Anxiety is your body's alarm system — a stress response designed to prepare you for danger. In small doses before competition, it can sharpen focus. The problem isn't that anxiety exists; it's when the alarm goes off too often, too intensely, or without a clear trigger.

• Common physical signs: racing heart, tight chest, shallow breathing, restlessness, upset stomach
• Common mental signs: racing thoughts, difficulty concentrating, expecting the worst, feeling on edge
• Occasional anxiety before a big match is normal. Anxiety that shows up constantly, or without an obvious cause, is worth paying attention to

Anxiety doesn't always look like panic. Sometimes it looks like over-preparing, avoiding situations altogether, irritability, or trouble sleeping the night before something important.

• Notice patterns: does it show up before specific events, or does it feel constant?
• Notice what you do in response: do you avoid things, over-control things, or push through and crash afterward?
• None of these responses make you weak — they're just data about what your anxiety is trying to protect you from

Performance anxiety is extremely common among athletes at every level — it doesn't mean you're not cut out for competition, it means the stakes feel real to you.

• A racing heart before a match is often the same physical sensation as excitement — how you interpret it can shape how it affects you
• Preparation helps, but over-preparing to the point of exhaustion usually increases anxiety rather than reducing it
• If anxiety is consistently affecting your performance or your enjoyment of your sport, a sports psychologist can help — this is a normal, common resource for athletes, not a last resort

Grounding techniques work by giving your mind something concrete to focus on, which interrupts the spiral of anxious thoughts.

• Slow breathing: inhale for 4 seconds, hold for 4, exhale for 6 — repeat for a minute or two
• 5-4-3-2-1 method: name 5 things you can see, 4 you can hear, 3 you can touch, 2 you can smell, 1 you can taste
• Naming it out loud: simply saying "I'm feeling anxious right now" to yourself or someone else can reduce its intensity
• These are meant to calm the moment, not fix the underlying cause — if anxiety keeps returning, that's worth addressing with a professional

It's time to talk to a professional when anxiety starts running your decisions rather than just being a feeling you notice.

• You're avoiding training, competitions, or normal daily activities because of it
• It's disrupting your sleep, appetite, or ability to concentrate most days
• It's not going away with rest, time, or the techniques above
• Seeking help early tends to be far more effective than waiting until it feels unmanageable

You don't have to figure this out alone, and reaching out isn't a sign of weakness.

• Our Community Support page has a confidential way to reach out, plus local mental health resources by country
• A doctor, school counselor, or team medical staff can refer you to a mental health professional
• If anxiety ever comes with thoughts of harming yourself, please treat that as urgent and use the emergency resources on the Community page right away