Dr Anna Rolleston The Cardiac Clinic

Visualisation is a technique that's well known to support athletic performance. Top athletes use visualisation to play out their event prior, to set the right scene for success.

The best athletes swear by visualisation and use it as a part of weekly training and competition routines. Visualisation is when you live the events of your future in your mind.

So you play out the event the way you want it to be; then on the day of the event you carry through with that process as you visualised it.

Visualisation is not just about using your imagination to run the event through in your head. It's also about believing that scenario, and really buying into the success you are visualising.

The best athletes have the edge over others, not because they are physically better but because their minds are strong.

To succeed at the highest level of sport a strong mind and a strong sense of belief in oneself is essential.

So you're thinking to yourself: ‘Well that's interesting – but I'm not an athlete'.

Most athletes will tell you they started using visualisation for sport and when they realised how good it was they transferred the same logic into the rest of their life.

So they visualise ‘life', how they want life to be, how they want their day to play out. Visualisation is well documented in psychological literature for the management of health conditions in addition to improving athletic performance.

Why should we only use a proven psychological tool when we're unwell or competing? I recommend giving it a go.

Visualise some normal every day things that happen in your life in a positive light and see what happens.