anxiety

Move Past Anxiety To Perform Better

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Fear, anxiety, and doubt…not such fun feelings are they? They cause you to question yourself, begin to give yourself excuses and may keep you from giving your full effort. To perform your best, you gotta learn how to work WITH them, and not fight them. Fear and anxiety may not go away, so how will you still perform your very best?

There is one ultimate strategy that will help reduce anxiety immediately.

Instead of trying to “NOT” feel fear or anxiety…you can accept that you are feeling them.

Instead of trying to wish anxiety away, you can embrace that it is part of life.

Instead of being angry that you’re experiencing anxiety, you can actually learn to appreciate it.

When you begin to feel something you notice you’re uncomfortable, the next step is to immediately tell yourself that it’s “okay” to be feeling that way. That it’s temporary and that you accept what’s going on right now inside of you.

As you begin to accept those feelings, you’ll notice they start to lessen. You can eventually even move towards loving ALL of your feelings, and embracing all parts of the human experience, and you’ll feel less controlled by anxiety and fear.

I struggled with panic attacks for years and my anxiety used to get the best of me. I used to try with all of my might to push it away, and I would get so mad that I had it. Now, I take an entirely different stance towards emotions like fear, doubt and anxiety. Sure, I still feel anxious at times, but when I started to accept it and learned to love that it’s part of who I am, it’s part of a meaningful life… that’s when it stopped controlling me. It’s still uncomfortable, and I still continue to practice this strategy all of the time, but it’s the best way that I’ve ever found to reduce the discomfort.

So, continue to DO, in spite of anxieties and fears. Waiting for, or wanting it to go away is holding you back.

Stop waiting to be completely fearless before take action.

Stop waiting for zero stress before you go forward.

Stop waiting for perfection before you commit.

Stop waiting for anxiety to fully go away to move on.

Stop waiting for doubts to be removed to perform your best.

There are things you can do every single day to reduce your fear, stress, need for perfection, anxiety and doubts. There are thoughts and behaviors that will help you navigate through each of those feelings so that you can accomplish your goals. If you wan to perform at a high level, day in a day out, you will face struggles and obstacles. Know that you’re on the right path.

Passion often comes with fear.

Desire often comes with frustration and nerves.

Big pursuits lead to some stress and doubt.

Pushing to be your best in games comes with a bit of anxiety.

See how this works? The best things in life are paired with uncomfortable feelings.

So, what do you do? How do you continue to put your best self forward, and perform your best?

1. Accept the anxiety and befriend it.

2. Practice the thoughts and behaviors that help you to improve your mindset every day.

3. Recognize that anxiety can be there, but TAKE ACTION FORWARD in spite of it.

4. Continue to build your toolbox of skills to handle discomfort.

Lean into your feelings, be kind to them. Embrace that they are there, but that they don’t need to RULE your actions and thoughts. Fear and anxiety can be present, you can be okay with them and you can do amazing things WHILE feeling them. They don’t need to be gone in order to go forward. Before you know it, you may even be able to understand them and love them.

5 Breathing Exercises For Peak Performance

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To be your best, it’s imperative that you learn to calm your mind. When you begin to feel pressure or stress, you’ll want to come back to simple, positive thoughts and controlled breathing. To become more centered and focused so that you can perform better, practice these helpful breathing strategies. Each of these breathing practices can be done in less than 5 minutes. If you only have enough time for a few, focused, deep breaths, that’s still better than nothing.

1. Square Breathing – For square breathing, you want to take deep, centering breaths counting up to 4 during the inhale, taking a 4 second hold,  and then exhaling for 4 seconds, and holding again for 4 seconds before you inhale again. Do this at least 5 cycles and longer if you have time to really reap the benefits.

2. Counting Breaths – For this practice, you would simply count your breaths, with a nice controlled rhythm. Take 3 second inhale, and a 3 second exhale then say “1” in your mind. Then inhale again for another 3 seconds, and exhale for 3 seconds, then say “2” in your mind. So you’ll simple count and breathe. Repeating this pattern for up to 10, or 20 is one of the simplest ways to bring your focus back to something you can control, as well as calming your breathing cycle and being intentional about the pace.

3. Diaphragmatic Breathing – Lie down and put one hand on your upper chest and your other hand on your abdomen, just above your belly button. Allow your breathing to normalize for a minute or two, and then notice which hand is moving.  If you find that the hand on your chest is the one doing the moving, then you can concentrate on breathing more from your diaphragm. The correct way to breathe is by moving your diaphragm, which means the hand on your abdomen should be moving up and down as you breathe, but the hand on the chest should be steady. Try this for 20 breaths.

