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Enhance Your
Performance
 What is Performance Fear?
Performance fear or performance anxiety takes on different forms. However, it is associated with
the growing awareness and the need to perform according to the standard of your own field of
activity, whether in the workplace, or an upcoming presentation, or for a sports activity. With the
pressure to perform one's best, there is always this preconditioned mindset for the person
suffering from performance fear that anything could go wrong that will eventually impact your
performance and reduce it to failure.
Studies are still ongoing to determine exactly the cause of this fear but it is closely tied up to
one's desire to do better at something. However, you need to understand that experiencing
performance fear is completely normal. But some often have unrealistic fear or misconception about
given situations that impair their logical decision making capacities and end up in your not
performing up to standard.
Different Types of Performance Anxiety
There are various types of performance fears or anxiety, whether at the workplace, sex, speech
delivery, or sports. Therefore, the ways in which you deal with them must differ as well. Below are
some basic methods suggested in order to minimize the level of fear associated with performing
these different tasks and the level of anxiety that is entailed.
Sports
The best way to get rid of any performance fears associated when competing at a sports event is to
take it easy on yourself. Even the world's best sportsmen or women have their days off, wherein
they do not perform at their maximum potential. When engaged in sports, you cannot expect to win
all the time and you will find your team lose on some occasions. Whatever your sport, setting
realistic goals is then the first step that will help you deal with sports performance fears and
anxiety. However, you can turn that adrenaline produced by your anxious feelings into energy that
you can harness to perform better at your sport. And when you are on the actual performance, try to
enjoy the experience and you will find the process of competition more rewarding.
Speech Delivery
Several people have this fear of speaking in public. Much of that fear is produced by the pressure
of having to deliver a flawless speech that is able to communicate the message to the audience
effectively. Instead of letting that fear overtake you, harness it into a systematic plan that will
ensure you have control over the situation.
Here are added tips you can apply:
• Carefully plan ahead your speech.
• Do some research to be well-equipped about the topic you are going to deliver a speech on, even
when you are already an 'expert' at that field.
• Practice. Practice. Practice.
• Plan ahead the schedule and venue where the speech is going to be held.
Workplace
There are a few innately stressful jobs that require high level of standards for their employees to
meet. To keep up with performance anxiety, you need to stop and talk about it, with either your
boss, co-workers, or family members. Being in isolation and confronting your fears alone could
increase the fear or make the situation worse. It is important to have the support of other
people.
Then, change your perspective. There are moments wherein there are job inadequacies but use that as
a learning curve. Aiming for perfectionism is good but you need to realize that it is unachievable.
Just try to focus on what you can contribute to the company instead of what you are failing to
deliver.
Managing and Overcoming This Fear
You need to understand that you have power over your fear, especially when it determines how well
you perform at something. Then, think of the following steps that must be taken in order for you to
overcome these fears:
• Try to identify the source of your problematic perception or anything that could trigger such
fears.
• Then, once you have identified the outside source for such levels of anxiety, look into
yourself.
Determine how you react to it and why you react that way.
• Refrain from criticizing yourself nor questioning your ability to perform.
• Instead of letting fear consume you, make the necessary preparations needed for your
performance, whether at a sports event or at the workplace.
• Once you are through with the performance, do not focus on areas of mistakes or failures in a
way
that it impairs your self-confidence. Instead, look at them as areas that need improvement
in order
for you to do better in your next performance.
Obviously, a great tool reported to help with performance anxiety is to use the QuWave
Harmonizer!
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