Video transcript:
The dreaded pre-game jitters. We’ve all probably experienced them before and they’ve probably wrecked our performance a time two. But I’m not convinced that it is the nerves that themselves that wreck our performance but it’s more that we don’t know what they are, why they happen, and how we can handle them.
Now typically this only happens before an event that we think is pretty important. And on top of that, our success is uncertain and we are being evaluated by others, or at least we perceive that we’re being evaluated by others. And our brains recognize this and they begin to prepare our bodies for action. So, our heart rate goes up in order to increase blood flow to our muscles, our breathing rate goes up in order to increase oxygen intake, our pupils dilate to improve vision and our blood vessels will actually constrict in non-essential areas like our digestive system and dilate in our muscles and a whole bunch of other physiological symptoms, all with the purpose of preparing our bodies perform.
This is why you might notice before a big game of competition that your heart seems like it’s beating out of your chest or you’re breathing really fast or your palms are really sweaty. You might even feel nauseous. This is your body’s fight or flight response to stress. But I don’t think these bodily symptoms are actually what causes problems when it comes to performing our best. So stay tuned for part two to find out what is.