If you’ve ever gotten butterflies before a big performance or competition, you understand the physiological “stress response” such situations can cause. Some people have such a strong stress response that it causes them to choke when they need to perform at their best.
While practice can help train your body not to overreact in the face of intense competition, you can also change your mindset to soothe pre-game jitters. Psychologist Kelly McGonigal recommends thinking about pre-competition nervousness not as performance-degrading anxiety, but as the body’s attempt to prepare itself for a challenge. Because that’s exactly what it is.
Your body is priming itself to compete and fight. Your heart begins beating faster, adrenaline starts flowing through your veins — you feel a bit on edge because your body thinks it’s getting ready to face a perceived threat. It’s what helped your caveman ancestors spring into action when facing a saber-toothed tiger. You’re not going to die in a business pitch, but it still elicits the same physiological response because there’s risk involved.
McGonigal’s research has shown that when individuals are told that pre-competition or performance nerves are a good thing — the body’s way of getting itself ready to conquer a challenge — participants relax more, and performance on stress tests improves. When they’re left thinking that something is wrong with them and that they shouldn’t be experiencing those nerves, they choke.
So, the next time your palms get sweaty, or you feel a knot in your stomach before a big competition or presentation, remind yourself that your body is just priming itself for action — it’s getting ready for success! Changing your mindset on your nerves will calm you down, and even more importantly, allow you to perform at your best.
While practice can help train your body not to overreact in the face of intense competition, you can also change your mindset to soothe pre-game jitters. Psychologist Kelly McGonigal recommends thinking about pre-competition nervousness not as performance-degrading anxiety, but as the body’s attempt to prepare itself for a challenge. Because that’s exactly what it is.
Your body is priming itself to compete and fight. Your heart begins beating faster, adrenaline starts flowing through your veins — you feel a bit on edge because your body thinks it’s getting ready to face a perceived threat. It’s what helped your caveman ancestors spring into action when facing a saber-toothed tiger. You’re not going to die in a business pitch, but it still elicits the same physiological response because there’s risk involved.
McGonigal’s research has shown that when individuals are told that pre-competition or performance nerves are a good thing — the body’s way of getting itself ready to conquer a challenge — participants relax more, and performance on stress tests improves. When they’re left thinking that something is wrong with them and that they shouldn’t be experiencing those nerves, they choke.
So, the next time your palms get sweaty, or you feel a knot in your stomach before a big competition or presentation, remind yourself that your body is just priming itself for action — it’s getting ready for success! Changing your mindset on your nerves will calm you down, and even more importantly, allow you to perform at your best.
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