Most athletes are impacted by feelings of anxiety at some point in their athletic pursuit. If an athlete does not learn to manage anxiety, it may interfere with athletic performance because it causes a tense body. When an athlete’s body is tense, their coordination and ease of movement decreases. These are necessary for fluid movement and skill execution.
In addition, anxiety may cause negative thought patterns which in turn cause more unease. This can become a vicious cycle. As olympian Simone Biles knows firsthand, the importance of mental health in athletics is critically important.
If you are an athlete or coach, and anxiety is negatively impacting you or your team, below are 3 ways to manage anxiety when it rears its ugly head.
Change the label of anxiety and decide the level you want.
Anxiety and excitement feel similar. The main difference is how you judge the feeling. When you perceive the feeling as something negative, you may call it anxiety. When you perceive the feeling as something positive, you may call it excitement.
Many times when the feeling is too intense, it is thought of as anxiety. In this case, it’s a matter of ‘turning down the volume’, or lessening the intensity of the feeling. The first step in doing this is to change the label of the feeling from ‘anxiety’ to ‘excitement’, and determine the right level for optimal performance.
In other words, you need a certain level of excitement (also called adrenaline), to be able to perform well. When the level gets too high, it turns into anxiety and makes you too tense. When it’s at the right level, you may feel motivated and energized to perform well.
So, on a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being the most intense in feeling, what is the right level of excitement for you to perform optimally in your sport?
Reduce the level of the feeling.
Let’s say the right level of excitement for you is a 6 on a scale of 1 to 10. When this gets too high, like a 7 or 8, you can turn it down to a 6 by using your breath. Your breath, particularly the exhales, are a direct link to your nervous system. When you take a few, purposeful breaths, and consciously let go of tension on each exhale, your level of excitement will come down a few notches.
Here’s how:
– Close your eyes
– Begin to take a slow, deep inhale
– Count the inhale to yourself
– Exhale slowly to a count that’s twice the inhale (e.g. if you inhaled to a count of 3, exhale to a count of 6)
– Along with the exhale, let go of any tension in your body
– Repeat the above until your excitement is at the right level for you
Try hypnosis for anxiety.
Once you have lowered the feeling intensity to the right level, you may use hypnosis to integrate the feeling with the outcome of performing with ease. You may use
self-hypnosis.
to do this, or you may seek a professional sports hypnotist. Sports hypnosis is a specialized are of hypnotherapy.
What better time to make a change than NOW?
Lynne,
Your Mindset Mental Coach
