“Nerves can be brilliant because they get your adrenalin going and it
means you care and want to do well. There’s a fine line, though – getting too
nervous can ruin a race, and that’s happened to me…”
-Rebecca Adlington, 2012, 2x Olympic, World, and Commonwealth Swimming
Champion
Performance Anxiety:
Contrary to what many believe, performance anxiety is not some kind of disease that you either have or you don't. Every athlete faces some form and level of performance anxiety, which is a situation-specific
negative (unpleasant) emotional response to one’s view of competitive
stressors, and the general involvement in competition.
Mental
Symptoms: Worry, negative expectations, poor attitude, etc.
Physical Symptoms: Muscular
tension, butterflies in stomach, increased heart rate, perspiration, dry-mouth, etc.
Not all effects of competition anxiety are negative – in
fact, some aspects of anxiety may help us perform at our very best. We want to
use anxiety to our advantage.
Potential
Benefits to Anxiety: Feel pumped up,
in the zone, focused,
energized, etc.
It’s all about finding the appropriate level of anxiety, which is specific to each athlete. The graph shows that performance is best when there is some, but not too much anxiety.
It’s all about finding the appropriate level of anxiety, which is specific to each athlete. The graph shows that performance is best when there is some, but not too much anxiety.
A strategy for mental activation:
I recommend using a
three-part technique to get yourself pumped up for competition:
1.
Listen to a song that will inspire you and get
you feeling motivated and ready.
2.
Intense breathing – hard forceful exhales and
strong rapid inhales.
3.
Get moving! Jump around, shake out your limbs,
and get your heart pumping.
A strategy to reduce anxiety:
To decrease your anxiety, we will combine a breathing
technique with a quick physical relaxation:
1.
Complete breath – Take a deep full breath of air
drawing from your belly, while lowering your shoulders. Slowly and peacefully
exhale, and then repeat.
2.
Meanwhile, focus on relevant body parts to the
upcoming event (e.g., a tennis player may focus on the arms and shoulders
before a serve), and squeeze those muscles tightly for 3 or 4 seconds (as you
inhale), then let those muscles soothingly release and relax (as you exhale).
This takes practice, but can be used immediately in combination with complete
breathing to quickly reduce anxiety.
Remember it’s all about finding that perfect level of mental
and physical actovation. When you find something that works for you – stick
with it! And always feel free to alter or try new things.
Figures and concepts adapted from:
Hanton
S., Mellalieu, S., & Williams, J. (2014) Understanding and managing stress
in sport. In J. M. Williams & V. Krane (Ed.), Applied sport psychology personal growth to peak performance, (pp.
207-239) New York, NY: McGraw-Hill
By Scott Graupensperger
