Do you struggle with pre-game nerves?
I was the same.
I fixed it.
At first.
I wasn’t aware I was nervous before basketball games.
But I was getting physical symptoms.
Stomach cramps.
Hyper fixation.
Extreme superstition.
Focusing on things that could go wrong.
My body was entering fight or flight mode without me realizing it.
My performance was failing.
I had to ask myself why.
One thing I knew for certain.
Continued habits will lead to continued results.
Here are the steps I took to dominate the anxiety pre-game.
Learn about myself
No change is possible without awareness.
You are unable to grow if you don’t realize there is room for growth.
I did this a few ways.
- Daily mindfulness on the calm app.
- Talking to loved ones.
- Paying attention to my mind pregame.
Here are some questions you can ask yourself:
- What am I thinking about?
- What am I focusing on?
- How am I feeling physically?
- What emotions am I currently experiencing?
These are the types of questions I would ask myself.
Studying my patterns and behavior was the first step to improving.
Test new ways of thinking
I had to accept that my old ways of thinking weren't as efficient as they could be.
I had to make a change.
Research became my best friend.
Looking at other great athletes and public speakers on how they handled stress.
Below are some of my favorite techniques that worked for me.
Gratitude practice
Right before I step onto the court I stop.
Take a big breath.
Look at all the people there to watch us play.
And think:
"I'm so grateful they take time out of their busy lives and spend their hard earnt money to watch me play."
Find what gratitude works for you.
You can focus on:
- Parents.
- Loved ones.
- The opportunity to play.
- Teammates.
- Etc.
This took months of practice.
At first, I could only focus for a split second on gratitude.
Now there is a sense of calmness as I look into the crowd.
High fives
One tool that has helped me is physical touch.
Every time I become nervous I find someone to high five.
Togetherness and trust are best shown with a high five.
Nothing helps me more than getting around a teammate.
Focusing on learning
I go into games with a focus on improving and learning as much as I can. This is controllable.
- What works on the defensive end?
- How to be a better teammate?
- What more can I do to impact winning?
Failure will occur at some point in the game.
It's inevitable.
I had to train my brain to view my failures as learning experiences.
Focusing on having fun
Having fun is one of my main priorities.
I don’t mean short-term fun.
I focus on long-term enjoyment and satisfaction.
This has been key to finding sustained success in my career.
Here are some mental controllables to focus on:
- Celebrating others' success.
- Being me.
- Enjoying the moment.
- Playing hard.
- Being present.
- Lifting up others around me.
Review and Reflect
Try some of these ideas.
Take note of how you feel before and after.
You are an individual.
Some of these will work better than others.
Do your own research.
It's up to you to find out what works for you.
Let's break down the steps I took:
1. Learn about yourself.
2. Test new ways of thinking.
3. Review before and after.
Give it a go.
This can take time.
Don’t be hard on yourself.
Try and enjoy the process of improving.
You’ve got this.