Welcome to RenewHer, a podcast for women over 50 ready to reignite their energy and explore what's next. I'm Janell Lemley, brain fitness coach. Here, you'll hear real stories from women taking on new challenges after 50, along with brain health tips to boost focus, energy, and the mindset to move forward with confidence. Let's dive into today's episode.
Hey there. It's time for another Brain Note. These are short episodes where we explore fascinating neuroscience and discover simple, practical ways to help your brain work better, so you can perform at your best and live with greater confidence.
Have you ever noticed how elite athletes seem so calm before the biggest moments of their careers? Or how some people walk into a boardroom and deliver a presentation with confidence even though the stakes are incredibly high? It might look effortless, but chances are they've already done it, not physically, mentally.
Today, I want to talk about a neuroscience tool that can help prepare your brain for moments when you're stepping into something new, uncertain, or challenging. And this isn't just a tool for elite performers, it's a tool you can use in your own life. You've probably heard of it. It's called visualization. And it isn't just positive thinking. It isn't pretending something will happen without taking action.
Visualization is a powerful form of mental rehearsal that's been studied by neuroscientists for decades and used by elite athletes, musicians, military pilots, surgeons, and business leaders around the world.
So what makes it so powerful? It starts with understanding one amazing fact about your brain. When you vividly imagine yourself performing an action, many of the same brain networks become active as when you actually perform that action. Your brain begins rehearsing the experience before it happens.
Now, visualization does not replace practice. You still have to prepare. You still have to take action. You still have to step into the moment, but visualization helps prepare your brain for what comes next. Think of it as a dress rehearsal for your brain.
One of the most fascinating studies demonstrating this involved learning to play a simple piano exercise. Researchers divided participants into groups. One group physically practiced a five-finger piano exercise. The other group never touched a piano. Instead, they spent time vividly imagining themselves playing the same exercise.
When researchers looked at their brains, something remarkable happened. The people who mentally rehearsed the piano exercise activated many of the same areas of the brain involved in actually playing the piano. Both groups showed changes in the motor cortex, the area of the brain involved in planning and controlling movement.
The people who physically practiced improved the most, but the mental practice group also showed measurable improvement. Their brains had changed simply through imagining the movements. That's neuroplasticity. Your brain is constantly adapting based on what you repeatedly think, imagine, and do.
Researchers have found similar results in sports. In one well-known basketball study, athletes who mentally rehearsed making free throws improved almost as much as athletes who physically practiced. Again, visualization didn't replace practice, it enhanced performance by preparing the brain before the body had to perform.
Here's another study that I find incredible. Researchers looked at whether simply imagining exercise could create physical changes. Participants imagined contracting one of their finger muscles every day for several weeks. They didn't physically exercise the muscles. They weren't allowed to move it. No weights, no resistant bands, no actual exercise. They only mentally practiced.
The results were amazing. The group that physically trained increased their strength by about 30%, and the group that only used mental practice still increased their strength by about 22%. Think about that. A more than 20% increase in strength without lifting a single weight.
Their muscles didn't become dramatically stronger. Their brains became more efficient at activating those muscles. Again, this shows us the incredible power of neuroplasticity.
So why does visualization work? Because your brain is constantly making predictions. Every second of the day, your brain is making predictions about what's about to happen.
When you face something completely unfamiliar, your brain often becomes more alert because uncertainty requires more mental energy. Not because it's dangerous, but because it's unknown. Your brain is asking, what is happening? Am I prepared? Should I be concerned?
Visualization helps reduce that uncertainty. When you've mentally walked through an experience several times, your brain begins to treat that experience as more familiar. And familiar situations often feel less threatening. It doesn't guarantee success, but it helps your brain recognize the situation and respond with greater confidence instead of surprise.
This is why visualization is used by some of the world's highest performers. Golf legend Tiger Woods has often talked about seeing the shot in his mind before he ever swings the club. He visualizes the shot, the flight of the ball, and where he wants it to land before he steps up to hit it.
The U.S. Navy Blue Angels also use mental rehearsal before their performances. Before they ever take to the sky to fly incredibly precise aerial demonstrations, they mentally walk through their formations and routines together. When it's time to perform, it isn't their first experience with the performance. Their brains have already been there.
Most of us aren't preparing to play Carnegie Hall or compete in an LPGA championship or fly fighter jets. We're preparing for real life. Maybe you're getting ready to lead an important meeting, interview for a new position, launch a business, ask for the raise you've earned, have a difficult conversation with an employee, speak on a stage for the very first time, record your first podcast, or finally say yes to a dream opportunity or new chapter you've been considering, but hesitating to pursue because you've never done it before.
This is where visualization becomes incredibly practical. If you're preparing for a presentation, don't just read your notes over and over again. Instead, read them while imagining yourself standing in the room. Picture yourself speaking clearly, making eye contact, pausing confidently, answering questions thoughtfully.
See yourself connecting with your audience. Hear yourself finishing strong. You aren't just memorizing words, you're rehearsing success. So let's try this together. Imagine yourself walking into that room. Notice what you're wearing. Feel your feet on the floor. Hear the conversations around you. You connect your laptop. You take one slow breath. You smile, and you begin. Someone asks a difficult question. Instead of panicking, you pause, you think, you respond with confidence. The meeting ends. You walk out of the room knowing, "I did it."
That's visualization. Not pretending everything will go perfectly, but allowing your brain to experience success before the moment arrives.
So here's my challenge for you this week. Think about one thing you've been putting off because it feels uncertain or uncomfortable. Maybe it's a conversation you need to have, an opportunity you want to pursue, a goal you've been afraid to start. Spend two or three minutes each day mentally rehearsing yourself doing it well.
See it, hear it, feel it, then take action, because visualization doesn't replace action. It prepares you for action.
And here's what I hope you'll remember. Your brain doesn't become more confident by waiting. It becomes more confident through experience. Sometimes that experience begins in the real world, and sometimes the very first experience you give your brain happens in your imagination.
That's the incredible gift of neuroplasticity. Your brain can keep learning, keep adapting, and keep growing at every stage of life. So don't let the unfamiliar stop you from pursuing what's possible. Sometimes the first step towards something new begins by imagining yourself there.
Thank you for joining me for this episode of RenewHer. If today's conversation sparked something in you, don't let it fade. Take even a small step toward what's next. If you found value in what you heard, please subscribe, leave a review, or share this podcast with a woman who's ready to take her next bold step.
Together, we're building a community of strong, resilient women navigating what's next with courage and purpose. Until next time, stay energized and keep embracing what's possible.