By Madison DeMaio and Eric Martin
(Septemeber 28, 2025)

If you’ve coached athletes through a free throw, a penalty kick, or the silence before a gymnastics routine, then you’ve likely seen firsthand the pressure they experience in those moments. Regardless of the setting—team or individual sport—there are moments when an athlete feels like whether they win or lose can come down to their performance and their teammates are counting on them to deliver. These situations can feel like the weight of the entire season rests on their shoulders in that single moment. However, it can be incredibly empowering as well. One strategy to help your athletes perform in these high-pressure situations is to help them develop a mental routine prior to their performance.

A mental routine is a repeatable set of thoughts, actions, or cues that help athletes enter the right headspace before or during competition and can enhance overall performance (Vealey, 2023). These routines can serve as a way to handle pressure, quiet one’s nerves, and compete with confidence, even in stressful situations. For example, Cotterill (2010) found that pre-performance routines improved preparation and reduced performance variability in elite-level athletes, particularly in individual sports. This means that having a consistent routine can help athletes feel more focused and perform more reliably in these pressure situations.

Mental routines are most effective when built on foundational mental skills, as Behncke (2004) argued that the effectiveness of mental routines is enhanced by mental skills training. In fact, these mental skills often become the core elements of a strong routine. As many mental skills can support mental routines, this post will highlight three of them below. Specifically, strategies commonly used in mental routines to enhance performance and composure include breathing techniques, visualization, and positive self-talk. If you’re new to mental routines, this post will offer a simple and customizable approach to help your athletes utilize them both before and during a performance.

Mindful breathing has been shown to improve focus and manage stress, especially in high-stress situations, and is also a great way to reset your thoughts and center yourself. The 4-7-8 breathing technique, developed by Dr. Andrew Weil, is based on the ancient yoga practice of pranayama for breath control. This technique involves inhaling for 4 seconds, holding the breath for a count of 7 seconds, and audibly exhaling through your mouth for 8 seconds. During this process, performers should control diaphragm movements by breathing deeply into their belly rather than their chest. Ma and colleagues (2017) emphasized that even just a few deep breaths can activate the parasympathetic nervous system, helping to lower cortisol levels and promote calmness, ideal for performing in pressure situations. Shifting the body out of fight-or-flight mode helps to remain composed and alert, making mindful breathing a powerful and accessible component of a mental routine that supports peak performance under pressure.

Visualization is a technique that allows athletes to mentally rehearse their performance before it begins, building both confidence and consistency. Visualization extends beyond simply picturing success. Instead, successful imagery engages all the senses to create a vivid and realistic mental experience. For example, athletes can imagine the feel of the track beneath their feet (tactile), the sound of the crowd (auditory), and the rhythm of their movements (kinesthetic). According to Mizuguchi and colleagues (2012), this immersive experience activates the brain in similar ways to physical practice, strengthening the neural pathways tied to skill execution. When athletes visualize successful performances repeatedly, especially in pressure situations, it helps bring normalcy to the task and builds consistency in the process. In a review article, Jose and colleagues (2018) found that imagery improved self-confidence in athletes. As part of a mental routine, visualization lays the groundwork for consistent performance by mentally preparing athletes for the demands of competition.

Positive self-talk involves intentionally using affirming and motivational statements to counteract doubt and anxiety. In moments of intense pressure, the way you speak to yourself can be the difference between hesitation and execution. Instead of allowing nerves to spiral into thoughts such as “What if I mess up?”, athletes can replace them with focused cues like “I’ve trained for this” or “Stay strong through the finish.” This inner dialogue helps redirect attention away from fear and back to the task at hand, especially useful in high-pressure situations. Hatzigeorgiadis and Galanis (2017) highlighted that athletes who consistently use positive self-talk experienced better concentration, increased self-belief, and demonstrated more resilience during setbacks. Incorporating positive self-talk into a pre-performance routine strengthens mental readiness, making it easier to maintain focus and develop confidence when the pressure is on.

Here’s a step-by-step approach to help you get started with building your athlete’s mental routine. This process integrates the three key mental skills discussed above—mindful breathing, visualization, and positive self-talk—and offers a simple, tailorable way to apply those skills in real-time. Creating a routine helps your athletes regulate nerves, sharpen focus, and boost confidence before and during competition. Whether preparing for a big game or a solo performance, these steps are designed to help your athletes remain mentally grounded and perform consistently under pressure:

Start with Mindful Breathing
Begin by taking 1-2 minutes to do 4-7-8 breathing in a quiet area: have athletes inhale for 4 seconds, hold for 7, and exhale for 8 through their mouth. Emphasize deep belly (diaphragmatic) breathing to activate the parasympathetic nervous system. Once this practice is introduced, encourage athletes to incorporate this breathing pattern before warm-ups, training, or stepping into competition. Repeated exposure across settings helps make this practice a more automatic fixture in their usual routine.

