When you aspire to excel in an upcoming event, it is completely natural to experience a surge of extra vigor and alertness in your body as adrenaline courses through your veins. This indicates that your body recognizes the significance of the impending occasion and is diligently preparing you for action. In moderation, this response is not unfavorable at all. Whether it be a sports competition, a public speaking engagement, an artistic performance, or any other kind of event, having a heightened level of energy and focus in both your mind and body is actually highly advantageous. It sharpens your senses, compels you to fully engage with the present moment, and enables you to deliver your best performance. 

 

Therefore, achieving an optimal state for peak performance requires embracing a certain level of nervous energy associated with performing. Over time, you can learn to appreciate these pre-event jitters as genuine excitement and an inner readiness to take on the challenge. 

 

Excessive amounts of adrenaline and nerves can hinder optimal performance. Performance anxiety becomes excessive when one is overly concerned about making mistakes or when their attention is fixated on the audience, the score, or the other competitors instead of solely focusing on the task at hand. 

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Developing the ability to block out distractions is crucial for achieving top performance. Psychiatrist Milton Erickson employed hypnosis techniques with the US Olympic rifle team, guiding them to imagine that each shot was their very first. This approach helped them concentrate on the current shot rather than dwelling on the previous one. The same strategy can be applied to any performance scenario. Leave behind what has been done, regardless of its outcome. The present moment is all that matters. 

 

Attempting to exert excessive control can also lead to experiencing anxiety about performance. For instance, if you have fully memorized a speech, it becomes nearly impossible to consciously retain every single word of that speech in your mind simultaneously. If you were to attempt it, the result would be a chaotic jumble of meaningless noise. Delivering a speech is akin to taking a familiar walk, where each segment of the speech naturally guides you toward the next one. It is crucial to cultivate trust in this process. Achieving optimal performance in any situation necessitates placing trust in the skills, instincts, and muscle memory you have honed in your chosen pursuit. 

 

A professional tennis player once shared her experience of being completely absorbed in the game during important matches. She explained that she would lose awareness of everything else around her and solely focus on the immediate task of playing. It felt as if her body would instinctively react to each shot before she even consciously realized what she was doing. It was only after the match ended that she would "awaken" and remember the tournament, the crowd, and the prize money. These external factors were secondary to her during the match. Reflecting on the match, she would then analyze and evaluate the quality of her performance in detail. 

 

Hypnotherapy aims to enhance your concentration to an extraordinary level, enabling you to effortlessly block out any distractions. Additionally, it will help you trust in your subconscious mind, allowing you to observe your own mastery in action as you enter a state of flow and perform at your absolute best whenever you desire or need to.