Football Anxiety

For athletes, they need to know that the thoughts they harbor which are causing them to have pressure that is mounting inside of them can be modified. The best thing to frame the situation is to understand the feelings of uncertainty so that it can be adjusted or modified accordingly. With help from psychologists and perhaps, self-help, with mental practice some athletes can have better performance.

Knowing What’s Causing Anxiety among Athletes

The first thing any athlete needs to do is to determine what generates the thought of failure or doubt. The lack of confidence does not happen in a vacuum. There must be a reason why a person feels anxious on a certain thing. It may be due to perception or lack of understanding about one’s ability, or both. These uncertainties can lead to a feeling of anxiety, tension or being nervous on the field. The lack of energy as a result may spell the difference in a sport that can be decided by inches. It is tough to play in a competitive environment versus in a recreational environment. Nothing much is at stake when you play the game as recreation or simply as a form of exercise. Professional athletes on the other hand are pressured to perform since they are being paid to show an exceptional performance on the field.

In a study by Green and Green published in 1977, certain Indian yoga practitioners were seen to be able to control certain psychological factors. These yoga practitioners were able to control their brain waves, body temperature and blood pressure as well. The study revealed to the world how the body and the mind can influence each other. Performing such exercise may be able to help a football player to relax and be able to bring more oxygen to the muscles for better performance. Such exercise can also bring better calmness that can improve sleep and appetite. With improved appetite, the athlete will be able to eat better and get improved nutrition needed to push the performance level to the hilt. Also, having better sleep can bring about better rest, which improves the athletes’ performance at the same time help in bringing down the stress and anxiety.

Key factors in behavior modification

Experts on the field have been studying the different anxieties athletes feel before, during and after the competition. The key here is to dismantle the reasons why athletes feel anxious in a certain way. By controlling these emotions like a thermostat that one has in the home, it can create an effect that counter the self-defeating ways. It is easier to say to stay calm, because it is not that easy. It is best to look for ways on how to find calmness in the face of uncertainties and perceived risks that may impact the emotions and cause anxiety as a result.

Using cognitive behavior therapy, certain meditations and help from experts can generate better results against anxiety and stress. It is best to understand the key concept of mental rehearsal. Dwelling on past experiences can cause people to feel certain emotions and thus create anxieties as a result. In an essence, an athlete’s imagination can help shape the reality. It may result in a positive or negative impact.

Athletes can also use the thoughts causing much pressure and use them to inspire or motivate. The negative thoughts can help to prime the athletes’ minds into a more competitive mode, instead of fearing the competition. The thoughts and feelings can be used by the athlete to prepare for the competition instead of shying away from the challenges.

Being aware of the causes of anxiety

Before any athlete can really overcome anxiety in sports, there is a need to be aware of the causes of anxiety. It will take a lot of practice to cope well. One day, the athlete will be able to really look back at the stressors and even thank the opportunity to teach the mind and body to perform better.

One can begin controlling the anxiety by having a stress management tool box. After identifying the cause of the stress and anxiety, the athlete can learn how to overcome and use the emotions to become positive reinforcement. This can lead to a better performance of the athlete, and the goal is to try and push the level and become consistent with the statistics.

Emotional coping can be great when negative emotions present itself you can take it and turn it into something positive. As they say we always attract the kind of emotions we want to feel. Using different coping techniques, breathing exercises, and calming techniques you can learn off the Internet, you surely can overcome the impact of anxiety among football players or professional athletes in general.