Managing Anxiety & Stress
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Breathing Excercises
Breathwork is a powerful tool athletes can use to improve their performance on the sidelines. By practicing simple breathing techniques, athletes can increase endurance, recover more quickly, reduce anxiety, and improve focus.
Pre Match Diaphragmatic Breathing: Inhale deeply through the nose, allowing the abdomen to expand, then exhale slowly through the mouth. Repeat for 5-10 minutes to reduce anxiety before matches.
Between Points Breathing: Inhale twice through the nose before a long exhale through the mouth
Using the Grunt: Grunt or exhale after exerting effort to hit a shot
Importance Of Positive Self Talk
What separates performers in the top 5 vs the top 25?
There was a study done on the top 5 tennis players in the world vs the top 25. What was the difference? Was it their coaching? Their diet? When they started playing? Their exercise?
No.
It was their thinking / Mindset! In the 10 to 15 seconds after each point they thought positive things like: I love this game, there is no place I'd rather be, I may have not got that shot but I'll get the next one, watch this.
The players that thought positive had a slower heart rate, a slower breathing rate and across the competition they were conserving energy and feeling better about themselves.
How you think matters.
The Inner Conversation
Negative self talk can lead to spiraling thoughts and harm your tennis by inducing:
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Increased Anxiety
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Irregular Breathing
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Self Doubt
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Lack of Focus​​​
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​It's essential to practice positive self-talk and focus on the process rather than the outcome. When you become overly focused on the result, you risk feeling frustrated if you don’t achieve it and only momentarily relieved when you do. By shifting your attention to the process—what you can control—you’ll find that results often follow naturally. This mindset reduces pressure and builds resilience, allowing you to stay motivated and perform at your best consistently.
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Journal of sport psychology published report revealed:
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That regulated goal oriented self talk leads to less intense emotions and more awareness of emotional state
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Being outcome oriented increases anxiety & anxiousness