Visualize Success
Once athletes are grounded through mindful breathing, guide them through a brief visualization sequence. Prompt them to mentally walk through their performance while engaging multiple senses—how do they see the environment, feel the textures, hear the sounds, and sense their body’s rhythm? Visualization is most effective when it mirrors the competitive environment, so encourage athletes to focus on confident execution and composure. This mental rehearsal helps prime their body and mind for real-time performance.

Practice Positive Self-Talk
Prior to engaging in practice, work with your athletes to prepare 2-3 short affirmations they can say quietly to themselves during warm-ups or in pressure situations. Examples include “I’ve trained for this,” “Stay steady,” or “Finish strong.” Repeating these with intention reinforces mental focus and self-belief. In addition, introduce the idea of a focus cue. That is, have them pick a word or phrase that brings their attention to the task at hand. Cue words such as “calm,” “locked in,” or “trust yourself” can help anchor an athlete’s mindset before and during performance. These phrases direct attention to the task at hand rather than the pressure of the moment.

Test and Refine
Have your athletes experiment with their routines during practices. Ask them to reflect on what works, what feels forced, what truly sharpens their focus, and what might need adjusting until it feels natural. Like any other skill, mental routines improve with repetition—so, have athletes build their routine into daily training and remain consistent in its use. Over time, a well-practiced routine becomes second nature, and that’s when it truly pays off. The more they use this routine, the more comfort it will bring in times of stress.

Whether you’re coaching individual athletes stepping into the spotlight alone or a team player facing a pivotal moment, pressure is a part of sport. But that pressure can be used to your advantage if you train their mind to handle it. Mental routines are the ultimate mindset tool. They help athletes stay calm, block out distractions, and stay focused on what matters most: their performance.

So next time your athlete is out there, remind them that they’ve done the physical prep—now it’s your role as coach to help them develop the mental tools to match. Remember, it is impossible to control everything—but with a routine, they can regain some control by focusing on their breath, their thoughts, and their focus. Once they build a consistent mental routine to perform, they can trust their body to take care of the rest.

References

Behncke, L. (2004). Mental skills training for sports: A brief review. Athletic Insight: The Online Journal of Sport Psychology, 6(1), 1–24. https://www.peterliljedahl.com/wp-content/uploads/SkillsPDF.pdf

Bulzoni, S. (2024, September 9). Video: Dr. Weil’s breathing exercises: 4-7-8 breath. DrWeil.com. https://www.drweil.com/videos-features/videos/breathing-exercises-4-7-8-breath/

Cotterill, S. (2010). Pre-performance routines in sport: Current understanding and future directions. International Review of Sport and Exercise Psychology, 3(2), 132–153. https://doi.org/10.1080/1750984X.2010.488269

Hatzigeorgiadis, A., & Galanis, E. (2017). Self-talk effectiveness and attention. Current Opinion in Psychology, 16, 138–142. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.copsyc.2017.05.014

Jose, J., Joseph, M. M., & Matha, M. (2018). Imagery: Its effects and benefits on sports performance and psychological variables: A review study. International Journal of Physiology, Nutrition and Physical Education, 3(2), 190–193.

Ma, X., Yue, Z.-Q., Gong, Z.-Q., Zhang, H., Duan, N.-Y., Shi, Y.-T., Wei, G.-X., & Li, Y.-F. (2017). The effect of diaphragmatic breathing on attention, negative affect and stress in healthy adults. Frontiers in Psychology, 8. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2017.00874

Mizuguchi, N., Nakata, H., Uchida, Y., & Kanosue, K. (2012). Motor imagery and sport performance. The Journal of Physical Fitness and Sports Medicine, 1(1), 103–111. https://doi.org/10.7600/jpfsm.1.103

Perciavalle, V., Blandini, M., Fecarotta, P., Buscemi, A., Di Corrado, D., Bertolo, L., Fichera, F., & Coco, M. (2016). The role of deep breathing on stress. Neurological Sciences, 38(3), 451–458. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10072-016-2790-8

Vealey, R. S. (2023). A framework for mental training in sport: Enhancing mental skills, wellbeing, and performance. Journal of Applied Sport Psychology, 36(2), 365–384. https://doi.org/10.1080/10413200.2023.2274459