Just thinking about being nervous is nerve racking. Whenever you are nervous about a situation, do you feel like running away or preparing for what is coming? At times, you THINK it might be easier to avoid the situation. Is this going to help you in the end? Most likely no. Avoiding anything will never help your personal growth.
Other times, your body is ready to protect itself. That adrenaline kicks in, you are ready for battle, and you feel like nothing is going to stop you. I bet you can name one of those times this happened to you right now. How did you get to this point? What made it so easy to fight compared to responding in flight?
Here is the thing, the body reacts the same way regardless of the nerve racking situation, it just depends on how you respond to the possible threat/situation. You start to feel your heart thumping, hands start to become cold, and body might start to sweat. When this happens you interpret it a certain way, either in fight or flight. Instead of thinking this is the body telling you that you are scared, have anxiety, stress, or nerves; think about why the body is doing this & use it to your advantage. Here are some examples:
- “Heart races”: body allowing large amounts of air flow through the lungs; extra strength
- “Hands Cold”: all blood moves through the organs to keep warm; energetic
- “Sweating”: Body cooling down & creating better body flow; adrenaline
Quote: Mike Tyson’s trainer Cus D’ Amato used to say, “the hero and the coward feel the exact same emotions. The difference is how they act after experiencing the feelings.”
Written by:
Sarah Grippi
Basketball Mindset