Overcoming Performance Slumps: A Complete Guide to Getting Back on Track Every athlete, performer, or student experiences periods when their performance drops. These moments—known as performance slumps—can feel frustrating, confusing, and discouraging. You may train hard, study consistently, or practice every day, yet suddenly the results don’t match the effort. The good news is that slumps are completely normal and completely fixable. They don’t define your abilities; they simply highlight areas where growth is about to happen.