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Anxiety can have a profound effect on sports performance, and it is not always a detrimental one. Athletes usually have to deal with a certain amount of anxiety. Not only do most players feel stress, but they also have different reactions to it. There are several distinctions that can be made in the different kinds of anxiety sports players come up against.
State or Trait?
Happiness is a state of mind, and anxiety can be a state of mind as well. For most athletes, there is a certain level of anxiety that comes at the time of the competition. Many are not accustomed to feeling anxiety on a regular basis - they just feel anxiety related to the game. These players seem able to cope with the stress of the game fairly well. However, some athletes have the trait of being inherently more anxious at all times. When these players face the added anxiety of a game, they tend to have a rougher time.
Mind or Body?
Two types of anxiety are cognitive anxiety and somatic anxiety. With cognitive anxiety, you are constantly thinking the worst, considering negative outcomes, and anticipating failure. With somatic anxiety, you have physical feelings that you interpret as signs of stress. These two patterns, along with self-confidence, will make a big difference in sports performance.
Enhancing or Devastating?
The big question for most athletes is whether anxiety will help them or harm them. The answer to that question is not simple. Too little anxiety will tend to cause the athlete to have a ho-hum, boring experience, and not put out his best effort. If an athlete has just enough stress to become excited, it can enhance his sports performance and may give him the best game of his life.
On the other hand, when stress and anxiety become so overwhelming that the player loses concentration, his performance will suffer. It is virtually impossible to do well in sports if you are so terrified of the experience or the outcome that you are not fully in the game.
Serious or Playful?
It turns out that athletes who are serious are more likely to feel anxiety during competitions. They are goal-oriented and see the game as a hurdle to overcome. Naturally, that view leads them to think about problems and interpret aroused feelings as anxiety. However, the athlete who takes a more playful view is much less likely to feel stress. If he is aroused, he just interprets it as excitement and feeds off that positive energy.
Remember that some stress is a healthy thing. Every individual athlete is different, and every sports situation has its own challenges. You can handle anxiety through relaxation techniques, sports therapy sessions, or increasing your abilities. Anxiety is not an enemy - at least not all the time. The important thing to do is to figure out when to trust the excitement and when to control it for better sports performance.
State or Trait?
Happiness is a state of mind, and anxiety can be a state of mind as well. For most athletes, there is a certain level of anxiety that comes at the time of the competition. Many are not accustomed to feeling anxiety on a regular basis - they just feel anxiety related to the game. These players seem able to cope with the stress of the game fairly well. However, some athletes have the trait of being inherently more anxious at all times. When these players face the added anxiety of a game, they tend to have a rougher time.
Mind or Body?
Two types of anxiety are cognitive anxiety and somatic anxiety. With cognitive anxiety, you are constantly thinking the worst, considering negative outcomes, and anticipating failure. With somatic anxiety, you have physical feelings that you interpret as signs of stress. These two patterns, along with self-confidence, will make a big difference in sports performance.
Enhancing or Devastating?
The big question for most athletes is whether anxiety will help them or harm them. The answer to that question is not simple. Too little anxiety will tend to cause the athlete to have a ho-hum, boring experience, and not put out his best effort. If an athlete has just enough stress to become excited, it can enhance his sports performance and may give him the best game of his life.
On the other hand, when stress and anxiety become so overwhelming that the player loses concentration, his performance will suffer. It is virtually impossible to do well in sports if you are so terrified of the experience or the outcome that you are not fully in the game.
Serious or Playful?
It turns out that athletes who are serious are more likely to feel anxiety during competitions. They are goal-oriented and see the game as a hurdle to overcome. Naturally, that view leads them to think about problems and interpret aroused feelings as anxiety. However, the athlete who takes a more playful view is much less likely to feel stress. If he is aroused, he just interprets it as excitement and feeds off that positive energy.
Remember that some stress is a healthy thing. Every individual athlete is different, and every sports situation has its own challenges. You can handle anxiety through relaxation techniques, sports therapy sessions, or increasing your abilities. Anxiety is not an enemy - at least not all the time. The important thing to do is to figure out when to trust the excitement and when to control it for better sports performance.