Happy Monday everyone!
Have you been keeping up with the Southeast Asian games? Team Singapore has been going strong this season. The games that were delayed from last year due to the pandemic has finally began.
As a meritocratic society, we are often driven by results as the outcome is a crucial determining factor regardless of the context. Be it a scholarship, a sales target, or a key performance indicator, the rewards are heavily reliant on concrete and measurable achievements. As such, the importance of the outcome far outweighs the learning and achievements made during the journey. For athletes who dedicate a big part of their life sharpening their skills and maintaining their bodies to ensure that they can put up their best performance, the outcome determines not only their career but also the chance to further hone their skills. Adding to their repertoire of concerns, in world class competitions, these athletes also carry the honor of representing the country as well as the hopes and expectations of their fans. Inevitably, the tremendous stress and anxiety induced from expectations to do well would affect the performance of the athletes.
Believe it or not, some levels of arousal has actually been shown to enhance our performance. Famously, the Yerkes-Dodson Law states that increased arousal can improve performance up to a certain extent. Some levels of arousal help to keep us attentive and increase our concentration. However, when arousal becomes excessive, performance would then fall as we may find it hard to concentrate. Based on various research, self-confidence is crucial in anxiety-triggering situations. As the anxiousness sets, one can feel ‘pumped up’ for the task if they feel prepared for it and believe that they are going to complete it successfully. This arousal can be interpreted as excitement when we are confident in our ability to perform. However, if we feel underprepared, that is when arousal would feel like anxiety and can cripple our performance. This phenomenon is known as performance anxiety.
As one stands in front of a crowd, performance anxiety can largely impact the eventual outcome. In the DSM-5, performance anxiety is categorised under social anxiety disorder section where feelings of anxiousness is a result of speaking or performing in public. Performance anxiety is defined as excessive feelings of fear or worry that one may not be able to achieve something specific or not be able to perform well. Physiologically, anxiety increases heart rates, breathless, may cause dizziness and cold sweat. Psychologically, anxiety can cause self-doubt, fear of failure and losing control, and to imagine the possibilities of worst case scenario which further induces anxiety. The impact of performance anxiety can vary between individuals depending on the severity of their condition.
Managing performance anxiety
Experiencing performance anxiety is very common. However, if your performance anxiety is preventing you from presenting your best self during an important moment, here are some ways that have been shown to be useful in managing this anxious energy.
Building self-confidence. One of the key factors that triggers performance anxiety is the feeling of unpreparedness which impact the level of confidence. As such, practise, practise, and more practise. This would help you convince yourself that you have done your best and you are ready for this.
Have a support system. Have people that you can talk to when you feel the stress and anxious energy creeping in. Your support system can be there to cheer you on, provide comfort, and prevent you from becoming too anxious.
Normalise the arousal. As we approach the important task, it is normal to be nervous and perhaps be a bit jittery. However, your interpretation of the arousal is key in determining if this energy can be used in a positive manner (i.e., seeing it as excitement rather than anxiousness).
Reduce negative thought patterns. When we are anxious, there may be a tendency for us to belittle our skills and neglect the efforts that we have put in for the task. If you catch yourself thinking that way, take some time to acknowledge that thought and start a positive one (i.e., telling yourself that you are prepared for this).
There is no one size fits all method, so do have fun and try different methods and combinations to see which one works you! If performance anxiety continues to be overwhelming and hinders you from what you need to do, reach out today! Due to the common occurrence of performance anxiety, there are many well-established and effective treatments available.
Interesting read
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/jclp.20038