Our pre-race jitters need to be normalised, so that we are not resisting the feelings and escalating it to a level it need not be at.
Make friends with the thoughts, say yes to the feelings.
Much of the anxiety we experience is made of the resistance to the nerves we feel, which escalates it to a level that does not match the threat. As we build towards race day, we become nervous about nerves, stressed about stress and anxious about anxiety.
All of this, if you truly track it, are feelings that are arising in your body. That body of yours is far more intelligent than you give it credit for.
The mind, though, is trying to micro-manage every conceivable thing including your feelings and emotions. It sees the feelings and emotions as a threat and takes the story to defcon 5.
Your body is now reacting to the new incoming information that pandemonium is about to break loose and we need to brace the body at emergency levels to get ready for fight or flight.
So I know, I know, what can we do about it?
You can stop resisting by using thoughts and stories to build a reason for what you are feeling and go to the source of the feeling instead. Otherwise, you are allowing the mind to build a picture of all the possible catastrophic events that could take place, rather than just dealing with them as they are.
Let the body feel what it wants to feel and stay with that. Don’t get involved in a fistfight with your own mind and body.
The thoughts are going to come. I’m not suggesting they won’t, but if you can stay grounded and non resistant to what you are feeling, they will pass.
When we build the story, we follow the thoughts into a rabbit hole of escalation. If you can manage to stay where you are, you won’t get lost in yourself and become a victim to your own thinking.
Not only are the nerves not negative, they are a requirement. It’s the message your body sends you to let you know it is preparing your energy for war and resilience.
If you are not “feeling” nervousness, you don’t care enough.
Don’t resist it, celebrate it!
You are right where you are meant to be.
Gilesy