Blog Entry 3- Competitive Anxiety

Let us go to imaginationland…..

It’s the final quarter of the game, 3^rd down, and your team is down two points with seconds on the clock.  Your team has battled up the field and is now well within field goal range.  Unfortunately, the game winning kick comes down to you.  The air is tight in your lungs, forcing your chest to tighten in anticipation.  The entire game comes down to this last kick.  Sprinting towards the ball, you launch it far left into the bleachers.  The opposing team's crowd cheers in victory while everyone stares at you in disappointment...

http://www.about-knowledge.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/tim-tebow-crying.jpg

Now imagine if there had been a way to avoid this terrible disaster.  What if what you were experiencing was completely natural and explainable.  Well luckily for you I know all the answers.  This common problem is called competitive anxiety.  It is shared between athletes in almost every type of competitive event ranging from sports events to musical performances.  Anxiety can be split into three different categories: cognitive, somatic, and behavioural.

• Cognitive: This section of anxiety focuses on the mental responses of one who is suffering from competitive anxiety.  Symptoms include: feeling heavy, loss of confidence, and fear.
• Somatic: This section of anxiety focuses on the physical responses of one who is suffering from competitive anxiety.  Symptoms include: dry mouth, muscle tension, and distorted vision.
• Behavioural: This section of anxiety focuses on the behavior and mannerisms of one who is suffering from competitive anxiety.  Symptoms include: fidgeting, introversion, and avoidance of eye contact.

Now you are asking, “Well what can I do to make sure theses things don’t happen to me?”  Luckily for you, I have the answers to that question as well.  There are many different anxiety-fighting techniques used throughout the world.  However, I will focus on two for the purposes of this blog post.

• The Five Breath Technique:  This technique seems fairly obvious, but there is a certain procedure to follow.  Before a competition, begin by breathing in slowing through your nose while exhaling slowly through your mouth.  Relax a different part of your body each time you exhale.  Continue doing this as long as needed.
• Benson’s Relaxation Response: This technique is a type of meditation.  The process includes sitting in a relaxed position and focusing on a specific, predetermined word.  Focusing only on this word for 10-15 minutes will prepare your mind for the coming challenges.

With these techniques in place, you will be well on your way to avoiding brutal defeat at the hands of competitive anxiety.

Citations:

Mackenzie, B.  (1997).  Competitive Anxiety.  Brianmac Sports Coach.  Retrieved from http://www.brianmac.co.uk/companx.htm