Why I felt anxious about sport and how I overcame it! – Sophie’s Story

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Hi everyone! In case you haven’t seen our recent posts, I am Sophie and I will be creating content surrounding women and their participation in sport, including ways to live a healthy and active lifestyle. Just some context about myself, I graduated from university in 2019 with BSc (Hons) Major Sport Studies and Minor Physical Education as well as completing a HND Sport, Coaching and Physical Education course. I love animals (especially my horses and dogs) and being outdoors. My hobbies include reading, eating and most recently, watching The Great British Bake Off.

So today I want to talk about how women (myself included) can experience anxiety at the thought of engaging in Sport and Physical Activity (PA).

There are many reasons you might feel anxious. It could be that you feel embarrassed about a perceived lack of skill, or that you are conscious about how your body looks to yourself and others.

A reason I found that was common within my friendship circle was the concern of not being “good” enough. It was so disheartening to see people I care about, believe that what they were thinking was even remotely true. Could they not see how great and accomplished they actually were?!?

If you hadn’t have guessed by my degree, PE was my favourite subject. Everyone at school knew I was a horse rider, and I would participate in all the extra-curricular clubs. So no one suspected that I had anxiety every time I walked into the girls changing room.

Due to academic commitments, I stopped competing and my anxiety soared so much so that it followed me out of the changing rooms and into my everyday life. I couldn’t understand why I was feeling like this when I was known as a confident and outgoing person. The same thing happened again this year when I was furloughed for six months, where it was worse than ever.

I think the lack of purpose was what initially got me so worked up, but I realised that, on both occasions, this anxiety spike happened when I stopped exercising. As soon as the government announced that the gyms were going to be opened again, I bought a year membership so I had no excuse (I like getting my money’s worth) and my anxiety has been dramatically reduced to the point where I can go weeks without feeling it. Even when it does rear its ugly head, I either just take myself for a nice gym sesh or go for a walk with my fave podcast and chill out.

Just because an individual appears to be confident, it might just be a front for what they are truly experiencing. And this feeling isn’t just limited to women. Men also experience this.

Having thoughts and feelings like this on a daily bases can prevent you from embracing a healthy and active lifestyle because you are having numerous negative experiences.

Here are some things you can try and do to help overcome anxiety.

Breathe

I recently discovered that I don’t breathe properly. If you place your hands on your belly and take a deep breath it should be your belly that is expanding when you inhale and not your chest. You can find out more at the healthline.

Taking time to be present

Research has shown that by engaging in regular meditation sessions, it can vastly reduce stress and anxiety levels.

Here is a tutorial to get you started: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oq6j9uWrcfg

If this doesn’t work for you, apps like Headspace, Calm or Insight Timer are great places to start!

If you are like me and meditation isn’t for you, you could try going for a walk and listening to an audio book or podcast.

The idea is to focus in the present moment t allows you to escape the feeling of anxiety which predominantly arises when you think of the future. This can also be referred to as Mindfulness.

Noticing any negative thoughts

Anxiety lives off the fear you experience when you consider a certain situation or the future. This can, in turn, cause negative thoughts.

These tend to be irrational thoughts which your brain seems to love feeding you when you are perceived to be vulnerable, and by realising that they are just thoughts and not the truth, you are taking the first step to claiming your mind back. Try reframing these negative thoughts into positive ones whenever you can.

Acknowledging this is natural

Getting anxious is a natural response our body has when detecting a particularly stressful or dangerous situation (which most likely, won’t even happen). In some cases, being anxious can be a hindrance, but only if you let it. If harnessed correctly, it can positively increase your performance in exams or sporting events.

Let’s talk about it

Talking to someone you trust can help. Now, you might not be comfortable with this and that is fine. I took me years to trust anyone and to let them in and it is something I continue to work on now. As I stated above, it is natural to feel anxious or have negative thoughts, meaning you aren’t alone. Remember, a problem shared, is a problem halved.

Change your mind set and perspective

This was the turning point for me. I found that by changing my perspective and mind set to not meeting everyone’s standards (especially social media’s), I could finally make my own. I realised that by just going for a 15 minute walk, I am bettering myself. I am also kinder to myself which is so important. We all have to start somewhere, and by making myself a priority, I was giving myself the most self-empowering feeling I have ever experienced.

Have a great day!

Soph x