Explore the sophisticated psychological toolkit elite athletes use to manage crushing pre-competition anxiety, backed by analysis of over 1,000 studies. Learn the crucial difference between eustress (performance-enhancing nerves) and distress (performance-destroying anxiety), why mindfulness for athletes isn't about calm but about cognitive control, and how techniques like imagery, self-talk, and arousal regulation actually change brain function. Discover why individual sport athletes face different anxiety challenges than team athletes, how gender influences anxiety management, and what neuroscience reveals about decision-making under pressure.

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