4. Mantra Breathing – You do this practice by thinking about who you want to be, and what you want to feel like. Then, each time you inhale, think about the words and adjectives that you want to bring into your life at that moment. Examples of this would be “calm, patient, focused, relaxed, prepared.” You can just focus on deep, slow breathing and continuing to repeat positive words to yourself as you inhale. Then exhale and do it again and again.

5. “1-2 Breathing” –  You do this controlled breathing practice by inhaling for a certain number of seconds, and exhaling for double the amount of time you inhaled. For example, let’s say you inhale for 3 seconds, then you want to take 6 seconds to exhale. Over time, you can build your capacity and challenge yourself to exhale very slowly.

 

When you’re focusing on your breathing, it takes your mind off of the stressful or anxious thoughts you were having. The more comfortable you can become regularly practicing these strategies in “non-pressure” or “non-stressful” situations, the easier it will be for you to implement them when you’re feeling jittery, nervous or unsettled.

No matter what situation or environment you find yourself in, you can always focus on your breathing by using one of these strategies. Focusing on your breathing, in a consistent way, will help you become centered, present, calm, focused, relaxed, and prepared.  You have this tool in your toolbox whenever you need it, wherever you are.

 

How To Lower Your Stress For A Big Event

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You’re getting ready for a big workout or an important event, you start sweating and your stomach begins to turn.  You feel nervous and anxious and you start second guessing yourself. 

Have you ever been there? Where even the thought of an upcoming event or workout gets you all worked up?

Different stress-reduction tactics work for different people. Once you find what works for you, you’ll be able to implement that strategy at the right time for it’s biggest impact. Today, I’ll give you five strategies that will help lower your stress before a big event. Try em out.

5 Ways To Lower Your Stress Before A Big Event

1: Control how you interpret “stress.” 

When you’re getting ready for something important, your body will begin to react and send you signs that it is “getting ready.”  Physical signs like; sweating, rapid heart rate, feeling like you have to pee, and jitters can be interpreted in two different ways and can produce very different outlooks. You can actually decide how you respond to your physical reactions. 

  • You can feel your body react and begin to think that means your fears, worries, doubts and anxieties are playing out.  If do this, you view your nerves as negative, it will hurt your performance and your ability to be confident and composed.
  • On the other hand, you can see your nerves as an indication that you’re getting prepared for a cool event, and that the feeling is not anxiety, but rather excitement. You can respond with positivity and gratitude, using your nerves to help you get focused and prepared.

Practice responding to nerves with the notion that they’re going to energize you and help you do your best.

2: Practice steadying and calming your breath.  

Focusing on your breathing will help you feel centered, present, calm, focused, relaxed, and prepared.  Your breath is ALWAYS there, it’s a constant.  You have this strategy or tool in your toolbox whenever you need it, wherever you are. 

Try a few cycles of “square breathing” as you prepare for a big event

  • Count to yourself “1, 2, 3, 4″ as you inhale (so the inhale takes four seconds). Then count “1, 2, 3, 4″ as you hold the breath (for four seconds) and then exhale for a count of “1, 2, 3, 4” slowly for four seconds, pausing again after you exhale for a four-count. After completing 5-10 cycles of this, I can nearly guarantee that you feel more calm, relaxed and grounded. 

Practice tuning into your breath, slowing it down, counting it out and using it to get re-centered.

3. Share your feelings with your support team.

Bounce your plan, goals and concerns off of those who care about you. You’ll find immediate relief in your “stress” as you share it. 

  • Let your coaches, loved ones, or coworkers know how you’re feeling and what you may be concerned about. You might even just say “damn, I’m feeling anxious about this, but I know that once I get started, I’ll be good to go.”
  • Always share what you’re really experiencing and do your best to tie in a reminder to yourself about how it will go great.

Practice saying how you really feel and confiding in those who support you.

4: Remind yourself of what matters. 

Before you do anything important, remind yourself that you choose to do this, you’re thankful for the opportunity, and know your purpose. This will ALWAYS help you feel better.

  • Take a few minutes to remind yourself of WHY you are doing what you’re doing, and WHO you want to be.
  • Instead of continuing to let yourself say “oh god, this is so stressful, I’m freaking out, I hate this feeling,” – try something like this: “I’m so thankful for this opportunity. I am prepared and ready for this. Stay present, calm, and loose.” 

Practice setting intentions, saying a prayer, or reminding yourself of a few key points before you do anything important.

5: Take the pressure off.

If you’re overly-stressed, it might be time to take the situation less seriously. Smile, laugh and loosen up a bit before it’s go time.  Don’t lose your sense of humor and playfulness through all of this. It won’t be the end of the world if it doesn’t go perfectly.

