Managing Performance Anxiety
Would you believe me if I said you have one of the most powerful tools on the planet with you all the time?
In a world where our noses are in our phones and our minds are in the clouds, the power of the present moment is lost in the hustle bustle of daily life.
As a former athlete and a striving high performer, it is inevitable that anxiety will make an appearance throughout the typical day.
If you are a current athlete this may come up on the way to practice with a new team, when it’s getting close to game time, or when it’s time for you to step up and perform.
When the emotions of anxiety and excitement take place, we can experience visceral feelings in our body (overwhelming butterflies, sweaty palms, and dry mouth to name a few).
Regulating your breath, recognizing your emotions, and getting yourself into a relaxed state is a SKILL.
So what is the most powerful tool on the planet?
It’s your breath.
And although your breath will NOT fix everything, it’s a really good place to start.
Thankfully, we don’t have to rely on brain power to constantly transform oxygen to carbon dioxide. We are lucky that it is an automatic bodily function.
However, there is great advantage to those who take the time to intentionally and consciously focus on their breath.
Breathwork and meditation are absolute performance enhancers.
If you have desires of being a top tier athlete and performer, these mental performance tools need to be added to your daily routine!
Within our nervous system, there are two subsystems where we operate. We are either operating in our sympathetic nervous system or parasympathetic system.
Our sympathetic system is best known for “fight, flight, or freeze” responses. This system is activated when we feel in danger or threatened, even if it’s just a perceived threat.
When we let our mind wander to the worries of the past or anxieties of the future, our blood pressure rises, heart rate speeds up, and our respiratory rate elevates. This kind of feeling can make performing your best difficult and create feelings of uncertainty.
Our parasympathetic system, the “rest and digest” system, is helpful to slow down bodily responses like decreasing heart rate and relaxing muscles. We want to have a healthy balance between the sympathetic and parasympathetic systems to allow our body to rest, relax, and repair itself.
So… how can we achieve this balance?
Well back to the most powerful tool - YOUR BREATH!!
When we take the time to complete deep, conscious breaths, we redirect the blood to our brain to bring us back to the present moment and give us the power to tackle the task at hand with clarity.
To help train the skill of getting into a calmer state, I am sharing with you a visualization that will guide your breath and mind to achieve relaxation.
Pack your bags, we are going to the beach!
This visualization is designed to manage emotions, anxieties and pressures that surround performance.
Take a moment for yourself to journey on a trip and visit the powerful ocean waves.
It is encouraged to set up 10-15 minutes of time in a quiet, comfortable spot. Bring a blanket, pillow, and something to cover your eyes. Consider using headphones for the best experience.
Inhale. Exhale. Let go and relax..
Click the link below and go to the beach visualization I made just for you!
