Coping with the stress of competition in sports
As competitive athletes, we put our blood, sweat and tears into performing well and getting the results we want to achieve as individual players or as a team. The amount of time and effort dedicated to training, improving techniques, and tuning the mind, is often beyond what many others can understand or relate to.
In my four years in competitive shooting, I have crossed paths with many inspiring teammates, coaches, and competitors in and out of the shooting range who have provided the camaraderie, guidance, and motivation to keep me going.
Yet, no matter how much we love the sport we play, there will be moments where the stress and adrenaline kick in, be it that you just fired a bad or good shot, are about to break your personal best, or even better, are so close to getting that medal. These scenarios mirror our daily lives - overcoming stress in exams, interviews, meetings with superiors or important stakeholders, having to present in front of a large audience, etc. Although the stakes may seem different, the level of preparation and commitment to ensuring a good outcome is the same.
Many competitions have come to pass for me, as I moved on into working life. The various lessons I’ve learned to cope with stress in competitive sports have proved incredibly useful and I would like to share three of them with you.
1. Identify your physical reactions and symptoms when in stressful situations.
We all respond differently when under stress. Think of the most stressful situation or situations that you have ever been in. Then, identify the specific locations where your body tends to react to stress and the signs of what happens in those areas. Some examples include:
Shoulders feeling tight and tense
Butterflies in your stomach
Giddiness in the head
Sweaty palms
Trembling fingers
And many more…
List them down somewhere so you can check in with yourself and acknowledge when you are feeling stressed.
The important thing here is to note that the mind and body are interconnected. What affects the body can affect the mind and what affects the mind will ultimately influence how the body responds.
So, what do we do after identifying our stress signs?
Personally, I tend to put on a music playlist that helps me recompose and calm down before the start of a match. If I start feeling stressed during a match, I use positive self-talk and thoughts. What I’ve found to be even more crucial is to learn not to think about the outcome or result while in the midst of the competition and let the process take its course.
2. Focus on process-oriented tasks than are within your control
By paying attention to what is important to performing well and ignoring the other influences that are beyond my control (like the weather, noisy spectators), I can focus better on the shot I am able to take.
With that, these process-oriented tasks form a consistent routine that can guide my concentration flow and what to do in the 10 seconds for each shot taken.
Beyond the sport itself, having a routine in the things we do can help to reduce uncertainties in our day-to-day life, avoiding moments of panic when something goes amiss.
Forget the past. Ignore the future. Control the present. This is one of the most valuable tips I learned from my first coach. There is no use worrying about what has happened, no point thinking about what is next, and I can only control what happens in the present.
3. Maintain a positive self-image
When we think confidently, our body is more likely to respond and behave in a similar fashion.
While having a lot of confidence does not guarantee success in the things we do, having zero confidence is often a recipe for disaster!
By eliminating negative thoughts such as, “I can’t do this,” or, “surely this will not end well,” and replacing them with positive thoughts like, “let’s just hang in there,” and “follow the routine and I will get it right this time,” we can better confront and face the challenge ahead.
Besides replacing thoughts, we should also try to focus on what we want to achieve, and not what we do not want to achieve.
To start, maybe, list down all of your strengths and positive traits - as many as you can think of! Next, recall a time when you performed well and exceeded your own expectations.
Take a look at what you have written. These will add to that positive self-image of who you are and what you have done through self-acknowledgement of your skills, experiences, and performance. Keep this piece of paper handy and update it regularly as well.
With confidence, it is also more likely that we can experience more enjoyment in the things we do, focus better on the task at hand and persevere.
One additional hack that I couple with keeping a positive self-image, is to expect the unexpected. By preparing for potential distractions and coming up with measures to deal with them, we reduce the risk of freaking out when something goes beyond our control.
Lastly, it is also particularly important to balance stress with recovery, so as to effectively cope with the daily challenges that come our way. By respecting your personal need to have enough recovery, you give yourself adequate space to bounce back better and face the next big battle.
While I do also have a personal self-care toolkit which I had built up over time, I came across this field guide, written by Sandy, which has some self-care tips that I apply myself and can come really useful as we adapt to the further easing of social activities in the year ahead! Do scoot over and see if you can pick up a tip or two for use as well!