How do I face tournaments and competitions after a long break, such as the COVID-19 pandemic?
It has been a few rough months for most of the players. During the months, few of the players might have had limited or no access to train or compete, putting them in a situation where they may not know what to expect from themselves at the competition.
Although a feeling of excitement could be prevalent amongst a few players, the imbalance between over-expectation and under-expectation impacts and influences the performance. There could be a sense of fear or anxiety that might prevail due to the expectations. It is normal to expect to beat one’s previous best however it is best to strike a balance in terms of your expectations.
Here are a few things you can keep in mind to manage your expectations and performance efficiently:
- Accept your reality – Whether you have been practicing or not, you might have days when you aren’t able to give your 100% . Let these days enable you to learn and comprehend your weakness so that you can work on those.
- Anxiety hits you when you feel that you aren’t in control of something – So control the controllable. It is very important to look at the things you can take control off. In any situation, when you feel that you aren’t in control of it, you end up feeling anxious .
- Set a new benchmark – It is normal to under or over-expect performance from yourself after a break. Try to consider this brief period as a fresh start, looking at honing your skills and setting newer and fresh goals for tournaments and competitions.
- Focus on progress – Remember to look at your yesterday and see if you’re making progress. Even a small progress is progress. Focus on giving your best instead of looking ahead and beating yourself up about being the best.
- Remember, even your opponents had to take a break – Whether it’s your opponent or yourself, all of you were forced to take a break from the game. So remember, if you are feeling anxious, probably, the other person is feeling the same way too. It’s better to be empathetic and focus on your game (your controllable)