{"id":1588,"date":"2023-04-16T18:33:01","date_gmt":"2023-04-16T18:33:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/anitasanz.com\/?p=1588"},"modified":"2025-04-09T22:13:12","modified_gmt":"2025-04-09T22:13:12","slug":"stop-freaking-out","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/anitasanz.com\/wp-dev\/stop-freaking-out\/","title":{"rendered":"Stop freaking out!"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Finding the balance is what we are all trying to do\u2026 whether we are talking about the balance between work and play, taking care of others and taking care of ourselves, or between caring too little or caring too much.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Finding the Sweet Spot<\/h5>\n\n\n\n

Athletes and anyone else who has to \u201cperform\u201d are always looking for that sweet spot where they care enough about how they are doing to want to do their best\u2026 but not so much that they are freaking out about their performance. Because as any performer knows, caring too much about the performance will doom it. So how do you find the sweet spot?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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  • How do you care, but not too much? <\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • How do you care just enough to get the best performance out of yourself?<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • But not so much that you find yourself freaking out?!<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
    Rule #1:  Being Anxious Means You Care<\/h5>\n\n\n\n

    Understand that the fact that you are anxious or nervous about how well you are going to do (on a test, in an interview, or on a date) is only because you care<\/strong>. And caring is a good thing! Too much of a good thing is what turns a good thing into a bad thing. (I\u2019m oversimplifying here, but you get the point.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Rule #2:  You\u2019re Only Responsible For What You Can Control<\/h5>\n\n\n\n

    If you\u2019re about to deliver what you hope is going to be a rocking performance, you have to put 100%<\/strong> into whatever aspects of the situation you have control over\u2026 and 0%<\/strong> into the aspects that you don\u2019t. You can\u2019t control the outcome (the score, the grade, whether s\/he will want a second date with you). What you CAN control is the process:  giving it your all, and doing the best you can given the circumstances.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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    Rule #3:  Care, Don\u2019t Freak<\/h5>\n\n\n\n

    You want to go all the way up to the top of \u201cthe mountain of caring\u201d, without taking even one more step past the summit\u2026 or you\u2019ll fall off and into the \u201cchasm of freaking out and blowing your performance.\u201d To sum up, care, but don\u2019t freak. Otherwise, we\u2019re going to have to send out a search and rescue team for you!  \ud83d\ude42<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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    Dr<\/em>.\u00a0Anita Sanz<\/em>, PhD, Psychologist<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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