Pre-competition anxiety

Pre-competition anxiety is a form of state anxiety tied to a specific competition. It brings together two components: cognitive anxiety (worried thoughts, fear of failing) and somatic anxiety (shaking, a racing pulse, a lump in the throat). In moderate doses it mobilizes you, but in excess it starts to get in the way.

The athlete sleeps badly the night before, loses their appetite, replays worst-case scenarios and feels their muscles tighten during the warm-up. This often grows into the complaint "I can't get myself together at competitions" or into general fear of competing. The intensity usually builds as the start approaches and drops sharply once the performance begins.

State anxiety questionnaires, which measure the mental and physical components separately, help assess the level and structure of your pre-start anxiety. You can take a suitable assessment in the tests section. Measuring regularly shows which component dominates for you, so you can pick your self-regulation techniques more precisely.

Breathing with a lengthened exhale, progressive muscle relaxation and a pre-start ritual with a fixed sequence of actions all work well. Step-by-step practices are gathered in the exercises section. Learn them in training beforehand, so that by competition day the skill is already automatic.

Closely connected to arousal, stress and the individual zone of optimal functioning. The practical versions of it are pre-competition anxiety and fear of making mistakes. If anxiety consistently wrecks your performances, it makes sense to see one of our specialists.