Competition anxiety can either lift an athlete's performance or sabotage it. The difference lies in how that energy is managed.
Anxiety = Energy
Physiologically, pre-competition symptoms (racing heart, sweating, butterflies) are essentially the same brain response whether we perceive a threat or excitement. Reframing "I'm scared" as "I'm ready" improves performance.
Breathing Techniques
4-7-8 breathing: breathe in for 4 seconds, hold for 7 seconds, breathe out over 8 seconds. This technique calms the sympathetic nervous system and improves focus.
Build a Routine
Set a fixed warm-up routine before every competition. This routine sends your mind the signal to "switch into preparation mode."
Visualizing Success
10–15 minutes before the race, close your eyes and play your best performance in your mind. See, feel and hear every detail. This practice fires the nerve cells almost as if you were really doing it.
Choose a Focus Point
Outcome-focused thinking increases anxiety; process-focused thinking improves performance. Instead of "Will I win?", think "I'll get my first move right."
Competition Day Protocol
- Wake up early and follow your routine
- Keep your stomach light
- Tune out your surroundings with music or a podcast
- In the last 10 minutes: keep it simple and breathe
Anxiety isn't there to stop you; it's there to alert you.