Freeze-Flight-Fight-Lift⚡️How to Harness Your Competition Day Anxiety
“Worrying doesn’t empty tomorrow of its sorrows; it empties today of its strengths.”
My wake up call was a blast of adrenal that shot me straight up out of bed like the plastic figure in the “Don’t Wake Daddy” game. My heart beat was in my ear drums but I could still here my thoughts.. “Why am I making myself go through with this? There is no way I am going to make it through today! What if I faint? What if I fuck up? What if I can’t stop panicking?”
It may sound like I am waking up the morning of my own execution.. But no, it was just a local powerlifting meet.
The feeling of hot searing panic surging through my whole circulatory system was not an unfamiliar one.. Growing up with a panic disorder, I had probably had thousands of instances just like this one.
Your anxiety can make you want to flight, freeze, or fight…this is our body’s reaction to stressful events. When we perceive a threat, our body activates this response and releases hormones (like epinephrine and adrenaline) to prepare us to fight off the saber tooth tiger… or a more modern day psychological stressor like a big exam.
The problem is, this response is physically, mentally, and emotionally exhausting. During a bought of anxiety or a panic attack we tend to tense our muscles up and adrenaline mobilizes a lot of glucose and energy.. yep, the same stuff you are going to need for your meet!
To me, all anxiety is- is extra energy. And you can either use it up to freeze, flight, or fight or you can reprogram yourself to take a different course. If you have/had a panic disorder like me, you actually can have an advantage if you can teach yourself that performance is not a threat and instead it is time to LIFT! Learn to focus and harness that energy..And suddenly you have a super power.
You may say “easier said than done.” You are correct. It took about a dozen competitions for me to see through my anxiety and perform beyond it. It takes PRACTICE! The mind is a powerful thing.
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Now I am not saying that you shouldn’t be nervous and should be carefree lala before your competition. I get it.. .you poured so many hours, blood, sweat, tears, and money into your prep. The fact you are anxious just shows You are PASSIONATE about your lifting! And people who do and live with passion do it best! With that said, you DESERVE to have a meet free of the weight of anxiety on your back! It’s time to dive in and attack this!
Here are 7 tips to start practicing, performing at competition better and harnessing your own super power….
Have a Plan
With all my clients I have a meet sheet that goes through ALL warm up attempts, openers, seconds, thirds and what if this and thats… write it down! In KG and LBs! An hour of planning before hand can go a long way.
Visualize your plan while training and meditating
A lot of people get anxious because they are in an unfamiliar place with different bars, weights, and environment. It is much harder to focus on your lifts when you are trying to figure out what warm-up jump to go to next. Practice these same jumps in training. Do your lifts just like you will on game day.
Prepare yourself for things to go not to plan
You are unshakable. Have to deter from your warm ups 10lbs? So WHAT! Someone was a bitch to you in the warm up room? POOF! Your shitty ex texts you when you are “in the hole”? POOF! That does not matter. What matters is you lifting the weight under the conditions you are presented with. Meets are NOT perfect and the atmosphere may not be your ideal. I mean, Hatebreed might be blasting all day and then you get stuck with Alanis Morrisette for your 3rd attempt deadlift! You must get used to going within for your motivation instead of your environment.
Learn to manage your anxiety outside of the gym
Learning how to manage your anxiety and finding out what helps you in the moment will help you in and outside the gym. Practicing thought management and turning the negative what if’s into positive what if’s and visualization has helped me tremendously.
Chill on the caffeine
Caffeine can help your performance.. if you aren’t already shaking with adrenaline. If you are feeling hyped up or on edge skip the caffeine at least for your first lifts. I actually don’t have caffeine until the 2nd or 3rd event in strongman. I just have a lot of natural jittery energy! And too much caffeine/adrenaline means a bigger and premature crash.
Accept support and help
Having a handler who knows what they are doing is so nice. They can let you know how far out you are from lifting, help you time your warm ups, and feed you cadury eggs. If you don’t have a handler (like I didn’t at my first meet) Go at least make a friend or two! You will be surprised how many people will help you out and/or cheer you on! My first meet someone else’s coach literally took me under their wing, Now, I wouldn;t rely on getting free coaching.. But moral of the story is- people WANT to help. So don’t be afraid to ask questions or for a lift off if you need it!
TBH you are the only one who cares…
A lot of our anxiety comes from fear of embarrassment or failure in front of our peers. The WORST thing that could happen at a meet is that you bomb out. And honestly, I don’t remember who had a “good” meet and who had a “bad” meet. You are your harshest critique. Sorry to say it.. But most people don’t care as much as you do about your total. Your mom, golf buds, and coworkers will just think it’s cool or weird and be proud of you anyway! As much as hitting your goals is important..if you don’t.. There is always another meet. So have a good time.