Performance Anxiety: What Every Athlete Should Know
Why do athletes feel pressure and dread before competitions? How can they manage performance anxiety?
These questions prompted a recent presentation I gave to a sports psychology club at a local high school. As a former Division I runner, I know firsthand how performance anxiety can impact even well-trained athletes, which is why I'm passionate about giving young competitors the mental tools to match their physical preparation.
In my work specializing in sports psychology, I hear these questions often from athletes trying to understand why their bodies seem to work against them on game day. During the presentation, we explored the science behind performance anxiety and practical, evidence-based tools athletes can use to calm their nerves and perform at their best.
Why do athletes experience performance anxiety?
Athletes dedicate countless hours building skills, developing strength, and overcoming challenges. Yet even the most seasoned competitors feel their nerves spike on competition day. Why does competition feel so different from practice?
The answer lies in the environmental and physiological differences between competition and practice settings. Our bodies and brains respond differently to these contexts, and understanding why can help athletes manage their response.
Environmental Factors:
Practice is familiar, controlled, and low-stakes. You know the gym, the routine, the people around you. There's room for mistakes without consequence.
Competition introduces crowds, unfamiliar venues, and unpredictable opponents. The stakes are high, and there's pressure to perform not just for yourself but for your team, coaches, and supporters.
Physiological Factors:
When your brain perceives competition as high-stakes, your body activates its stress response:
- Stress hormones (like cortisol and adrenaline) increase
- Heart rate and breathing accelerate
- The sympathetic nervous system kicks in (fight-or-flight mode)
- Muscles tense, focus narrows, and anxiety builds
This response isn't "bad," it's your body trying to prepare you for peak performance. The challenge is learning to work with it rather than let it overwhelm you.
Evidence-based Techniques to Calm Nerves
Fortunately, there are proven tools that help athletes regulate their nervous systems and channel anxiety into focused energy. Two of the most effective approaches are breathing exercises and visualization.
Why Breathing Exercises Work
Controlled breathing directly counteracts the stress response by:
- Activating the parasympathetic nervous system (your body's "calm down" system)
- Increasing oxygen delivery to muscles and brain
- Decreasing heart rate and stress hormones
- Creating a sense of control when everything feels chaotic
Box Breathing:
- Inhale for 4 seconds
- Hold for 4 seconds
- Exhale for 4 seconds
- Hold for 4 seconds
- Repeat
This creates rhythm and balance in your nervous system, giving you something to focus on besides anxious thoughts.
Diaphragmatic Breathing:
- Place one hand on your belly
- Breathe deeply so your belly expands (not your chest)
- Exhale slowly and completely
- Repeat
Full-body breathing increases oxygen flow and reduces physical tension.
Hand Breathing:
- Hold one hand in front of you
- Trace the outline of your hand with your other finger
- Inhale as you trace up each finger
- Exhale as you trace down
- Repeat
This technique improves mind-body connection and gives you a discreet tool you can use anywhere.
Why Visualization Works
Mental rehearsal is one of the most powerful tools in sports psychology because it:
- Builds confidence by allowing you to "practice" success mentally
- Redirects attention away from anxiety-producing thoughts
- Activates the same neural pathways as physical practice
- Reduces uncertainty by creating familiarity with competition scenarios
How to Visualize Effectively:
Engage all 5 senses. The more vivid and detailed your mental imagery, the more effective it becomes. What do you see, hear, feel, smell, and even taste?
Use first-person perspective. See through your own eyes, not watching yourself from outside. This creates a more realistic mental rehearsal.
Be as specific as possible. Rehearse exact movements, plays, or routines you'll perform. Picture the details: your stance, your grip, your breathing.
Include challenges. Don't just visualize perfect performances. See yourself overcoming obstacles, recovering from mistakes, and responding with confidence when things don't go as planned.
End positively. Always finish your visualization with success and positive feelings. This primes your brain to expect and work toward positive outcomes.
Bringing These Tools to Young Athletes
What stood out most during my presentation to the high school sports psychology club was how eager these young athletes were to learn practical strategies they could use immediately. We didn't just talk about theory, we practiced breathing exercises, engaged in a guided visualization of a competition day, and discussed how to implement these tools before practices and games.
If you're a young athlete (or a parent or coach of one) struggling with performance anxiety, know that these feelings are normal and manageable. The nerves you feel before competition aren't a sign of weakness, they're your body getting ready to perform. With the right tools and practice, you can learn to work with your nervous system rather than fight against it.
And if you're looking for more support navigating the mental side of athletics, sports psychology can help you develop personalized strategies that honor both your competitive goals and your wellbeing.
