How to Manage Performance Anxiety
Thump...Thump, Thump! My racing heartbeat dominates my body, and my clammy hands tightly grasp each other. I try to suppress the overwhelming churn deep in my stomach. Nerves build as time creeps closer, closer, closer–to the performance.
Sound familiar? All athletes seem to share this similar situation while they wait their turn in the locker room–no matter if they are professionals or beginners.
Stage fright is your body’s natural response to a stressor due to the automatic “fight or flight” mechanism. This innate survival default that your body uses to prepare you to either run away or defend yourself, makes you alert. This causes your body to tense up, sweat more, breathe harder, and be ready to take action.
Overcoming stage fright takes time because of the body's dependable ingrained instinct, and it might not be quelled completely. Remember that you are not the only one. 73% of the population experiences performance anxiety. Competition is stressful, and recognizing the reality will help you to get through it. Finding a few strategies like positive self-talk, visualization, and refocusing your energy to consistently practice will help to manage this universal issue better.
Positive Self-Talk
Self-talk would be the words you speak to yourself that nobody can usually hear. It's that inner voice that whispers inside your head. By building a list of positive phrases, you can choose to recall them just as you need them.
Reframe a difficult situation with a positive angle which motivates and assists you to manage the stress. Pick a few meaningful mottos that might help you. Base them on what is true, and make sure to be specific. Some examples might be:
“I have trained hard for this day and I am prepared to perform.”
“No matter what happens, I’m still going to have fun.”
“I am capable of landing this jump.”
Whenever you feel overwhelmed, remember these phrases and say them to yourself, even out loud. This will grow your confidence and belief in yourself.
Visualization
The pressure experienced during competition is immense. Skating for an audience might feel like miles outside of your comfort zone as the eyes of spectators seem to notice every imperfection. Before a performance, you might feel out of control with so many different emotions and different thoughts filling your mind. Feeling unfocused and unprepared may be extremely stressful.
Visualization is a strategy that can be used to ground yourself. Whenever you have a few extra minutes, settle down in a comfortable position and close your eyes. Allocate a few moments to remove yourself from the chaos of the locker room by listening to your body as you take a few deep breaths. Then, visualize a perfect skate.
Start imagining from the moment you step on the ice and end when you step off. Make sure to take into account all of the senses. Some questions you might ask yourself include:
What am I feeling physically?
For example, you might be aware of the cold tingle of goosebumps, or a fresh rush of adrenaline.
What emotions am I feeling?
For instance, specifically, you might feel excitement, or jittery nerves.
What do I hear?
Some athletes report mostly the loud sound of clapping, cheering, and commotion from the audience.
What do I see?
You might note the bright lights shining onto the scratched-up ice surface.
Try to make your visualization as realistic as possible. By having a routine mental rehearsal of your program, you will align your mind and body and feel prepared for your actual performance.
Reframing Your Feelings
Our feelings are often labeled as “good” or “bad." Some say that nervous jitters are “bad,” and excitement or feeling relaxed is “good.” However, it is possible to use the energy of “bad” feelings to your benefit by reframing them into a positive push towards being ready to go. On the other hand, recognize that a good feeling of being too relaxed can actually be detrimental. You can correctly set yourself up mentally by refocusing your specific feelings into ways to assist in the competition.
Pinpoint the most common feelings that you experience right before you perform. Some examples might be nervousness, stress, excitement, or confidence. For each one, determine if it is a good one to keep, or redirect into a better definition.
One time, I observed that my nervousness caused my stomach to feel uncomfortable. However, I reminded myself that it was my body preparing me for a peak performance and a sign of how much I cared about the competition. Therefore, I was able to channel the uneasy energy in my stomach to skate to the best of my ability.
Takeaway
Skating is a physically challenging sport, yet it depends a great deal on a skater's mental preparation. Remember you are not alone when you feel nervous or overwhelmed right before a competition. Finding a couple of strategies like positive self-talk, visualization, and reframing your emotions will help combat performance anxiety.