Focus on your sports-related tasks and not on an activity around you.
When the big game, race or sporting event comes around, you may be equal parts excited and nervous. Nerves can interfere with your focus before the action even begins. Combat this by developing control over your mind and by practicing anti-anxiety techniques. It's important to calm down and regain mental control to ensure that you perform at your best, despite how nervous you may be at the start of the event.
Instructions
1. Breathe slowly and deeply before the event even begins. If you can find a quiet place in which to do this, do so; otherwise, wherever you are, begin breathing deeply. Breathe in until your diaphragm expands fully and slowly let the air back out. Do this repeatedly until you feel yourself start to relax.
2. Focus your attention away from the crowd and on the event itself. Visualize yourself playing as you do in practice, when there are few onlookers and no worries about embarrassing yourself or dealing with noise when you make an unfavorable move or play. Instead, keep your focus on your playing and don't worry about anything else.
3. Visualize your skills and experience. Sometimes, you need a mental reminder that you've practiced, and you're prepared and ready for the game. Don't allow your mind to make you believe otherwise. You know what you're doing; you've likely done it before and it's not as though you haven't practiced first, so rely on your knowledge and experience to get you through.
4. Rid your mind of nagging thoughts of anxiety. Every time a bad thought enters your mind, such as, "You can't win this game," or, "Those other runners are going to complete the race before you do," imagine a stop sign in your mind. Maintain that image and allow it to dissipate along with the negative thought. Then, think a self-affirming thought, such as, "I'm strong, I've trained hard and I'm going to fight to win this race."
5. Enjoy playing. If you focus on enjoying yourself while playing, instead of pressuring yourself to perform to a certain caliber, you'll relax and allow your natural talent to take over. This is part of the reason children perform so well in the sports arena; they focus on their love of the game. Get back to basics by doing the same and you'll see better results than if you allow your nerves to get the best of you.
