Methods to control sports anxiety are:
(a) Training from within (Autogenic training): It consists of a series of mental exercises to bring about general warmth in the body. When we experience a negative thought of losing or someone doing better than us the anxiety level goes high. Here we have to start with a positive thinking that we will do our best. We have to set a picture in our mind by stopping negative thoughts and giving self-suggestions to mind. This process is difficult as one needs to have full control over one's mind and feelings.
(b) Breathing technique: This technique is best to reduce or manage anxiety. A player is tense, stressed, under pressure before any sport. Deep breath or concentrating in deep inhalation helps to relax our muscles, release tension. Do it slowly and calmly. Take a deep breathe again and allow your whole body to relax. As we breathe out, anxiety is controlled and we can give out our best.
(c) Meditation: This method is the yogic practice of developing concentration on a specific thought or object. It can be used to remove anxiety and remain focussed on the game or sport. It is a good method to remove excessively heavy. useless and troublesome thoughts or experiences from our mind.
(d) Psycho-Somatic Adjustment: Adjustment of bodily processes is impossible without the control of cognitive processes. During anxiety change is witnessed in heartbeat, respiration and muscular tension etc., Adjustment and control of these functions bring about corresponding changes in the tone. Here the attempt is to make a person feel relaxed by and control his thinking process.
(e) Bio-feedback: It is a strategy based on the premise that a human being with practise can voluntarily control and modify autonomic activity of the body. With this technique one learns to monitor through auditory or visual signals his heart rate and experiment with feelings, thoughts and sensations which can help him stabilize the working of his heart under highly stressful conditions. It acts as an objective device for providing a direction on which the athlete may focus his attention.
(f) Visualisation: Imagery or mental process is an important ingredient of mental practise, mental rehearsal and cognitive rehearsal and visualization technique. Imagining a scene on the mental screen not only creates a permanent image on the mind but also helps the individual to translate it into real performance. This concept helps an athlete to put a sudden stop to negative thoughts and replace them with more useful and positive thoughts. Mental practice of skill under social stresses has been successfully used to overcome external as well as internal forces and factors in games and competitions.
(g) Cognitive strategies: A certain behaviour is associated with certain situations. factors which might be anxiety producing. We call it behaviour modification strategy. One needs to have some guidance from an expert usually a trained and competent sports psychologist. It is a highly difficult technique and takes several years of practise to control our thought process.
Conclusion: Use of anxiety management technique is greatly dependent on the type of athlete, his level of experience, intelligence, coach and facilities. No single technique is flawless.
