Relieving Sports Anxiety with Music

The use of music in relieving stress has long been studied, and has in fact been proven to be effective. So, needless to say, music can also be a great tool for helping athletes cope with performance anxiety, most particularly with the pregame jitters.

The performance anxiety or pressure that most athletes, including the professional ones, usually experience before the start of a game can cause many athletes to fold and fail to perform at their best. This is because anxiety can have a significant negative impact on the athletes' mental game, affecting their sports performance in return. Often these pregame jitters came as result of getting overexcited about competing and worrying too much about the result of the game. In both cases, music can do a lot to help athletes achieve a stable mental game and focus on the competition.

Be it a jazz music or a hard rock broadcast blaring from a loud speaker system, music can help calm the pregame nerves, distracting the mind away from the worries and helping one let go of the pressure and stress surrounding the game. It works by suspending one's attention about the match or competition that is about to take place, and instead focusing it on something positive. Many athletes who are listening to music while training or using it as a pregame relaxation tool believes that music works this wonder by tuning up the cardiovascular system, helping them get into the rhythm, which is necessary for a focused and smooth performance. Hence, athletes experiencing intense sport performance anxiety must consider including music in their pregame mental preparation.