Performance Anxiety: How it Helps and Hurts

Imagine stepping up onto the blocks before your big race. You notice your hands are clammy, your legs are shaking, your heart is beating out of your chest, and your mind is racing with a million fearful thoughts like what if you don’t swim well or make a mistake. You may be experiencing performance anxiety.

What is Performance Anxiety? 

Performance anxiety is an excess of nervousness, dread, or fear related to underperforming that impacts your body and mind and can negatively impact performance. ¹

Some athletes notice performance anxiety right before competition, but it can also show up the night before, the week before, or even just in training! Many athletes describe it as feeling like they’re under the spotlight, oftentimes feeling intense pressure to perform well, comparisons to others, or feeling afraid to make mistakes. ² Performance anxiety shows up physically (e.g., upset stomach, sweaty palms, racing heart, etc.), mentally (racing thoughts, catastrophizing, etc.), and/or behaviorally (fidgeting, restlessness, difficulty focusing, difficulty sleeping, etc.) with most athletes experiencing a combination. ²

Anxiety as a Good Thing?

Anxiety usually gets a bad rap – but it can actually be really helpful! From a biological perspective, anxiety exists to prepare our body for a challenge. ⁹ Those nerves you feel before a big race actually signal your brain to release hormones to help prepare your body to tackle the upcoming challenge. ⁹ Or that little voice in the back of your head that worries about an upcoming test might prompt you to study for it. So, a little bit of anxiety is actually really helpful! The problem is when we experience too much anxiety. ³ 

When is Anxiety Too Much?

Too much anxiety takes you out of the present moment. When it’s too much, it might feel like you are distracted with how you feel or feeling fearful of the outcome rather than focused on executing the task at hand. Unchecked anxiety can result in muscle tension, digestive issues, fatigue, shortness of breath, and increased heart rate – all of which can make it harder to perform well. ²

Ready to Address Performance Anxiety?

First step—focus on observing how you feel without judgment. Once you notice what is happening you are better equipped to create a game plan to address it. Then, consider the following strategies:

1. Adopt a growth mindset. View challenges/setbacks as opportunities to learn rather than negatively defining moments. Can you focus on being the best at learning/adapting instead of focusing on performing at your best all of the time? You didn’t get off the block fast enough? That’s okay, nobody’s perfect. Now you know what to focus on for next time. Didn’t get your breaths/strokes, right? That’s alright—every race you swim is another opportunity to practice. Your mindset matters! ^{4, 5} 
2. Focus on process over outcome. This one can be tough for athletes because of course you’re focused on the outcomes! Outcomes make for great goals, but focusing on them too much can build unnecessary pressure. Instead, focus on what is in control: your warmup, your mindset, your effort, your technique, your breathing, etc. For example, instead of focusing on racing a personal best, shift focus to perfecting race technique from the start to the final touch. ² 
3. Take control of your breathing. Diaphragmatic (belly) breathing is effortful and intentional breathwork meant to calm nerves and sharpen focus. It is a great way to slow your heart rate down, especially if feeling anxious. The goal is to fill your belly up with as much air as you can (kind of like you’re blowing up a balloon), with minimal movement of your chest. Then hold the air in your belly for a few seconds and then gently and slowly, exhale all the air out of your body (your exhale should be longer than your inhale). Repeat this process for as long as you need. Many athletes adopt belly breathing into their pre-performance, mid-performance, and post-performance routines. ^{6, 8} Breathing is not just important to manage anxiety—but can help you with your swimming technique. Be sure to check out how to master proper freestyle breathing and butterfly breathing.
4. Use helpful self-talk. Your words matter. Use them to help performance not hurt it. Many athletes use key words/phrases to help them stay on track with their process goals or to build confidence, which can lessen performance anxiety.  Some might think, “focus on my stroke” or “keep pushing” during a race. Others might say, “lock in” or “just breathe” before a race. Consider what might be helpful for you! ^{2, 6, 7, 8}
5. Consider your warm-up. Preparation and practice are the keys to success!
6. Try working with a sport psychologist!

By: Maria Michels, PsyD

Sources

1. APA Dictionary of Psychology. (2018, April 19). Dictionary.apa.org. https://dictionary.apa.org/performance-anxiety
2. Beenen, K., Vosters, J., & Patel, D. (2025). Sport-related performance anxiety in young athletes: a clinical practice review. Translational Pediatrics, 14(1), 127-138. doi:10.21037/tp-24-258
3. Yerkes, R. M., & Dodson, J. D. (1908). The relation of strength of stimulus to rapidity of habit-formation. Journal of Comparative Neurology and Psychology, 18(5), 459–482. https://doi.org/10.1002/cne.920180503
4. Dweck C. S.(2006). Mindset: The New Psychology of Success. New York, NY: Random House.
5. The Influence of Growth Mindset on the Mental Health and Life Events of College Students
6. Tao, W., Zhao, D., Yue, H., Horton, I., Tian, X., Xu, Z., & Sun, H.-J. (2022). The Influence of Growth Mindset on the Mental Health and Life Events of College Students. Frontiers in Psychology, 13(1), 1–8. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.821206
7. Rowland, D. L., Moyle, G., & Cooper, S. E. (2021). Remediation Strategies for Performance Anxiety across Sex, Sport and Stage: Identifying Common Approaches and a Unified Cognitive Model. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18(19), 10160. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph181910160
8. Niering, M., Monsberger, T., Seifert, J., & Muehlbauer, T. (2023). Effects of Psychological Interventions on Performance Anxiety in Performing Artists and Athletes: A Systematic Review with Meta-Analysis. Behavioral Sciences, 13(11), 910. https://doi.org/10.3390/bs13110910
9. Bragdon, L. (2024). The Neurobiology of Anxiety Disorders. Neuroscience and Psychiatry: Open Access, 7(5), 259–261. https://doi.org/10.47532/npoa.2024.7(5).259-261