How to Deal with Increased Anxiety at Championships! - April 2023
With States, Regionals, and Nationals around the corner, it is normal for your anxiety to heighten. It is normal to feel more anxious at these meets compared to regular season meets. Why does this happen? It comes down to caring more; you care more about the outcome. When you care more, the stakes are higher, and the reward is greater, but so isn’t the possibility of disappointment. In sum, the meet is more likely to hurt you - not physically hurt you, but emotionally hurt you. Maybe you do not qualify for Regionals or Nationals. So why does this cause us to be more anxious? Remember our brain is designed to point out threats and the more you care about something the bigger the threat is. This creates an increase in worry.
So how can gymnasts cope with this increased anxiety? First, it is important to recognize that this is good anxiety. It means we are pushing ourselves and our gymnastics. We need to acknowledge that anxiety is a positive push and one to be accepted versus fixed. Anxiety is not a problem unless we focus on it and it gets us distracted. This is why it is imperative that we train our brain to focus on the present moment; the W.I.N. – What’s Important Now. Also, take time to listen to what your anxiety is telling you. If your anxiety is telling you that you might fall on your aerial and that will keep you out of Nationals, then ask yourself if you need to pay extra attention to that skill. Maybe you need more drills or need to visualize the skill – and remember to use your mental cues. This would also be a great time to start to incorporate meditation practice, as it helps us laser focus our attention on the present moment.
In closing, embrace the increased anxiety heading into post-season and remind yourself that the anxiety is there for a reason; it is because your care more about the outcome. When this happens, embrace the anxiety, and focus your brain on the process and what you need to do both skill-wise and mindset-wise to have a great meet!
If you or your gymnast would like more support, check out my coaching services on my website.