Overcome Performance Anxiety
14
Nov
2015
- Every cheerleader that’s ever competed knows what it’s like to stand backstage at a major competition. You can feel the anxiety and nerves in the air. The more important the competition is, the more tension seems to be in the air.
- For some cheerleaders, the intense anxiety enough to want to quit. The pressure of performing in front of judges, friends, and family is too much. They’re afraid of crowds, afraid of failing, and wish they were anywhere else in the world. If that sounds like you, you don’t need to worry! Performance anxiety is only an emotion, and with a little work, you can easily overcome that fear! Here’s exactly how you can overcome performance anxiety and reach your athletic peak!
- Practice Makes Perfect: Not surprisingly, it turns out your coach was right. Practice does actually make perfect. The Harvard Business Review found that not only does practice directly affect performance, it also helps reduce performance anxiety. Performance anxiety can come from any number of negative feelings. They could be concerns about failing, fearing injury, or not being able to visualize success. No matter why your nerves kick in, you need positivity to combat them. And the best way to do that is by practicing. When you practice, you dedicate time and mental energy to your craft. The more you practice, the more confidence you have in your own abilities. You’ll feel safe and secure in the fact that you couldn’t have prepared any harder than you already have. If you’re able to look around, knowing that nobody on any of the other cheerleading squads worked as hard as you, you’ll have all the confidence you need.
- Prepare Mentally, Too: Your body isn’t the only thing that you need to workout. If you’re suffering from performance anxiety, you need mental rehearsal, too. Psychology Today says that the two best ways to fight your nerves are guided imagery and meditation. Your imagination molds how you perceive your reality. Meditating and taking the time to visualize success harnesses this power and turns negative energy into positive energy. If you’ve never practiced meditation before you might think it’s too late to try now, but it’s actually a very simple process.
- All you need to do is take a quiet moment in the bustling backstage of your next competition. Take the time to visualize yourself succeeding. If you’re a varsity cheerleader with lots of past successes, think over all your prior triumphs. Even if this is your first competition, think of how much you’ve already improved.
- Now that you are armed with the tools to combat your anxiety, you are on your way to overcoming your fears! Make sure to take a deep breath to calm yourself. If you’ve practiced as hard as you can physically and mentally, you’ve prepared yourself for success. The only thing left to do is go out on stage and prove it!
Advertisement
You May Also Like
auntbre
July 31, 2015 - 8:56pm