Reading time: 3 minutes
Suffering from anxiety is never a pleasant experience.
The charity mind.org.uk describes anxiety as feeling tense, nervous, or unable to relax. You may be worried or fearful, or you may feel like everything is speeding up or slowing down around you, and everyone is watching and judging you for being stressed. 1 Performance anxiety, more commonly known as stage fright, occurs when you experience this state of stress in a sporting setting. It's relatively common, but if you're unable to overcome these emotions, they can cause you to stop playing sports and prevent you from doing what you love. It can also affect your career or, worse, lead to serious issues with your self-esteem and confidence.
Learning to control your emotions
Completely overcoming anxiety and achieving good mental balance can be difficult, but you can apply the following tips to reduce anxiety symptoms. First and foremost, you need to become aware of your anxiety, which means recognizing the symptoms and attributing them to that anxiety.
Here are the most common symptoms of anxiety about athletic performance:
• Increased heart rate or breathing
• Sensation of dry mouth and tight throat
• Tremors in the hands, knees, or lips
• Trembling voice
• Cold or sweaty hands
• Stomach knot
• Nausea or physical illness
• Dizziness or vision disturbances
Performing in front of or with people can bring out your fears and vulnerability. Always keep in mind that no one is perfect. You're not expected to be, and it's okay to make mistakes. Overcoming performance anxiety is largely about facing your lack of confidence and accepting yourself for who you are. But it also means learning to control your negative thoughts and transform them into more positive ones.
How to Improve Your Self-Confidence by Managing Performance Anxiety
For some people, self-confidence and mental balance seem natural. Maybe they are, or maybe they're just good at putting on a show. Fortunately, for others, self-confidence can be learned.
One of the best ways to overcome performance anxiety is to be well prepared. Train not only to practice your sport, but also to manage all the challenges that come with it. What do you wear when you practice your sport? What time is the event and how will you get there? What is your nutrition strategy for each workout or race?
Save your digestive system by limiting caffeine and sugar on the day of your workout or performance, but be careful not to starve yourself. Ensure you have enough energy by eating complex carbohydrates like whole-wheat pasta or brown rice a few hours before your workout.
View the audience in a positive way
The trap is to think that those we exercise with or the spectators are there to judge us. But the truth is, they generally want to see us succeed. Try to focus on the positive aspects when thinking about the public or your workout partners. Don't think about possible failure, but rather visualize your success.
Psychological health and mental tips to overcome anxiety about sports performance
It may take a little getting used to, but try to connect with your audience. Smile and make eye contact. Focus on the friendliest face you can find and act like you're performing just for that person. Even if you don't necessarily feel like it, try to laugh. Studies have shown that laughing, even if there's nothing you find funny, can help you relax. 2 There is also a close link between how you look, feel, and perform. 3 If you feel good and look good, you're more likely to perform well, so take care of your appearance and if you have a pair of lucky socks, don't hesitate to wear them!
While performance anxiety can be very uncomfortable, it's important to remember that it's usually only temporary. Learning to face your fears and then managing to control them can empower even the most insecure person. However, if you feel completely overwhelmed by performance anxiety, consider cognitive behavioral therapy, which can help you find other ways to overcome your anxiety and contribute to your psychological health.
- https://www.mind.org.uk/information-support/types-of-mental-health-problems/anxiety-and-panic-attacks/symptoms/ [ ↩ ]
- https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.2466/pr0.2002.91.3f.1079 [ ↩ ]
- https://www.inc.com/molly-reynolds/research-shows-that-the-clothes-you-wear-actually-change-the-way-you-perform.html [ ↩ ]