  • Engage with others, listen to some good music and do something that will keep you feeling light-hearted and a bit less intense. 

Practice being more playful and as laid back as possible (even if you’re not feeling laid back).

 

What strategies help lower your stress before a big event or workout? How do you calm your mind, so that you can go out and crush it? Comment below.

 

 

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Best Practices When You’re Waiting

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Throughout your day you’ll have moments of waiting.

You’re 5 minutes early for a meeting.

You’re in line at the post office or grocery store.

You’re waiting for your significant other at the restaurant.

Traffic.

Customer service calls.

Waiting for your training partner.

Sometimes the waiting can be viewed as an annoyance, and you’ll start to feel agitated by the inconvenience.

Other times, you’ll see it as a chance to chill for a couple of minutes, and it’s no big deal.

Either way, when you’re waiting…you have choices. When you start to feel frustrated or impatient, you can use that time, and find the opportunity instead.

Here are a few things to try (and if you’re an athlete these practices will improve your mental game)

1. First and foremost, start thinking “thank you.” If you want to squash frustration, or annoyance, just be grateful. At the very least think “this can be a good thing.” Think of the “waiting” as an opportunity to slow the f down. Even if you’re not really glad that you’re waiting, it will help give you another perspective to look at it as an opportunity instead of an inconvenience to your schedule. Consider all of the things that are positive. Then, try one of the following strategies.

2. Practice tuning into your breath. Try square breathing, 1-2 breathing or diaphragmatic breathing. Hell, just take 5-20 deep breaths and you’ll feel a lot better, and the wait will probably be over or almost over.

3. Count. Sometimes, while standing in line, instead of grabbing my phone and scrolling social media or responding to texts, I’ll just start counting. I’ll play a little game with myself and guess how many seconds it’ll be until it’s “my turn.”

4. Do nothing and relax any tension in your body and face.  See just how calm you can be (it’s especially interesting when you realize just how rushed and frazzled others who are around you are ). Get comfortable doing nothing, it’s good for ya. Often, instead of trying to “do something” to pass the time, I’ll just be still, maybe even close my eyes and totally relax.

5. Be productive. If you can tackle something on your “to-do” list while waiting, it might be a good idea. Take a deep breath then think of 1 thing you can get done with the time you have while waiting. Again, you can use that time wisely instead of feeling like it was “wasted.”

Bottom Line? Delays can be annoying and frustrating, but they can also be “no big deal.” You don’t have to let them ruin your day or put you in a bad mood. While you’re waiting, you might as well make it worth it. If you can do something productive in the meantime, you’ll feel better about the time you spent. Each of the above practices are better than bitching, complaining, or getting angry. They’ll help you from getting even more tense, anxious, rushed or stressed.

 

Related:

Sand Flies and Mental Challenges

Impatient? Your Performance Will Suffer

 

How To Be Calmer During The Open

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Are you feeling especially nervous about The Open this year?

Is the hype getting to you?

Do you feel pressure from your own expectations and the scores of others?

Are you finding it hard to unwind, relax and sleep well?

Are you over-caffeinated and under rested?

Are you feeling shitty about yourself after seeing others perform?

Do you want to learn how to go through The Open with a calmer state of mind?

If you answered yes to 1 or more of the questions above, ya gotta keep reading.

First off, some worries, frustrations, and doubts are part of doing something that you love and are truly invested in. You can begin to look at your nervousness differently. But, if you’re freaking out and having so many concerns that you’re incredibly anxious or upset most of the week, then it can be different.

You can actually perform your best AND enjoy the experience.

If you’re scanning through social media every free minute you have, and updating the leaderboard all week long, then you’re setting yourself up to be stressed out, overwhelmed and caught up.

If you’re constantly on Facebook groups, chats and texts with those from your box, then you’re likely not creating time to turn off your “CrossFit brain.” It’s a recipe for disaster.

If you’re following what each of your competitors is doing all day on Instagram, watching every CrossFit YouTube strategy video, and only reading fitness-related content, but then wondering why you’re so anxious…ya gotta stop! There is another way.

Better ideas? I got lots.

