When It's More Than Nerves

Most athletes feel something before a big game. Sweaty palms, racing thoughts, the urge to use the bathroom one more time. That is the body getting ready, and it is normal.

But sometimes nerves feel different. They stop being a pre-match buzz and start to spill into the rest of your week. Sleep goes. Appetite goes. The dread before a match starts on Tuesday instead of Saturday. That is when nerves may have crossed into anxiety, and it deserves attention.

What this can look like

Worry that does not switch off in the days before training or matches.
Physical symptoms that show up away from sport: chest tightness, fast breathing, nausea, headaches.
Avoidance. Pulling out of training, finding reasons not to start.
Trouble sleeping the night before a game, or the night after a mistake.
Panic that comes out of nowhere, sometimes in places that have nothing to do with sport.

When it crosses the line

Nerves clear up after the whistle blows. Anxiety lingers. A useful test: if you would describe yourself as on edge most days of the week, for most of the day, and it has lasted more than a few weeks, that is a sign worth taking seriously. The same is true if you have had a panic attack, if you find yourself avoiding situations you used to enjoy, or if the worry is interfering with your work, your relationships, or your sleep.

What helps

Slow your exhale. A longer breath out than in (try 4 seconds in, 8 seconds out) activates the parasympathetic nervous system and brings heart rate down within about a minute.
Name what you are feeling. Research on emotion labelling (Lieberman et al. 2007) shows that putting a name on a feeling reduces its intensity in the brain.
Tell someone you trust. Carrying anxiety on your own is the heaviest version of it.

Where to get professional support

Your GP is the right first stop in the UK and Ireland. They can refer you on, prescribe if needed, or signpost you to talking therapies.
NHS Talking Therapies (UK) offers free CBT and counselling without a GP referral in most areas. Search NHS Talking Therapies for your local service.
HSE Mental Health Services (Ireland) offers community mental health teams and primary care psychology. Speak to your GP for a referral.
Mind (UK) at mind.org.uk has clear, no-jargon information on anxiety and how to seek help.

What I have learned

I spent years thinking my nerves were just part of being competitive. They were not. Once I named what I was actually dealing with, the work I did on it actually held. Getting help is not a weakness, it is what allows you to keep doing the thing you love.

Crisis resources

Samaritans (UK and IE): 116 123 — 24/7 free listening line.
Pieta House (IE): 1800 247 247 — suicide and self-harm support.
If you are in immediate danger: 999 (UK) or 112 (IE).

References

Eysenck, M. W., Derakshan, N., Santos, R., & Calvo, M. G. (2007). Anxiety and cognitive performance: Attentional Control Theory. Emotion, 7(2), 336-353.
Lieberman, M. D., Eisenberger, N. I., Crockett, M. J., Tom, S. M., Pfeifer, J. H., & Way, B. M. (2007). Putting feelings into words: Affect labeling disrupts amygdala activity in response to affective stimuli. Psychological Science, 18(5), 421-428.
National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE). Generalised Anxiety Disorder and Panic Disorder in Adults: Management (CG113).