As an athlete, performer or competitor, getting nervous, tight, or any way physically tense, even in a very subtle way will hinder your ability to perform and is one of the major mental blocks. I operate under this principle: Performance = Potential – Interference. Meaning, you will play, compete or perform your best when you have no interference or mental/emotional blocks.

mental block called nervousness

To be able to clear this mental block called nervousness, it is extremely helpful to understand it first and then you can take it apart. Let me explain your solution to this problem using my 4-step R.A.C.E. Formula for mental toughness which I developed from my experience working with thousands of athletes and performers over the years.

Why the 4-step R.A.C.E. Formula?

This is the vehicle that will transport you to clearing this block. It is what I use for everything now to help my clients acquire mental toughness.

MENTAL TOUGHNESS FORMULA: 4 STEP R.A.C.E.

1. R stands for Relentless
It means you must be relentless about your ability and desire to change these bodily and nervous system reactions that seemingly are out of your control. They are not. I give you the tools to believe you can change this and to actually do it. You just cannot give up on it and, I promise you, it will go away sooner than you think. How? This video starts the process for you.

2. A stands for Awareness
So let us go there on this mental block. Nervousness is simply the fear response. Flight or fight.

It’s a survival mechanism that has helped us humans become the most successful species on the planet. Fear is an emotion that has as its function, to protect your body. Now, why would we get the fear response when we’re performing or about to perform? What’s the fear our body is automatically triggering? Generally, it’s fear of failure or sometimes, fear of success.

What happens to the body when encountered with fear?

You lose your fine motor skills and ability to think straight.

Here’s the thing, your body doesn’t know the difference between you’re being afraid to fail at this competition and you facing a grizzly bear or tiger while walking in the woods. It is the same chemical and electrical reactions happening in your body and what it’s trying to do for you is send all of your resources, energy, blood, adrenaline to the big muscles of your body, in order to physically protect yourself or to run, and in some cases, to freeze like a deer in the headlights.

You lose your fine motor skills and ability to think straight.

3. C is for Clear
You see, I believe that there is always a reason why we do everything we do and there is a reason why we respond and react like we do and that goes for the fear response just the same. You have to clear the reason why you fear failure or success. Here’s the kicker, you have to do it at the inner mind, or bodily level. You can’t just think it.

Follow this scenario for example:

You:
“I’m afraid of blowing it this next game or performance because if I do, then I won’t be able to make it to the next level. Or, I might get kicked out of the level I’m at.”

Makes sense right? You can relate, I’m sure. Then let’s say you run into a mental coach or sport psychologist.

Coach:
“Well, even if you do blow it or choke, you can still come back, learn from the experience and use your determination to be better the next time.”