How an Athlete Can Deal With Anticipatory Anxiety

Athletes can experience anxiety disorders in a multitude of ways. One of those ways is known as, “anticipatory anxiety,” which is just like it sounds. It’s an overwhelming fear or anxiety of an unknown outcome. For athletes who struggle with anticipatory anxiety, it can be a debilitating struggle inside and outside of sports.

Anxiety disorders are the most common mental illness in the United States affecting 40 million adults every year. (Source: Anxiety and Depression Association of America) In my opinion, anticipatory anxiety is even more common than people are willing to admit because at some point everyone fears the unknown, which can consume their thoughts and affect their decision-making ability. I say this because I’ve had my own problems with this type of anxiety and have had numerous conversations with different individuals who have also been through it.

Anticipatory anxiety becomes a mental health problem at any point that it interferes with daily mental wellness. In other words, when the individual feels something more than being nervous or having butterflies, there may be a bigger problem surfacing. For the sufferers, the anxiousness can feel so overwhelming that he or she feels completely off balance, hesitant, insecure, and/or scared for long stretches of time. This ultimately inhibits his or her clarity of mind in making decisions as well as influences their actions.

When it comes to anticipatory anxiety, any number of questions might go through an athlete’s mind such as:

• What happens if I fail?
• What happens if I get injured?
• What happens if I don’t get playing time?
• What if I disappoint my family?
• What if I get kicked off the team?
• What happens when this season is over and I retire as an athlete?

All of these are normal questions, but when the questions race through a person’s mind with such intensity that they are distracted by the uncertainty of the outcome which in turn causes an overwhelming sense of nervousness and almost paralyzing fear, it may be that a more complicated mental health issue is at play. It’s particularly something to consider speaking to a mental health professional about if anticipatory anxiety happens on more than one occasion regardless of whether it’s the fear around a specific type of situation that continues to pop up or it’s the fear of different situations. It doesn’t mean there is anything wrong with you, but it is something that you can, and should, work through to improve your quality of life.

I’ve found a number of ways to work through anticipatory anxiety. Here’s what that looks like:

1. I know my triggers. – This means that I know that certain situations are more likely to cause anticipatory anxiety because they are tied to deeply rooted fears that I have. I have been able to let go of some of those fears and I’m working on the others. The benefit is that when something goes awry it’s easier for me to identify what’s really going on.
2. I am patient with myself. – I used to get so mad at myself for fearing the unknown and thinking about the worst. Then I realized that being mad at myself only adds to the problem and I need to focus on the solution instead. Now, my inner conversation focuses on being self-compassionate while affirming that everything is okay and this will pass.
3. I know how to talk the talk. – Sometimes I vent to a trusted confidant who will help me, even if it’s just listening to me. Secondly, I know how to talk to myself. In addition to self-compassion, I’ll focus on asking a question like, “what’s the best that can happen?” and putting my energy into imagining something really awesome rather than worrying about the worst-case scenario.
4. I practice mindfulness and meditation. – This is such a huge part of my everyday mental wellness because it’s a practice that keeps my mind, body, and soul balanced in unison. I am able to create a deeper level of self-awareness and expand my spiritual connectedness through the stillness that I train my mind to attain. It then carries over in all areas of my life so that I can go through the day with increased clarity and the ability to “come back to center” much more quickly in trying moments.

Athletes who struggle with anticipatory anxiety may find it helpful to work with a licensed mental health professional and/or a mental health coach. There’s no point in ignoring an ongoing issue with anxiety nor letting it control neither your life as an athlete nor your personal life. You just have to open up to decide that you want to work on it and find the right support team.