by Visves
(Chennai)
Hi Coach,
I suffer from performance anxiety before and while I play for my cricket team.How can I overcome this?
Thanks Visves
Hi Visves,
check out this link to an article I wrote which deals with how to get into the “Zone” and stay there. It explains what creates performance anxiety and some mental toughness tips to help bring it under your control.
Cricket Mental Toughness: How To Get Into The Zone
Allied to this is to look at what you are thinking about that is making you anxious before and during matches.
In doing this you can begin to consciously use your mind to take control of your thinking processes and focus.
Here is a simple exercise that can help, make two lists, ‘List One’ is all the things you can control to do with your performance . ‘List Two’ is all the things you can’t control.
When you have completed the two lists you can break them down into topics like technique, game plan, equipment, coaches, opposition, parents and friends, weather, media etc etc.
On ‘List One’ look at the areas that are important to performance and you can prioritise these as key performance areas … KPA 1, 2, 3 etc .
Then begin with KPA 1. … go to work on these priority KPA’s one at a time so that you can grow your game.
On ‘List Two’ you can see the areas outside of your control that have been using up your mental energy and distracting your focus and damaging your performance.
Keep working through the “List One” KPA’s as you continue to improve your game.
The more you improve these areas, the quieter your mind will be and the easier it will be to get into the “Zone” and stay there.
best wishes Coach
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About Richard Pybus
I'm Richard Pybus, I've coached Pakistan, Bangladesh, Middlesex, Titans and the Cape Cobras in South Africa and the goal of this site is to help you to play winning cricket.