I've competed in a range of sports for most of my life and it's often regarded as a good thing to try and psych yourself up before a race or match by giving yourself a motivational speech.  New research suggests a very simple change in language could yield significant improvements in the effect of your efforts.

The change?  Well it's as simple as framing things as 'we' rather than 'I'.  The research asked 80 participants, split into 3 groups, to compete a team based task.  One group used self talk, emphasising the individual.  Another used collective motivation emphasising the group's abilities, whilst the final group used neutral statements.

The study found that both individual and collective performance was highest when people focused on the team in their motivational efforts rather than on their own performance.

“By focusing on the team, you include yourself without putting the focus or extra pressure on yourself,” says Deborah Feltz, chairperson of the kinesiology department and study co-author.