Pregame jitters plague tons of athletes at all levels including professionals. It’s a common topic in athlete mental health discussions because most athletes have experienced it.
Pregame nerves don’t necessarily mean that something is wrong or that a person has a mental health issue like anxiety. For some people, it’s an emotional signal that they are ready for the game.
However, if pregame jitters are something that bothers you, know that you are not alone and that there are ways to resolve it.
I ran a poll on my Instagram Stories, Facebook Page, and Twitter about this very topic asking athletes if they have ever experienced pregame jitters. Here are the results:
Regardless of their playing level, lots of athletes have experienced and still experience moments of nervousness on game day. No one is immune to it because as I like to remind people, athletes are humans.
In an interview on ZeroFsGiven Podcast, Brandon Brooks a right guard with the Philadelphia Eagles said this:
“Every game day at 5:30a I throw up, I still do it. Instead of thinking like ‘oh shit here comes this anxiety stuff’…it’s like when I throw up I know I am ready to go.”
While everyone has his or her own game day ritual, and different games may have different levels of emotions involved such as a playoff game, emotions are an important signal in your preparation.
Nervousness or jitters might signal excitement or adrenaline. It’s important that you take the time to listen to your body, mind, and emotions to decipher what your game day emotions mean to you.
Having the right perspective can make a difference between feeling empowered or disempowered by your emotions.
Try telling yourself, pregame jitters are a good thing because it means I’m ready to play.
If, on the other hand, those feelings of nervousness are overwhelming and affect your ability to play at your best, there are some ways you can work through it.
Self-awareness is critical. The deeper the knowledge of yourself, the better you’ll be able to recognize and adjust negative thought habits and subsequent emotions.
One of my favorite ways to achieve calmness and clarity is through a practice of mindfulness. The key here is “practice.” Just like you train and practice with your team, your mindset is a practice that you should do regularly as well. The more you practice, the better your results will be.
You wake up in the morning on game day and you’re nervous. The closer it gets to game time your jitters increase. But, instead of it throwing you off, you’re able to walk out of the locker room confident, calm, focused, and ready to play as well as your practice.
What difference would that make for you as an athlete and a teammate? What about as a person?
Mindfulness is basically being in the moment, but being so present that you are undistracted by thoughts, emotions, or other circumstances. You’re in a state of flow where everything just gels. It’s like being “in the zone” in many areas of your life, including, on and off the court or field.
One of the things I love about mindfulness is you can begin to achieve it through meditation and what I love about meditation is that it’s not something you have to force, like that extra rep on the chest press. I bring this up because people get so focused on “not doing meditation right,” that they stop trying. Meditation and mindfulness aren’t about how much effort you put in, they’re about right effort.
Meditation is as simple as focusing on your breath for a minute or more, and not all meditations require that you sit still. There are different ways to meditate, which can easily fit into your daily schedule.
Use your breathing to focus on becoming still and balanced from the inside out.
Inhale slowly counting to the number four. Pause
Exhale slowly counting to the number four. Pause.
Inhale again imaging that your body is getting more relaxed.
Exhale feeling your heart rate slow down and your jaw and shoulders relax.
Inhale feeling more at ease.
Exhale relaxing deeper.
Inhale and think, “I am calm” as you feel your breath move through your body.
Exhale and repeat, “I am calm.”
Inhale and think, “I am ready” as your breath flows through you slowly and effortless.
Exhale and repeat, “I am ready.”
Inhale and think, “I am steady.”
Exhale and repeat, “I am steady.”
Inhale, relaxing and letting go.
Exhale, relaxing and letting go.
Inhale knowing you’re calm, steady, and ready.
Exhale knowing you’re calm, steady, and ready.
Inhale slowly counting to the number four. Pause
Exhale slowly counting to the number four. Pause.
You can always customize the meditation to fit your specific issues and any other positive thoughts that come to you as your focus on your breath. There are no rules. Follow your intuition and what feels right to you. Remember, it’s not about rushing, it’s about letting things flow. The more you practice that, the better equipped you’ll be to release your pregame jitters.
Want more help? Contact me about athlete mental health and meditation coaching.
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