Pressure
Pressure is common to all areas of life. Athletes, dancers, performers, musicians, managers, students, employees and parents of all levels of experience can feel pressure to perform or meet expectations.
Pressure may appear when beginning a new activity. It is common for people to feel pressure from wanting to do well.
Often people feel pressure from comparing themselves to other people in a similar role, for instance swimmers in the same event, parents of children the same age, executives in a similar position.
Some people feel pressure to uphold a certain level of performance. Having performed at a high level in he past, especially if this was a public performance, it is likely that pressure will be felt if endeavoring to repeat the performance.
Pressure comes can come from oneself or from others.
Wanting to do well, is not the issue; comparing performance or individuals is.
Every situation and performer is unique.
Focusing on the present and oneself allows for optimal performance.
If pressure is an issue for you, you may like to book an appointment to discuss further.
Rest Time
Sometimes it can feel like more is better. More sport, exercise, nutrition, sleep, strength, training, more repetitions. But the opposite can sometimes be true. At this time of year when life can be busy for athletes, students, parents and managers, take time to check-in that you are still having regular rest days, time out from a busy schedule and doing things you really enjoy with people you enjoy being around.
Athlete Identity. Are you an athlete? Or a person who is an athlete?
Athlete Identity
Are you an athlete?
Or a person who is an athlete?
Athletes often begin training at a young age. They can identify strongly with being an athlete and become personally and emotional involved in training and competition. Identifying strongly with something is great, it means you are passionate, committed and have great potential to succeed in the field.
Your sport is what you do and what you love, but you are much more. You might be a loyal friend, caring daughter or son, committed activist, passionate thinker, strong leader, and many other things.
Sport performance fluctuates, and many times due to things out of your control. Athletes with a narrow identity may struggle when faced with the challenges of competition. If your worth is being impacted by nerves, performance results, body image or injury, it’s valuable to explore why. When you appreciate seeing yourself as you really are, you allow your performance and enjoyment to grow enormously.
Book an appointment to find out more about how you can perform better executing the sport, rather than being the athlete.
Why Nerves?
Why Nerves?
Do you struggle with nerves? Even professional athletes and performers do. During period of stress, the brain releases adrenaline and other chemicals that prepare the body to act. This acts to increase energy, alertness and excitement which can be very useful in short doses prior to sport or performance of any kind. Sometimes people experience racing thoughts, pounding heart, breathlessness, jitters and other uncomfortable symptoms of anxiety. These physical changes and cognitive distractions can affect your sport performance.
Personality traits, past experiences, varying comfort levels and genetics play a role in the development of anxiety and pre performance nerves. But these are treatable conditions, so if any symptoms are too uncomfortable, or hinder performance, it is possible to do something about it.
Some athletes start by identifying and exploring the little “worried inner voice” or self-talk. You might consider what triggers it and what quietens it. If physical symptoms of nerves are strong, try breathing slowly from the abdomen, or doing some guided relaxation. If cognitive symptoms are present, try challenging unhelpful thoughts with more helpful ones, or being organised with planning, routines and lists.
Often strategies work best if they are tailored to individual needs. Also, all strategies need practice, and most people struggle to manage anxiety because they want a quick fix. Finding the source of the unhelpful voice, the pressure or the feelings is often important to enable long term change. Making an appointment with a qualified sport psychologist to identify triggers, specific symptoms and get individually tailored management strategies will likely make this process easier and quicker than doing it alone.
Exercise for Health
We all know that regular exercise or sport involvement is important for good physical and mental health. Exercise has been seen to improve mobility, decrease disease risk and improve cognitive, social and mental health.
Some people need to exercise for imminent health reasons but find it difficult to get started or keep going. Meeting with a Sport Psychologist at FOCUS Performance Psychology can assist you to explore the obstacles to regular exercise.
Regular exercise can promote good physical health by assisting with disease prevention, symptom reduction, pain management and recovery.
The World Health Organisation reports that many people do not get the recommended amount of physical activity per week to help maintain good physical health. People often report being too busy or unmotivated to adhere to recommendations. https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/physical-activity
Physicians may recommend regular exercise to assist with recovery from illness, injury and surgery however many people struggle to adhere to these recommendations over time.
There are many emotional, social and cognitive health benefits of exercise, including:
Time management,
Stress management,
Problem solving,
Reducing symptoms of anxiety and depression
Improving sleep
Enhancing general well-being
Providing opportunities for social engagement
Most of our clients know that exercise and nutrition are important to their physical and mental health, however some find it extremely hard to change exercise or dietary habits.
There can be historical complex emotional and psychological reasons why health behaviour change can be so difficult.
If you struggle to maintain health behavior change, find time to engage in health related behaviours, become unusually tired, lack motivation, are anxious about change or may have another psychological or emotional barrier, previous experiences, motivational factors, self-efficacy for change or and confidence may be playing a part.
Emotional stress from injury can lead to fatigue and depression
Some form of injury is common for athletes. Athletes need their body to perform, so if it’s not working at optimal level it can be anything from annoying to devastating. Even one week off can feel like forever. Many people experience sadness and disappointment with injury. It is important to acknowledge and express these feelings, but also keep focussed on the rehabilitation process and keep your goals realistic.
Look for ways to make the most of this time:
- Keep involved in regular training, doing modified exercises or watching
- Continue to train mentally using imagery, so that you only have the physical ground to regain, not the mental
If your sadness or disappointment is overwhelming or ongoing, you may be suffering from symptoms of depression. Depression involves chemical changes in the brain which can have genetic causes, or be triggered by a significant event such as injury, or by ongoing stress. You may notice changes in mood, social interaction, motivation, sleeping, appetite, and thoughts. People report feeling “lost”, “in a dark hole” and like “no one could understand”. You don’t have to live with depression, so if you or someone you know is experiencing these feelings, it is important to seek help. Ask your GP for a Better Mental Health Plan and book an appointment with FOCUS Performance Psychology who understand the demands placed on athletes.
Nerves
Even professional athletes can struggle with nerves. During stress, the brain releases adrenaline and other chemicals that prepare the body to act. As a result, you can encounter increased energy, alertness and excitement which is useful in short doses prior to performance. Sometimes people experience racing thoughts, pounding heart, breathlessness, jitters and other uncomfortable symptoms of anxiety. These physical changes and cognitive distractions can affect your performance.
Many variables can contribute to an experience of anxiety, including:
- personality traits
- past experiences
- comfort level
- genetics
If any symptoms are too uncomfortable, or hinder performance you CAN make plans to work on it, just as you would your technical skills.
Some people find breathing slowly from the abdomen, or doing some guided relaxation useful. Other people find benefit in identifying and exploring the little “worried voice” in their head. Challenging unhelpful thoughts with more helpful ones, or being organised with planning, routines and lists can assist. All these strategies need practice, and most people struggle to manage anxiety because they want a quick fix.
Because triggers and solutions can be highly individual, many people benefit from professional assistance and individually tailored management strategies. Book an appointment with FOCUS Performance Psychology to assist you to manage your anxiety.
Feeling overwhelmed?
Being in the “spotlight” on TV, at work, at school and in relationships can be extremely rewarding. At times though it can feel overwhelming. If you are feeling confused or overwhelmed, talk to someone. You always have options and choices.
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