  1. Take social media off of your phone, or sign out of it in the evenings
  2. Put your damn phone away or turn it off for periods of time every day, and every week
  3. Commit to only looking at the leaderboard for 5-10 minutes each week, or not at all, and just let a coach input your score and let you know what’s up
  4. Go drop in and train at another gym or do the Open WOD somewhere else to change it up and give yourself a break from the normal expectations or comments from others
  5. Stay out of the gossip and negativity
  6. Practice saying no, and simplify your life a bit
  7. Create healthy boundaries with how many strategy videos you’ll watch, how many other athletes you’ll watch and how many other people you’ll talk to about their plan of attack. 1-3 training partners or coaches is plenty
  8. Spend some qt outdoors, always helps ease the mind
  9. Get yourself to bed at a decent hour and turn off your electronics, do some non-CrossFit-related reading instead
  10. Have some fun and relax with your favorite people throughout the week, doing something other than training or judging
  11. Don’t watch any “behind the scenes,” games videos or “update shows”
  12. Don’t make it even more stressful by talking about all that you can’t control
  13. Limit the amount of caffeine you’re taking in, and spend some extra time unwinding
  14. Be still, and quiet (with no technology or interruptions) for at least 10 minutes a day (pray, meditate or just let your mind wander)
  15. Practice breathing and visualizations
  16. Stick to a powerful morning routine

Stop trying to keep up with everything on social media, everything your friends or competitors are doing, and everything on games.crossfit.com.

The more competitive you want to be, the more you’ll want to rely on your coaches to tell you what’s important to set yourself up for the best performance possible.

So many athletes want to FEEL calmer during this time of year, but they aren’t willing to make any changes.

Are you going to do things a little differently so that you can be confident and more relaxed this season?

What will you implement from the list above?

Comment below.

When To Stop Asking Why

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“Know your WHY.” You hear myself and other leaders say it all of the time.

I encourage you to know your purpose behind doing whatever it is you’re currently doing. Before any event, important day or training session, I suggest you run through a few key reminders why it matters to you, why you want to give it your best and why you want to accomplish your goals.

The stronger your why, the stronger your will. The more connected you are with your purpose for doing something, the more likely you’ll pursue excellence in it. Your why matters.

But, there are also times when asking “why” is a flat-out waste of time. Searching for answers as to “why” something occurred can be a huge distraction, it can send you into a rut and it can paralyze to a point where you become inactive.

See continuing to ask yourself WHY you’re pursuing what you’re pursing is incredibly valuable.

But, continuing to search for why something has occurred (and beating yourself up over it, or staying down for wayyyy too long because you don’t understand how it’s possible) is not helpful.

Sometimes there aren’t clear answers for things events that happen. You get injured or sick. A loved one gets cancer. Someone says something terribly hurtful. You have to deal with something that your friends don’t. Something happens in your life that shocks the hell out of you. Of course you’ll want to investigate the situation and try to understand it as best as you can to see if there are any ways to mitigate the pain or learn anything. Then, it’s probably best to ACCEPT it for what it is currently (that means it can change) and look for ways you can be proactive with what you’re given.

Crazy shit happens. People do fucked up things. Unfortunate, terrible trauma is real and totally sucks. But, is it healthy for you to continue down the path of “why, why, why, why, why, why, why….?” Or, is it better for you to talk it out, pray, help whoever you can, get busy living the best life possible with whatever capabilities you do have, speak up, get away, cry it out, hug your loved ones, journal, share, get help, improve your health, and continue to look for ways to do great things in spite of whatever is going on?

Know your purpose and remind yourself of your WHY throughout your day. Let go of the pursuit of WHY when it’s only making you feel more confused, down, upset, frustrated, anxious or helpless.You might not be able to change the situation, therefore you can only change your response to it.

  •  Remote coaching for anyone looking to improve: email dawn@drivenmindtraining.com for your free assessment

 
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Is Overplanning Limiting Your Success?

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Some people are just natural planners. Some spend A LOT of time preparing by evaluating data, studying strategies and developing specific steps for future events. Some even come up with Plan A, B, C, D, E…. in an attempt to establish a comprehensive plan for every freaking imaginable situation.

This can be a helpful practice, but it can also be very demanding. It can limit your ability to be present, confident and calm. Excessive planning can lead to anxiety, disappointment, stunted creativity, lack of trust and scattered focus. I also have seen “overplanning” actually hinder performance and limit success.

No, I’m not saying that having a plan is a bad idea. I am suggesting that some of us who plan a lot (strategize a lot, prepare a lot and constantly try to decipher what will be the best way to do things) would benefit from offsetting that thinking pattern.

How do you offset your overplanning tendency? Here are some of my suggestions.

  1. Incorporate surprise workouts throughout your training
  2. Practice embracing changes in your plan and looking at them as opportunities to adapt and flow
  3. Focus on winning the inner battles instead of the outcome
  4. Find the benefits in trials, challenges and discomfort that may come when your “plan” doesn’t work out
  5. Reflect on the positives of change
  6. Read, study and pray on how to improve your faith to improve on your ability to trust that you’ll know what to do when you’re in the upcoming situation, practicing trusting yourself (and or God)
  7. Practice “not knowing.” Intentionally practice not looking at every single detail of an upcoming event, or not investigating every possibility for your next workout or trip, practice not planning every hour of your day, or constantly managing details about the future, etc.

