Anyone who has played the game has felt “jitters”, “butterflies”, and even the “yips”. Yes, these are all terms used to describe when your body goes into the panic mode. It is shortness of breath, heart pounding, sweating, mind racing, and muscles too tense to perform a fluid motion and allow us to perform the game with no thought and optimal performance. Unfortunately, none of these sensations help with performance. So, why does our body act this way?
Think back to evolution and when the first humans were walking along and came across a lion. Their system activated with the “fight or flight” response and it helped them run to safety. But every time they heard a noise, they thought “yikes, it a lion”, what would they ever accomplish? In the sport world, being anxious about your abilities (am I good enough?) may help motivate you to work harder in practice sessions. But when it comes to competing, anxiety more often than not decreases performance. This can lead to getting too hyped up which can lead to a player swinging too early or under-react like “Freezing Up” or not swing the bat at all.
Often, it is our thoughts and perceptions about the event that make us anxious more than the event itself. I would make myself sick over having to do an oral report in high school to find out when it was over, 90% of what we worry about, never happens! So what types of thoughts induce anxiety? Anxiety inducing thoughts are always about some future event. Additionally, the future event is never a good thing; rather it is some type of perceived catastrophe or danger.
There are 2 types of dangers:
- Danger to sense of self – If I fail, everyone will think I am a total failure, including me.
- Danger to one’s reality – If I fail, then I will be removed from the team, lose my scholarship, and have to go back home.
Thinking about these dangers does NOT help. So here are some ways to challenge and attack your fears from a good friend and clinical psychologist Dr. Scott Goldman:
- Re-labeling – Did you know that anxiety and excitement look exactly the same? When we are excited we get short of breath, our heart pounds, and our mind races. Sound familiar? It should because it is the same way we describe anxiety. Thus, if you feel anxious before your next athletic event, re-label your sensations from “worry” to “excitement.” Tell yourself: “This is my body getting pumped up for the next event” or “This is my body telling me I am ready to perform.”
- Take a deep breath – If you purposely slow down your breathing, your heart rate will also calm down. Once you feel calmer, your mind will follow.
- Feel confident – – Try to recall your greatest performance. Then replay in your mind that awesome moment. Really focus on the way your body felt during that activity. How did your muscles feel? Strong? Fast? What was your mind like? Clear? Focused? Once you feel totally confident again, try to use this feeling to “turn off” the sensations of anxiety.
- Focus on the “Controllable” – Focus on the present, focus on the process, and focus on the positive.
Until Next Month,
