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Anxiety And Arousal
Anxiety is your body’s primitive and automatic response that prepares it to ‘fight’ or ‘flee’ from perceived danger. Being in a competitive situation promotes similar psychological and bodily responses because there is often a threat posed towards your ego or your sense of self-esteem. Remember though, there is nothing dangerous about the stress associated with a tennis match, in fact it can be a very positive influence – how often have we seen the great players play their best tennis when in difficult situations? The main causes of anxiety Tennis is an uncertain sport in as much as you can never be certain what is going to happen next and therefore it has the potential to be full of stress. While stress and uncertainty may act to motivate some players, it induces anxiety in others.
Matchplay Anxiety The current model used to explain this states that it is the perception of your ability to control your environment and yourself that determines your anxiety response. So, if you believe you can cope in a particular situation, you will tend to strive to achieve your goals with a positive expectation of success and will be more confident and therefore more likely to perform close to your best. If on the other hand you feel that you do not have control over the situation – then any anxiety will impair performance.
Four Techniques To Control Anxiety 1. Build a ‘winning feeling’ Think about the last time you were performing at the top of your game then list everything you associate with your ‘winning feeling’. List the eight most important aspects of this positive feeling and look at them on a regular basis 2. Centering This is a technique that is very effective in between points, games and sets. Stand with your feet flat on the ground, shoulder width apart, arms hanging loosely either side of your body; Close your eyes and breathe evenly. Notice that when you breathe in, the tension in your upper body increases, but as you breathe out, there is a calmer, sinking feeling; Inhale deeply from your abdomen and, as you do, be aware of the tension in your face, and your neck, and your shoulders, and your chest. As you exhale, let the tension fall away and focus on the feeling of heaviness in your stomach; Continue to breathe evenly, focusing all your attention internally on the area immediately behind your navel; Maintain your attention on that spot and breathe normally, feeling very controlled and heavy and calm; On each out-breath use a word that encapsulates the physical feelings and mental focus that you want eg ‘loose’, ‘calm’, ‘focused’, ‘sharp’, ‘strong’ etc. 3. The five breath technique This is ideally used just before matches, or whenever you feel particularly tense. Inhale slowly, deeply and evenly through your nose, and exhale gently through your mouth as though flickering, but not extinguishing, the flame of a candle: Take a deep breath. Allow your face and neck to relax as you breathe out; Take a second deep breath. Allow your shoulders and arms to relax as you breathe out; Take a third deep breath. Allow your chest, stomach and back to relax as you breathe out; Take a fourth deep breath. Allow your legs and feet to relax as you breathe out; Take a fifth deep breath. Allow your whole body to relax as you breathe out; Continue to breathe deeply for as long as you need to, and each time you breathe out say the word ‘relax’ in your mind. 4. Thought-stopping When you experience a negative or unwanted thought, picture a large red stop sign in your mind’s eye. Hold this image for a few seconds then allow it to fade away along with the thought. You should follow this with a positive statement such as ‘I am going to get more 1st serves in!’ Thought-stopping is used to block unwanted thoughts before they escalate or disrupt performance.
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