Performance Anxiety

Advice From Psychologists

Strategies Given by the Psychologists of Olympic Medalists

The psychologists began by emphasizing that performance anxiety is a multifaceted issue influenced by factors such as an athlete’s age, experience level, and the nature of the sport. They noted that one’s anxiety is rooted in several factors: the level of preparation that the athlete has endured, the significance of the competition, and the level of opposition. Anxiety before competition is often rooted in the fear of failing to meet expectations, whether those are personal, from coaches, or from parents. Some of the most common thoughts and worries that athletes face are: “I can’t do it,” “The others are better than me,” “I’m not prepared enough,” “I am not fit enough to last the entire time,” “My gameplan won’t work,” or “I will disappoint myself, my coaches, and my family.”

The initial step in addressing this anxiety is identifying the specific thoughts that trigger it. To do this, athletes must not be afraid of having these doubtful thoughts; instead of resisting them, each athlete should be aware of the thoughts that are bothersome and ask themselves where those doubts are coming from. Once all of the negative thoughts are recognized, athletes are encouraged to evaluate them critically by asking themselves whether these fears are based on facts or assumptions. To do this, athletes must do some internal reflection and ask themselves to prove that their doubts aren’t grounded in any proof by coming up with evidence to disprove their worries. For instance, if a boxer is worried about their fitness or their ability to last for the entire fight, they should come up with as many positive examples as possible that can convince the mind that the boxer is indeed fit. Something along the lines of “I have been training for years, even if I run out of steam, I know how to fight around that,” or “I have so many talents and strengths in the world of boxing, I can use those to compensate for my lack of fitness,” or even “I was able to make it through all of the training rounds this week, so I am fit, but my mind is playing tricks on me.” This is the strategy of affirmative self-talk, a basic tool that does wonders for the mind if practiced regularly.

Another practical strategy that was suggested involves cognitive restructuring, where athletes are guided to reframe their negative thoughts into more realistic and positive ones. For example, instead of thinking, “I won’t be able to perform well,” the athlete is encouraged to think, “I’ve trained well, and I’m capable of giving my best performance.” Reframing the thoughts of “I can’t do something” to “I can and will do something” are crucial to establishing calmness in the mind. The psychologists also mentioned group interventions, where anxiety is addressed within team environments, allowing athletes to share their experiences and receive support from their peers. This collective approach helps normalize anxiety and reduces its impact. After all, being nervous before events is actually beneficial, and if they used correctly, they can actually help an athlete perform better. By calming the mind before a competition, athletes are primed to use their nerves to perform at their absolute best.

Finally, a great exercise for easing the mind and body that was recommended by the psychologists was the Progressive Muscle Relaxation exercise, where athletes go in order, tightening every muscle in their body for 5 seconds before relaxing them and letting them sit still. Doing this exercise while taking deep breaths leads to a state of calm.

Advice From Current Athletes

Examples of Strategies Used by Select Athletes

Eric Diop (Tennis) – Eric finds balance in pre-match routines with thorough warm-ups and enjoying team dynamics to ease pressure, underlining the importance of entering matches with the right mental state. This all starts by centering yourself in a strong warmup, where you simulate realistic shots to trick your brain into thinking that you are actually playing in the match. In this way, when the match begins, he has a slight edge over his opponent, which builds up his confidence over the course of the match.

Gunnar Guilbert (Ski Racing) – Gunnar sticks to a consistent morning routine, transitioning from calmness to aggression shortly before races. In the leadup to a race, Gunnar works extremely hard in training to nail down his ability to execute his gameplan in the race course, a gameplan that consists of short and attainable goals for him to focus on. Before his race, he will remind himself of these goals and he reminds himself that his objective is simply to accomplish these simple goals, rather than overthinking. Focusing on simple goals allows Gunnar to focus on his technique and execution as a pose to letting his thoughts consume him. Minutes before his race, he begins to really hype himself up by repeating short motivational phrases to himself over and over again. The more he repeats it, the more his mind believes him.

