Hope Jones has a Master’s Degree in Sport and Exercise Psychology and an Master’s Degree in Counseling. She played Division 1 college soccer where she was captain her junior and senior year. She has worked with youth athletes and college athletes on various mental training topics. Stay tuned for her monthly articles on Mental Training and other Mental Skills Topics.
Pre-Race Jitters: Making Anxiety Work For You
Butterflies. We have all gotten them at one point or another. Some of us get them each time we arrive at a race site. But alas! There is good news! This seemingly pesky feeling of anxiety that creates these “butterflies” is actually a good thing. Believe it or not, we actually need a certain amount of anxiety in order to perform at our best. The number of butterflies needed is different for every person. Some of us need a LOT of big, beautiful, colorful butterflies filling our core and others only need one or two Monarchs to do the trick. Think of it this way: anxiety is your body’s way of letting you know that there is meaning behind what you are doing, and the outcome of the task is important to you. What you are doing actually matters. If zero anxiety exists, not a butterfly a-fluttering, then the effort behind the task would be minimal. If too much anxiety exists, get the nets out because a swarm is coming, then it can hinder your performance level. It is important to find the level of anxiety (or arousal) that is optimal for your body.
Here’s a little tip to help you find this: Think back to your best performance. What are the sights, sounds, thoughts, feelings that come up for you when you replay this performance? Really connect with the images of this great competitive experience, as it is through this awareness that you will be able to recreate that experience. After all, how can we recreate a performance if we are not aware of what made the performance so great for us? What was your pre-race routine? What did you eat? Who did you talk to before/during/after the event? What was your anxiety(arousal) level? What thoughts were going through your mind during the performance? Increasing your awareness of the factors needed for YOU to perform at your optimal level will give you control over the butterflies. We are better able to harness our energy when we know what we need to spend it on. Besides, anxiety is essentially built up energy that needs to be told where to go.
So rather than trying to make the butterflies go away, try to get them to fly in formation. They are your greatest asset.
