PERFORMANCE ANXIETY
What is performance (or competition) anxiety?
There are many definitions, but basically it is-
"Feeling nervous, having a negative feeling, or feeling of fear that is noticed just before you perform in front of an audience, audition panel, or camera.
When does it start?
Physical symptoms of arousal
- typically notices before the performance
Mental (emotional) symptoms of arousal
- can begin long before the actual performance, typically during rehearsal
What causes it?
The most common cause is-
"How we think about ourselves and our abilities."
What happens to me when I have performance or competition anxiety?
In training:
Reduced ability to learn new skills
Reduced ability to take training to the next level
Before a performance:
Worry and self doubt
Disturbed sleep and restlessness
Overwhelming negative thoughts
Sweating palms and butterflies in the stomach
Shaking and muscle tension
Feeling overwhelmed and unable to cope
Frequent urination
Pacing and other nervous habits
During a performance:
Disorientation and inability to focus on the task at hand
Irrational feeling or loss of control - mind goes blank
A feeling of paralysis - feel frozen and unable to move
Sweating palms and muscle tension
Feeling nausea and dryness of the mouth
Urgent need to go to the toilet
After a performance:
Negative view of performance
Talking down your abilities
Reduced motivation to keep competing
How do I still achieve my best?
Reduce performance anxiety during training
- Have a training session close to the competition that mimics competition conditions
Doing so helps to prepare your mind for the competition mindset by removing uncertainty (fear)
Make sure to remember that it is practice, so getting things wrong is not the end of the world. Just keep going and then examine the positives and negatives in the entire performance
- Note for coaches
Your input can have a very significant helpful or hindering impact here. The way you reinforce the competitors behaviours and effort is the key. Think back to the causes of performance anxiety and evaluate your input for negative impact. Remember, "strong foundations lead to tall buildings".
Reduce performance anxiety before the event
Having nerves is normal.
- Don't fight battles that you can't win. Nerves are helpful, the adrenalin they produce is part of the body's preparation for battle, it can give you the energy boost necessary for success.
- Accept, rather than fight, the nervous energy you feel. Don't focus on it, just accept it.
- Once competition starts, focus on the task at hand and the nervous feeling will fade - it always does.
Reduce performance anxiety during the event
Focus on the task at hand rather than the outcome.
- Stay present in the moment and avoid thinking too far into the event or thinking about the final outcome.
- If you find yourself thinking negative thoughts or negative self-talk…
STOP. Return focus to your breathing only, work on bringing it back to a slow rhythmic pattern. This will bring you back to the present.
Compete like you don't care about the outcome.
- If your negative thoughts are strong and you find it hard to break away before your turn in the competition, it will be very difficult to perform at your peak.
- This is best avoided by adopting an attitude where you don't care or even consider the outcome - where your only concern is putting into reality the perfect performance. Ever heard the saying "dance like no one's watching"?
- Remember, the competition is just one of many in your life, winning or losing is not the deciding event in life.
Final tips
Make sure you enjoy what you are doing, and if you can't, get some help to re-focus.
There are many definitions, but basically it is-
"Feeling nervous, having a negative feeling, or feeling of fear that is noticed just before you perform in front of an audience, audition panel, or camera.
When does it start?
Physical symptoms of arousal
- typically notices before the performance
Mental (emotional) symptoms of arousal
- can begin long before the actual performance, typically during rehearsal
What causes it?
The most common cause is-
"How we think about ourselves and our abilities."
What happens to me when I have performance or competition anxiety?
In training:
Reduced ability to learn new skills
Reduced ability to take training to the next level
Before a performance:
Worry and self doubt
Disturbed sleep and restlessness
Overwhelming negative thoughts
Sweating palms and butterflies in the stomach
Shaking and muscle tension
Feeling overwhelmed and unable to cope
Frequent urination
Pacing and other nervous habits
During a performance:
Disorientation and inability to focus on the task at hand
Irrational feeling or loss of control - mind goes blank
A feeling of paralysis - feel frozen and unable to move
Sweating palms and muscle tension
Feeling nausea and dryness of the mouth
Urgent need to go to the toilet
After a performance:
Negative view of performance
Talking down your abilities
Reduced motivation to keep competing
How do I still achieve my best?
Reduce performance anxiety during training
- Have a training session close to the competition that mimics competition conditions
Doing so helps to prepare your mind for the competition mindset by removing uncertainty (fear)
Make sure to remember that it is practice, so getting things wrong is not the end of the world. Just keep going and then examine the positives and negatives in the entire performance
- Note for coaches
Your input can have a very significant helpful or hindering impact here. The way you reinforce the competitors behaviours and effort is the key. Think back to the causes of performance anxiety and evaluate your input for negative impact. Remember, "strong foundations lead to tall buildings".
Reduce performance anxiety before the event
Having nerves is normal.
- Don't fight battles that you can't win. Nerves are helpful, the adrenalin they produce is part of the body's preparation for battle, it can give you the energy boost necessary for success.
- Accept, rather than fight, the nervous energy you feel. Don't focus on it, just accept it.
- Once competition starts, focus on the task at hand and the nervous feeling will fade - it always does.
Reduce performance anxiety during the event
Focus on the task at hand rather than the outcome.
- Stay present in the moment and avoid thinking too far into the event or thinking about the final outcome.
- If you find yourself thinking negative thoughts or negative self-talk…
STOP. Return focus to your breathing only, work on bringing it back to a slow rhythmic pattern. This will bring you back to the present.
Compete like you don't care about the outcome.
- If your negative thoughts are strong and you find it hard to break away before your turn in the competition, it will be very difficult to perform at your peak.
- This is best avoided by adopting an attitude where you don't care or even consider the outcome - where your only concern is putting into reality the perfect performance. Ever heard the saying "dance like no one's watching"?
- Remember, the competition is just one of many in your life, winning or losing is not the deciding event in life.
Final tips
Make sure you enjoy what you are doing, and if you can't, get some help to re-focus.