Easing Performance Anxiety
HOW GETTING ACTIVE CAN HELP EASE ANXIETY
…AND WHAT TO DO IF YOU SUFFER FROM SPORT RELATED PERFORMANCE ANXIETY
Given everything that’s going on in the world, it’s no wonder there has been a reported increase in teens experiencing depression and anxiety. But it doesn’t have to take a pandemic to cause high stress levels in our brain: school, exams, family, and even friendship drama, can cause the brain to respond with anxiety that prohibits us from feeling and doing our best.
Photo credit ToT via Unsplash
When we experience stress of any kind, our brain lacks the ability to function with reason, because it switches to operate in what psychologists refer to as “survival mode”: hyper focused on threat, resulting in feelings of panic and anxiety. Survival mode is an understandable response to pressure and stress, but the longer our brains remain in that mode, the harder it can be to shift out of it. So, what can we do to make a shift, and how can sport play a part?
In this great YouTube clip, see how Dr Jacob Ham (a clinical psychologist, psychotherapist and Director of the Centre for Child Trauma and Resilience in New York) clearly describes the differences between a “Learning Brain” and “Survival Brain”
Sport has been described as a “wonder drug” for depression and anxiety…so how does it work?
Getting active is a great way to fight depression. Movement maximises brain activity and development, reduces inflammation, and helps to produce calm feelings. It also releases endorphins, the "feel good" hormone. Sport can be a useful distraction from daily stresses and a great opportunity to make new friends or discover a new passion!
The lockdown positives!
One of the positive things to have happened as a result of lockdown is how many sports are now offering online training and taster sessions. Granted it’s not quite the same as attending a class in person, but it’s a brilliant first step to finding out if you might be interested in a particular sport, and for those suffering badly with anxiety, trying something from the comfort of your own home, can feel like a safe first step. At CheerConditioning.Academy we’ve been making online cheerleading training videos for our members for over 10 years and decided to put a bunch of our most popular ones on YouTube for free! If you’ve ever fancied training like a cheerleader, then now is the time!
But I already do sport and I STILL suffer with anxiety! In fact, it inhibits my performance!
For people that are naturally comfortable with performing, in any way, it seems easy enough to just say “just believe in yourself” and “think positive”. Frankly when performance anxiety clicks in, the only thing you can think of is trying to get your body to co-operate and just RESPOND TO YOUR BRAIN’S INSTRUCTIONS!! Performance anxiety differs from mental blocks because it’s not fixed on a particular skill and it can come and go as it pleases; it’s a very conscious mental state. It kicks in differently from person to person and in different circumstances. Not just in competition but in showcases, every day during training, or even just having parents watching! When performance anxiety kicks in, the body enters “fight or flight” mode (the “Survival brain”!) and the person will find their mind racing and their body reacting in a way they can’t control:
I can’t do this
What if I fail and look silly?
I can’t keep up
I’m the worst person in the room
Why am I even doing this?
Shaking, inability to have body control
Adrenalin rises
Pulse rate rises
Palms become sweaty
Feeling nauseous or dizzy
Throat is drying up
Etc…
Sadly, the more corrections and the more attention this person gets, it makes matters worse. Coaches and teammates may want to help, but the words of encouragement make sense to the head, but the body is unable to cooperate. There is a disconnect.
Yet in a 1-2-1 private session or when practicing at home, they may be perfectly fine!
YOU CAN BEAT THIS
Should an athlete with performance anxiety still compete? Yes, but they might need more time before they can be pushed to the same level of athletic ability. No matter how much encouragement, positive feedback and 1-2-1 sessions they have, the situation is not getting any better. So they quit, they fall behind or they’re just stuck in the back of the formation.
Photo credit - Peter Talseth via Unsplash
What’s the best way to prevent this and help someone with performance anxiety? Give them confidence. Not false “you can do it!!” confidence, but actual, tangible confidence. They need to feel like they can keep up and do a good job, at their level.
Here are 5 great ways to help deal with and eventually conquer performance anxiety
1. CHECKPOINTS
Certificates and official skill checks to certify their ability to perform skill X or Y. For people with performance anxiety this is a huge comfort: if they have an official piece of paper to say they can do it, then it must be true. Watch them perform skills they have certified in and skills they can “do” in private but have not been made official: there’s a HUGE difference!
2. CONDITIONING
Some athletes have something stopping them from performing or progressing and they don’t know why. In fact, their body knows: they’re not physically prepared for it. Asking an athlete to learn a back handspring if they cannot comfortably hold an unassisted handstand is asking someone to scuba-dive if they don’t know how to swim. For those that have performance anxiety, they are just better at listening to their bodies and being cautious - they’re just not always conscious of it. Thorough conditioning and skill-specific drills will help their body and mind break through to the next level.
3. MENTORING
Mentoring up and mentoring down. They are both mentee to a senior athlete or coach, and mentor to someone more junior. The mentor will help them with guidance, reassurance and give them more 1-2-1 time with someone they can trust and build confidence. On the other hand, having to be a role model to someone younger will give them a sense of responsibility and courage. Establishing a “3-tier” little / big sister or brother system between athletes of same or different teams is a very effective way to build confidence and a strong support system within the program, without always having to rely on coaches and parents.
4. RE-ASSESS TEAM LEVEL
Even though they might be able to perform Level 4 skills in private sessions, when in a group context and around other people they might only be able to handle Level 3 skills with absolute confidence. Asking an athlete to step down a level, if handled incorrectly, can also make things worse: if you’re feeling like you’re being downgraded, it just reconfirms the worst of your fears.
Approach the matter objectively and in a helpful way so they understand that you’re doing this for THEM, not for “the benefit of the team”.
HOW TO BLAST SOMEONE’S CONFIDENCE: “For the benefit of the team, we feel that you would be more appropriate at Level 3 until you can build your Level 4 skills.”
HOW TO BOOST SOMEONE’S CONFIDENCE: “As your coach, I know you’re perfectly capable of performing Level 4 skills. The only thing standing in your way is your confidence and the ability in believing in your own abilities. I would like you to spend a season at Level 3 to work on your confidence and performance at this level, so that you can fully embrace Level 4 when you are ready for it. We don’t want you to have to think about the skill, but rather how great your performance is going to be”.
5. PERFORM MORE & HAVE SOME FUN!!
In cheerleading, one advantage that high school cheer has over competitive cheerleading is the number of opportunities to get used to performing in front of an audience. It’s all well and good to spend 95% of your time training skills and athletic ability, but if athletes don’t have enough time to get comfortable in a performance environment, it could all be lost time! Performing at charity or community events, even by doing simple skills and routines can really be a great way to train athletes' confidence and reduce performance anxiety. Sometimes it’s fun to just perform something easy to ENJOY it, and not because a championship is at stake!
Written by Joey Gamper Cuthbert of CheerConditioning.Academy
CheerConditioning.Academy is a platform run by cheerleading and fitness experts offering cheer conditioning workout videos, team conditioning, workout plans, skill drills, sports physiology, nutrition, sports performance seminars and articles, visual guides, fun fitness ideas and sideline choreography.
Website: www.cheerconditioning.academy
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