Every athlete experience performance anxiety at some point, either at the start of an athletic season or at a crucial moment in a game. Whether you’re accepting the award at homecoming or trying to nail that shot, performance anxiety can pop up at the most inopportune times. The problem is that it can affect your athletic performance, leading to poor performance or even injury.
In other words, performance anxiety can put you on the sidelines of games, tournaments, and performances. If you are not careful about your fitness and exert a lot of pressure on yourself to perform, you can severely injure yourself, and might have to look online for – ‘orthopedic urgent care near me‘ or similar search terms to access quality medical services. However, this can put a stop to your athletic career. So, understand that the worry and nervousness over being judged only results in poor performance. Having this anxiety will not help you play at your best. In fact, it can ruin your performance and adversely affect your performance in every single game, tournament, and competition.
Here Are the Tips to Overcome the Anxiety You Are in Athlete
Don’t try to be perfect.
Stress and anxiety are normal parts of life, but when it begins to interfere with your daily life, and you feel unsure of your coping abilities, it’s more than normal. You deserve help, and it’s time to take control of your life.
Allow yourself to fail.
With fierce competition and the pressure to perform, athletes often enter their competitions with anxiety. Whether it’s a fear of making a mistake or worrying that they’re about to blow it, tension can get in the way of peak performance.
Learn from your mistakes.
Athletes deal with many of the same challenges as everyone else, but their competitive nature can make them more sensitive to stress. Anytime an athlete has a problem, they tend to put too much weight on one small thing and ignore the larger picture of life. The checklist mentality tends to deflate an athlete’s confidence.
Don’t be afraid to ask for help.
One of the biggest problems athletes struggle with is the sense of loneliness. When you’re at the top of your game and have this aura of Adonic celebrity around you, it can get often result in anxiety. In such cases, don’t let the feeling of loneliness get to you. Ask for help from friends or family, even professionals if you’d like to treat your anxiety properly. You could get in touch with a clinic that offers Harley Street hypnotherapy in London, or set up an appointment with a psychiatrist if you want. The stigma around mental health is not as bad as it used to be, so seeking out professional help is not a taboo anymore.
Stop comparing yourself to others.
If you are an athlete, you are likely competing with yourself and against yourself. You are constantly comparing your physical abilities to those of other athletes. You are constantly comparing yourself to your athletic goals. Try not to compare your athletic performance to others.
Set small goals and accomplish them.
Everyone knows what it feels like to be anxious: that sharp stabbing pain in your chest, the butterflies in your stomach, and a pounding head. But not everyone knows how to overcome anxiety. Anxiety can be bad, but it doesn’t have to be crippling. Learn ways to battle your stress, like setting small goals and accomplishing them.
Reward yourself.
An athlete with anxiety is one that fears failure almost as much as they fear injury. If anxiety is weighing you down, don’t let it overcome you. The reward system in your brain is what causes you to be motivated and to perform at your highest level. Moreover, fear of failure can lead to a sportsperson neglecting their physical and mental fitness, which can cause accidents and sports injuries due to ignorance. So, it is important that athletes take care of their health and wellness to avoid getting hurt due to extreme pressure. However, if by chance they end up getting injured, it could be beneficial to consult a doctor like Dr Timothy Steel or a similar one to get treatment and guidance in case of spinal or head injury.
Anxiety is a normal part of life. We all experience it in different situations and for different reasons. Everyone can feel anxious from time to time, and everyone has varying levels of anxiety. But for some, it can be debilitating. It can hinder them from functioning normally. It can also interfere with relationships, careers, and daily activities and finally, becomes life-threatening. That is why such people should seek help from healthcare professionals who can suggest therapies (like Rapid Transformational Therapy available at Belfast Hypnotherapy Clinicc) or prescribe medicines.
Unfortunately not many, especially athletes, do not seek help, primarily because there is a stigma associated with performance anxiety-that it is something only athletes suffer from. And while performance anxiety can affect anyone, athletes seem to be the most recognized for it. Performance anxiety is a disorder that can cause an athlete to feel afraid to put their bodies at risk or to perform to the best of their abilities.
Anxiety can sap an athlete’s strength and energy. Fortunately, science says it’s not all bad news. Performance anxiety can motivate an athlete to achieve their best performance, making it less scary and pushing them to do better.
