MJ Mondays | Overcoming Nervousness and Fear

When I was playing basketball in high school and college, I would get nervous before my games. Some gamedays, I would wake up nervous, and that nervousness wouldn't go away until the game started.

One thing that helped me was visualization. I would go to a quite place, close my eyes, and visualize myself playing in the game. I would start with hearing the announcer call out my name during the player introductions. I would follow myself as I went from the introductions, to the huddle, to the opening tip, and through the first few possessions of the game. This made me feel more confident because I could see and dictate what was going to happen. When the game came, I felt more comfortable because I felt like I had already been there before.

It made me feel better when I found out that even Michael Jordan got nervous before games. When he was asked if he got scared before games, Michael said that he is never scared to do things on the basketball court, but he gets nervous because of the challenges that come from playing. MJ says that he has total confidence in his skills and his skills get him comfortable when the game starts, but he is said that he is nervous at the start of pretty much every game.

It is okay to be nervous. Even the best athletes in the world get nervous. We have to find ways to play through our nerves and fear. Babe Ruth once said, "Never let the fear of striking out get in your way." Bear Grylls is known for presenting wilderness TV shows in the UK and the US. He said, "Being brave isn't the absence of fear. Being brave is having that fear but finding a way through it."

Nelson Mandella once said, "I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the truimph over it. The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear."

What can we do if we are nervous? Here are 5 things that we can do to play through the nervousness:

1 - Define Success
Legendary coach John Wooden said, "Success is peace of mind attained only through self-satisfaction and knowing you did your best to become the best you are capable of becoming. Know what you need to do to feel successful so that you know what you are working for.

2 - Ask Yourself, "What is the worst that can happen?"
Avoiding fears only makes them scarier. Whatever you fear, if you face it, it can start to fade. Sometimes imagining the worst thing that can happen will help you face your fears and determine steps that you can take to overcome those fears.

3 - Positive Affirmations
Positive affirmations are positive phrases or statements used to challenge negative or unhelpful thoughts. All you need to is pick a phrase and repeat it to yourself. Tell yourself, "You can do it. You are brave. You are strong. You will get through this."

4 - Think About Past, Successful Performance
David Yeager is an associate professor at the University of Texas where he has studied grit and growth mindset. He says that we can learn a lot from the things that we go through, and it is important to build on past experiences to help overcome adversity. Think about times when you have overcome your nervousness and fear, and think about how those past experiences can help you now.

5 - Practice More
The more we practice, the better we get, the more confidence we have. Michael Jordan said, "Champions do not become champions when they win an event, but in the hours, weeks, months, and years they spend preparing for it."

6 - Remember - It is Just a Game
At the end of the day, sports are a game and they are meant to be fun. Failure is a part of life, and it is a part of every game. Somebody has to win and somebody has to lose. It is okay to lose. Learn from your mistakes and losses so that you can come back better the next time.

References

1 - Positive Daily Affirmation: Is There Science Behind It? "Positive Psycology," https://positivepsychology.com/daily-affirmations/.

2 - Ten Ways to Fight Your Fears. "NHS Inform," https://www.nhsinform.scot/healthy-living/mental-wellbeing/fears-and-phobias/ten-ways-to-fight-your-fears.