How to Release Stress and Anxiety in Sports
Stress and anxiety normally revolve around performance and expectations.
Performance comes with a standard, a scale in which we judge one another based on our definitions of success. We create an idea in our head about what success is and what we must do to achieve it. In this model, success is an outcome.
The key: We need to value goals and forget about expectations.
Expectations are rooted in entitlement. An idea that you deserve something that’s coming your way. You expect a certain outcome and therefore you will be let down if you don’t get it.
A goal, on the other hand, is something that you work towards, an inspiration for action, and focus on the work you put into achieving it.
The remedy: develop an “underdog mentality.”
The underdog fights for every moment, every scrap, every break, and focuses on the mission, not just the outcome. An underdog is willing to go after their goal by any means necessary. Let’s think about that. By any means necessary. That includes the naysayers, the criticism, the letdowns, the losses, the self-doubt, and the adversity. The underdog realizes that the odds might be stacked against them, yet they still remain steadfast in their mission. The underdog lives in the doing, not the thinking. Stress and anxiety gain momentum during times of reflection and pause, not in action and movement.
The underdog demands more of themselves than the outside world. Expect from yourself your personal best effort, your full heart, and your ability to pick yourself up and try again. When you develop this mentality, the pressure from the outside world feels lighter on your shoulders, till it fades completely.
I often ask myself: What can the world ask of me that I don’t already ask of myself? No one wants it more than me, so no one can ask more of me.
My anxiety shrinks knowing that I define the standard to live by. My goals take precedence over the world’s expectations. An underdog is not perfect, they understand that falling short is an option, but this only leads to working harder and creating more of an underdog mentality.
Redefine the way you approach your life. Take the stress away by being confident in your effort and your journey, not the unattainable perfection led by expectations.
Lastly, eliminate the negative influences that cloud your mind. Don’t let anyone infiltrate your individual progress or the cohesiveness of your team with negative speech. Only you know your truth, and when you allow external voices to negatively alter the way you feel about your performance or your team, then you have lost focus on who defines your success, and who gives value to your purpose—yourself.
Daily application - What goals are you setting for yourself? Give your full effort to achieve a goal today, and don’t judge your effort on your outcome. Don’t let the outside world dictate how you feel on the inside.
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