Performance anxiety can be absolutely crippling. It has nothing to do with how smart or well-prepared we are, it is all about feeling vulnerable and stressed about having to prove yourself to others, and being afraid to fail.

Anxiety is a feeling, secondary to the emotion of fear. A feeling is an emotion, to which we have attached a meaning, a thought, and a belief. I am #anxious because I am afraid (#emotion) that I will fail or not obtain my goal (#negativethought) because I am not good or smart enough (#limitingbelief).

This kind of self-induced pressure (the « I have to slay this or else ») makes our "fight-or-flight" mechanism kick in, resulting in physical symptoms like sweating, stomach pains, trembling, a fast pounding heart, rapid breathing,  etc.

In this podcast, you will find a guided anxiety relaxation meditation (starting at 7'45 ), to help you back to calm.

There are many different ways in which #Sophrology, #CBT, and #Mindfulness can help us with #performanceanxiety. You are very welcome to connect if you'd like to find out more.