely different music. I was also being invited to perform regularly on the Chicago Symphony’s contemporary music series, and was getting opportunities to travel and play internationally. Though I’d been performing for years, I was starting to play the kind of concerts that get reviewed by major newspapers…and that terrified me. In order to cope, I started experimenting with mental rehearsal.
I’d find a quiet place and sit with my eyes closed. Making it up as I went along, I’d imagine a stage and a gleaming Steinway piano bathed in a warm spotlight. In my mind, I’d walk onto the stage feeling calm but excited. I’d sit in that yellow light and feel really good…like when the sun appears from behind the clouds on a chilly day. And then, feeling warm and powerful, I’d imagine the music flowing out of me effortlessly and smoothly.
To be honest, I didn’t always nail the mental rehearsal. Sometimes I was too exacting, trying to control every imagined note and not make any mistakes. There were times when mental rehearsal made me MORE nervous than I’d been before. But when I connected with how it would feel to play beautifully and confidently, I hit the sweet spot. After those mental rehearsals, I would walk onto the ACTUAL stage feeling calm and I’d play really well. And as I was up on stage, I’d have this uncanny sense that I’d been here before and done this already.
As it turns out, I didn’t invent mental rehearsal! The technique has been used by musicians and athletes for decades, and has been shown in studies to improve performance up to 40%. Fortunately, you don’t have to be an Olympian or concert artist to reap the rewards of regular mental rehearsal. When you relax and open your imagination, you can actually experience things before they happen in real life. Your brain doesn’t know the difference between imagining an action and performing the action; the same regions light up and learn that experience, regardless.
Is there something in your life that you’d like to improve, OR something that you’re creating and want to feel before it actually happens? If so, you might want to give mental rehearsal a try. Check out this link to a 13-minute guided hypnosis exercise I’ve recorded in which you’ll imagine and rehearse your future. (Full disclosure: it’s also super relaxing!).
Happy rehearsing! Feel free to shoot me an email or leave comments in the video to let me know how it’s working for you.
Want to experience change work on a deeper level? Let’s talk! Click here to schedule a free 60-minute connection call with me. May your week be filled with self-love and deep insights! With love, Amy ♡♡♡