Competing with Nerves - Too Nervous?

I can still remember getting butterflies when I was competing in primary school. People often ask me if I still get nervous when I compete. The answer is I sure do – and I perform well when I’m nervous.

According to science, there is an optimal level of arousal. If you aren’t nervous or aroused enough you are unlikely to perform at your best. That said if you’re too nervous then this can negatively influence your performance. The feeling of nervousness is due to an increase in your heart and respiratory rates. If you want to get technical, it is your body’s response to stimulation of your sympathetic nervous system – the system responsible for your fight or flight response. The increase in heart rate and breathing rate helps to fuel the muscles and ready them for activity – which is exactly what you need if you are about to sprint 100m.

If you become too nervous, then your reaction time will actually reduce and your ability to perform more complex tasks will also suffer. I’ve definitely experienced occasions when I am too nervous and I do find it difficult to concentrate on my technique. An example from another athlete I can recall relates to Tatiana Grigorieva. I remember rooming with Tatiana at the 2000 Olympics and at that stage Tatiana didn’t like the crowd to clap her in on the runway because she said she found it too difficult to concentrate.

If you are too nervous, one of the best things to do is take longer, deeper, slower breaths to help reduce your heart rate. In the past I have “breathed colours� – I imagine I’m breathing in blue air (to symbolise tranquillity) then breathing out red air as if I’m expelling or my nervousness. Below are a few more strategies that may help you to reduce your nervousness.

1. Practising the skill and simulating the environment including visualising prior to competition. Even now, because I don’t practise starts and I don’t often compete in the 100m, I become much more nervous running a 100m compared with competing in long jump – because I spend so much time on the long jump runway and I’m so much more comfortable than on a 100m start-line.

2. Being prepared – by having your bag packed early and double checked that everything is there then arriving at the stadium with plenty of time to spare you don’t feel time pressure (which often causes more nerves).

3. Relying on a routine. With an established routine for warm-up and during competition, you become relaxed with what you are doing so it becomes natural.

4. Listening to music – generally the beat of the tune can influence your mood and also gives you something else to focus on.

5. Sleeping – some athletes I know have an afternoon nap to help with recovery and it would also reduce the heart rate prior to the event – it won’t suit everyone, I don’t find this useful myself.

These are just a few suggestions that won’t work for everyone but one or two may help you to be in more control of those overactive nerves – good luck!