Kofi Fordjour (Track and Field) – Kofi maintains consistency in preparation, focusing on physical and mental routines, including breathing exercises and activation stretching before his races. “Before you can train your body you must train your mind,” he says. In the week leading up to a race, Kofi makes sure that his routine is the exact same every day, mimicking the routine that he would follow on race day. Establishing this level of consistency prevents his mind from consuming him in doubt on race day. For Kofi, this means doing breathing exercises every day before practice, getting into the zone before going onto his stretching, and eventually his running. This routine is the exact same when it is race day for him.

Cabot McLaren (Soccer) – Cabot highlighted the fact that he is very superstitious, and he always makes sure to return back to the same routine before every single game. For him, this also included simple things like the order in which he puts on his socks, as well as more interactive activities like watching highlights of his favorite player before a game to boost his confidence and kickstart his creativity, a skill that he needs in a soccer game. Cabot talks about always trying to enjoy every moment of a game, and a simple way that he engages in positivity and rejects his mind’s negativity is by laughing and smiling while playing. He talks about how it is very hard to be negative with yourself if you have a smile on your face.

Educational Insights:

Developing a personalized pre-match routine that includes elements of physical warm-up, mental visualization, and relaxation techniques can be a game-changer for aspiring athletes. This routine should aim to put the athlete in a state of focused calmness, ready to harness their training and skills in the heat of competition. In a sprint sport, such as Ski Racing and Track and Field, the psychological calmness needs to be followed up by more aggressive mental exercises right before the event, to ensure that you are ready to extract the most from your mind in a short span of time. Some examples of this kind of exercise are: pounding your chest, jumping up and down, and repeating a short phrase to yourself along the lines of “I’ve got this,” or “This is my thing.”

Additionally, all of the athletes emphasized the importance of trusting their training methods. After training extremely hard over an extended period of time, an athlete is much more likely to feel confident in their ability to perform on any given day. An athlete who has poor training habits is much more likely to feel doubtful because they have not done enough event-like simulations in practice to be able to have full faith in their ability to execute. This is why it is crucial to train consistently and train effectively. Practice needs to look as close as it can to what the real event looks like in order for your mind to be at ease under pressure.

Finally, it is really important for the athletes to establish a simple and attainable goal to aim for as they play. Breaking down all of the complex aspects of a sport into smaller pieces can be really great ways to trick your mind into calming itself down. For specific examples of how to create these goals, read the interview with All-American Track and Field Star, Erin Dromgoole, who uses her coaching experience to reveal how her athletes set goals for their competitions.

Advice From the Coaches

Insights From Former Athletes Who Are Current Coaches

Coach Matt Golden (Football) – On game day, Coach Golden would do a workout to release nervous energy and calm himself down. Several hours before the game, he would do 15 minutes of reflection, visualization, and meditation on the field, making himself feel at home with his surroundings, and making sure to ground himself in the present moment. He believes in using emotion as a tool, channeling it positively, and setting the tone for his team through mindfulness, prayer, and meditation before games. As a player, he always reminded himself of the fact that he was lucky to be playing Football, and as a coach, he tells his players to treat each opportunity to play as a privilege that they should cherish, rather than fear.

Coach Sarah Demers (Swimming and Lacrosse) – Coach Demers played both team and individual sports in college, noting the contrast in her preparation for a swim race and her preparation for a lacrosse game. She mentioned the communal atmosphere of lacrosse where music filled the air, and the team was always connected, even during warmups. In lacrosse, her nervous energy was calmed through engaging with her teammates and recognizing her role in the team as well as her teammates’ roles in supporting her. In contrast, swimming offered a more individual experience, providing time for self-reflection as she jumped into the warm-up pool to loosen her body and decompress. She would always take solace in the water being a grounding space, transporting her away from the stresses of everyday life. Regardless of the outcome, swimming always provided an escape for her from everything and everyone around her. Coach Demers’ mental preparation involved repetitions of positive self-talk and visualization, followed by a moment of shutting off her mind just before the race to let her body perform naturally.