In the world of sports, there is no shortage of pressure. As an athlete, you receive pressure from every place you look. Teammates and coaches need you to play or compete well and parents may expect constant achievement. There is also the added pressure coming from within yourself, striving to prove you are the best, keep your position, or earn a position on a new team. With pressure coming from all directions, there are undoubtedly negative effects on the psyche of an athlete.
When you are under immense anxiety, you might notice your performance decline. It also impacts you mentally, with the inability to focus, lack of confidence, or constant fear of failure.
With so much pressure coming from all directions, how could it be possible to stay calm, focused, and confident? Here are the 6 tips to manage performance pressure:
#1 Focus on your own ability, rather than the ability of your competitors.
It can feel natural to compare yourself to others. It is so easy, in fact, you might not notice how often you are thinking thoughts like “They’re so much faster than me” or “I wish I were as coordinated as her”. Becoming aware of these thoughts is vital. Once you have awareness, you can shift them and replace them with more positive thoughts like “I’ve practiced long and hard for this and I know I am ready.” Make your own athleticism about you, not about everyone else around you.
#2 Stay present.
Performance anxiety, like all forms of anxiety, are rooted in a fear of the future. You might be fearful of feeling embarrassed, losing a scholarship, or disappointing your parents. It could also be fear of losing status as the star athlete. Thinking of all the possible things that could go wrong while you are competing will surely feed your anxiety. Take a moment and bring yourself to the present moment. You can do this by using your senses. For example, notice 3 things you haven’t seen before, like the color of the opponent’s fan’s shirts or the details of your equipment. Use other senses as well, such as noticing sounds coming from a distance. Take your mind away from all the possible mishaps of the future. Remind yourself that in the moment you are strong and confident enough to handle one play at a time.
#3 Notice where the fear comes from.
Pressure is born from fear. Learn where your fear comes from. Are you scared about disappointing the people around you? Are you worried that if you do not get the scholarship you will never go to the school of your dreams? Are you concerned that if you are not the best, then your identity is wrecked? When you know where the fear stems from, you can start to challenge those thoughts and create new ones that are more conducive to your goal of being confident.
#4 Manage your expectations.
We all know this, but sometimes we need to ask ourselves if we really know this: We are not perfect and we should not expect perfection. Elite athletes often adopt a mentality that always pushes them to become better and better and better, striving to become as close to perfect as possible. Remind yourself that errorless games or meets are not realistic and reset your goals. Create challenging, yet attainable, goals that leave you feeling encouraged and confident, rather than disappointed and defeated.
#5 Use your own experience as evidence.
After you have played your sport for several years, you can recall many instances that you competed extremely well. When you start to doubt your ability, whether you are in a slump or have a coach that is constantly pointing out your errors, use your own accomplishments as proof you have capability. You have been training for years and you have taught your body to perform or play well. You can trust that.
#6 Use the anxiety to your advantage.
Anxiety is part of life. In some respects, it will always be there. You can learn to lower the anxiety levels and then use what is left to your advantage. Anxiety can serve as a reminder that something is important to you. It can get you in touch with the overwhelming joy of a big win. It can provide energy that you can put back into the sport. Anxiety can also help push you to keep striving towards your goals. Having a healthy balance of emotions is achievable and helpful.
Next Steps
Performance pressure and anxiety is extremely common amongst athletes of all ages. Managing it is not only possible, but essential. Protecting the mental health of an athlete is important for their individual wellbeing and for their performance. There are plenty of tools and strategies we can equip you with to combat the common pressures of playing a sport. You can reach us directly to get started with our therapist that specializes in working with athletes. Additionally, if you want to learn more about what type of therapy might be the best fit for you or if you have additional questions you can inquire more here.
Written by Kayla Bryant