How to control performance anxiety?

[Wayofaswede]

*Be prepared: practice, practice, practice.

*Limit caffeine and sugar intake the day of the performance. Eat a sensible meal a few hours before you are to perform so that you have energy and don't get hungry. A low-fat meal including complex carbohydrates -- whole-grain pasta, lentil soup, yogurt, or a bean and rice burrito -- is a good choice.

*Shift the focus off of yourself and your fear to the enjoyment you are providing to the spectators. Close your eyes and imagine the audience laughing and cheering, and you feeling good.

*Don't focus on what could go wrong. Instead focus on the positive. Visualize your success.

*Avoid thoughts that produce self-doubt.

*Practice controlled breathing, meditation, biofeedback, and other strategies to help you relax and redirect your thoughts when they turn negative. It is best to practice some type of relaxation technique every day, regardless of whether you have a performance, so that the skill is there for you when you need it.

*Take a walk, jump up and down, shake out your muscles, or do whatever feels right to ease your anxious feelings before the performance.

*Connect with your audience -- smile, make eye contact, and think of them as friends.

*Act natural and be yourself.

*Exercise, eat a healthy diet, get adequate sleep, and live a healthy lifestyle.

Some might be easier said than done, however, nothing ventured is nothing gained!! None are more important than the other from that list above, albeit, being prepared through practice seems quite vital...after all, it tops that list.

***Reference:

https://www.webmd.com/anxiety-panic/guide/stage-fright-performance-anxiety#1

That is some really good advice, sensei.

[advfhorn]

Like with anything else the more you do it, the more confident you will become. Going the most prepared for it as possible is always best. Literally setup a square at home and practice the rei to everyone, pretend judges are there etc etc.

In practice DO NOT STOP if you mess up. keep going. maybe in video and watch yourself in practice to you can see what you look like and try to be more like how you see others that are good.

BTW I am 42 yr old Mom and our son is 11. he started 6 years ago (just got his junior Black belt) and I started 5.5 years ago and my husband (now age 51) started 4.5 years ago. We are a karate family and we love every min of it. We are not competitive and found the tournaments were not really for us, but we cannot imagine our lives without martial arts. Keep up the good work ... its a great thing for a family to do together.

[conrad665]

I experience the same thing all the time, not only in martial arts, but in my daily life. I discovered that my stress level is significantly reduced when I feel I am prepared enough, or that is all I can do and I did my best. I guess competition/exam anxiety decreases the more you are exposed to such events.

[Spartacus Maximus]

It may seem too simple but the best way to control anxiety and increase focused concentration is breathing. Slow, deep breaths from the abdomen to get as much oxygen into the body. The harder a body works, the more breath it needs to maintain energy and strength throughout. Breathing is too often taken for granted yet proper and sufficient breathing is the key to everything in martial arts.

[JR 137]

I just came across this article from Men’s Health.

https://www.menshealth.com/health/a26133512/stay-calm-under-pressure-deal-with-nerves/?src=nl&source=nl&utm_source=nl_mnl&utm_medium=email&date=020419&utm_campaign=15910171

The beginning doesn’t apply much, but the end is where I found it very useful if you look at it the right way: think about it as your championship to keep rather than trying to win it.

As funny as it sounds, I see this in hindsight thinking about job interviews over the years. The ones where I felt like it was my job to lose rather than “win” I did far better and was offered the position practically every time. I was far more comfortable and was able to just be myself without feeling like I was selling myself. The times I didn’t have that mentality, I left feeling like I messed up and was sure I wasn’t getting an offer. I was right all but once or twice at most.

Feel like the win is yours to keep rather than feeling like you’re fighting for it.

[JR 137]

Another thought that’s a bit different that my previous post and what’s already been said by others...

Lately when I compete, I don’t have the mentality of having to beat my opponent(s). I have the mentality that all I need to do is do better than I thought I could. I can’t control the level of competition. Some tournaments have a very low talent pool, others have a very deep and high talent pool. I can’t control who I’m put up against and I certainly can’t control what the judges see and feel. All I can do is go out there and try to outdo my own expectations and let the scoreboard take care of itself.

I’ve beaten some people who were awful. I’ve been beaten by some people who were way out of my league. Not just in MA but in every sport I’ve competed in. The wins against bums didn’t do much for me. The losses against people obviously better than me where I actually gave them a run and did better than I thought I could do were always far more rewarding.

Forget about beating everyone else. Just try to beat your own expectations.