I often remind myself to have like a 75/25 (planning/trust) outlook. I use this concept when coaching the incredible athletes I get to work with too. Meaning, I’ll have a template for how I want things to go, with some preparation involved, but also remind myself that I work best when I can trust that I’ll be guided correctly when the time comes. I can rely on my ability to adapt, make good choices, and use past experiences to guide me.

I remember that I perform better, and live better, when I’m not 100% structured, and can be more present. I can be more fluid, passionate, energized and I have more fun when I’m not so hung up on every aspect of how things are going to go. It’s kinda like having an outline for a presentation instead of reading directly off of the damn power point slides.

Besides, after struggling with anxiety for many years, I know my tendency is to analyze, decipher and plan more than necessary. Now, I intentionally offset that tendency with many thought patterns and practices that help improve my outlook and attitude. Cause, too much planning can definitely kill the magic.

Comment below.

 

3 Reasons You Don’t Perform Better In Competitions

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Do you perform better in training and practice than you do in competitions? Do you feel like you just can’t “put it all together” when it matters the most? Do you often finish events feeling frustrated, down or pissed off at yourself for underperforming?

What the hell is going on here?

1. Training intensity – Are you pushing yourself in your training regularly? Do you train with others who help you dig deeper and push harder? Or, do you find that you’re working hard in practice, but it fails in comparison to what you feel on competition day?

Train with others who are better than you, or near the same level as you but who work their asses off. Travel to work with other training partners or coaches who can challenge you. Seek after competition in your training so that you can get used to pushing the intensity as much as possible.

2. Competition experience – Have you competed in many events throughout your athletic career? Have you put yourself in a variety of competition scenarios that challenge you in different ways? Have you been intentional about sitting down with a coach after events or games to go over crucial learning lessons and then creating plans for how to improve in those areas?

If you’re feeling like your nerves get the best of you, or you mess up your execution during competition, it would be helpful to get some coaching and more experience.

Just because you compete a lot, doesn’t mean you’re getting better at competing. You have to learn what areas you can improve on and HOW to get better.

Sign up for a variety of competitions (outside of your sport, within your sport, partner or group competitions, local or national competitions, etc.) and take notes about hurdles and takeaways. Review your plan and your post-event thoughts with a coach to eliminate making similar errors in the future.

3. Mental performance – Do you make a mental prep plan before competitions? Do you know what thoughts and actions will help you when you begin to feel flustered or upset in a competition? Do you practice controlling your body language, facial expressions, breathing and communication strategies? Do you know how to dig deep when it matters most?

You may know that the “mental component” of competition is important, but you’re not sure exactly what that means or how to train it. To perform your best in an event, you have to mentally prepare, develop strategies, practice composure, build confidence and instill mental toughness. You gotta practice this BEFORE the competition comes so that you know what works for you and can make it more habitual. You don’t just get the mental edge, you have to DEVELOP the mental edge.

Are You Willing Enough?

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If you’re ready to dig in and you’re willing to try, then you’re going to get to the next level. But, when you become unwilling, you shut down opportunities for growth. When you act like you have it all figured out, or like you don’t need any help, then you immediately become stagnant.

Remember, mental strength comes from recognizing that you have areas to work on, and fighting to improve no matter what. 

Do you get pissed off when others point out something you’re doing poorly or inefficiently?

Do you tune people out when they’re make a suggest that could help you?

Do you dislike introspection?

Are you willing to see if your unwillingness is holding you back? HAHAHA, I don’t even know if that’s possible, but I just cracked myself up. Anyways…

Are you unwilling to 

– admit weakness?

– learn about your anxiety?

– talk about your fears and failures?

– try to grow from your past?

– hear another opinion or perspective?

– let go of unhealthy or unhelpful patterns?

– try another method?

– look at things differently?

– discover what’s holding you back?

Your willingness is key to growth and peak performance. All greatness starts with willingness to do whatever it takes, no matter how uncomfortable it gets.

Ways to become more willing 

  1. Ask for feedback and suggestions
  2. Seek coaching
  3. Reflect, do journal drills, mediate or pray
  4. Chat with your inner circle about your real feelings and emotions
  5. Share your struggles on any platform
  6. Be receptive by thanking others for their help and keeping your body language open
  7. Learn from others (identify what you want to emulate, and what you want to do differently)