No matter the sport, there is an expectation placed on every athlete to perform at their best. This pressure can lead to anxiety related to performance, leading to decreased performance per athlete standards. Treatment involves working on managing the nerves and setting the athlete up for success using behavioral and cognitive techniques proven to increase performance and decrease anxiety over time.

Many athletes believe that the key to success is striving for perfection and never accepting anything less. The evidence an athlete uses for this mindset is that they have achieved many of their goals this way but being hard on themselves. Interestingly, progress and increased performance do not stop when we learn to be kinder to ourselves.

As an athlete, it is tempting to believe that the only thing that matters is your sport and your performance within your sport. That can lead to increased pressure and many athletes struggle to find their identity apart from their identity as an athlete. By looking away from the sport and identifying other values and characteristics that are important to the athlete, some of the pressures may melt away leading to a more fulfilling life with increased performance.