Question Dealing with Nerves

[WiseM0nkey]

Hardly... I compete, and that's pretty much my mentality for staying calm.

Tournament nerves come mainly from fear of judgment/criticism when playing in front of others/stream. Blocking everyone out around you and focusing solely on your play and strategy is pretty much what it comes down to. You can drag it out over several paragraphs and complicate it, but the bottom line is to simply be confident and... not give a shit about what's going on outside of the game.

i agree with what you've said, that's true. But maybe give a full hint about what you want to say.

saying "bro, just dont give a shit" it's like telling to a smoker that he should stop smoking cause it's unhealthy, or better, "dont get hit"

 

[Undergroundepict]

i agree with what you've said, that's true. But maybe give a full hint about what you want to say.

saying "bro, just dont give a shit" it's like telling to a smoker that he should stop smoking cause it's unhealthy, or better, "dont get hit"

Lol as both a smoker and somebody trying to get better at MK, I endorse this message.

 

[virtiqaL]

Wait... smoking being unhealthy isn't a good enough reason to stop?

 

[WiseM0nkey]

it is but it's not that simple cause your addicted.

 

[Undergroundepict]

Wait... smoking being unhealthy isn't a good enough reason to stop?

I think you missed the point.

 

[buyacushun]

I think Jwong did an article on this topic for eventhubs. I'll look it up.

Found it: http://www.eventhubs.com/columns/2011/nov/20/step-your-game-chapter-3-exposure-pressure/

I think that might help you

 

[virtiqaL]

I think you missed the point.

I don't think so, I'm just more of a no-bullshit, no excuses kind of guy. I know from personal experience, if a person wants to make a change or accomplish a goal, whether it be to quit smoking or to perform better in a tournament, they will do so. They won't make or give themselves excuses not to... they will just do it.

Want to get better at something? Want to quit smoking? Want to get in shape? Want a better job? Just. Do. it.

It is that simple. You want a result, you make it happen.

That's not to imply that the advice given by others is 'wrong', but what works for me personally when it comes to trying something new or fearing failure of any kind, is to be straight to the point and tell myself, "Quit being a bitch."

Works for me. *shrug*

So to the OP, let's put it this way. What do you WANT more, to perform well or to be nervous? If you truly want to perform well more than anything, then let that be front and center of your mind.

 

[WiseM0nkey]

I don't think so, I'm just more of a no-bullshit, no excuses kind of guy. I know from personal experience, if a person wants to make a change or accomplish a goal, whether it be to quit smoking or to perform better in a tournament, they will do so. They won't make or give themselves excuses not to... they will just do it.

Want to get better at something? Want to quit smoking? Want to get in shape? Want a better job? Just. Do. it.

It is that simple. You want a result, you make it happen.

That's not to imply that the advice given by others is 'wrong', but what works for me personally when it comes to trying something new or fearing failure of any kind, is to be straight to the point and tell myself, "Quit being a bitch."

Works for me. *shrug*

So to the OP, let's put it this way. What do you WANT more, to perform well or to be nervous? If you truly want to perform well more than anything, then let that be front and center of your mind.

this should've been your first reply to the OP

Im not trying to make excuses tho, dont get me wrong. I'm just saying that you dont tell a person to quit smoking by simply saying "it's unealthy", cause the smoker it's obviously well aware of that. So maybe you can give "practical" solutions or little hints / tips that can actually be helpful to achieve the "dont give a fuck" state of mind

then again, it all comes down to the guy's will ofc.. you cannot tell a guy how to "dont give a shit", however, you can show a way to achieve that.

 

[A F0xy Grampa]

i agree with what you've said, that's true. But maybe give a full hint about what you want to say.

saying "bro, just dont give a shit" it's like telling to a smoker that he should stop smoking cause it's unhealthy, or better, "dont get hit"

Don't get hit is legit advice I tell myself before tournaments and so far it's been working.

 

[roosTakk]

If you get tournament nerves playing ESL online on your couch in you pajamas then god help you if you ever have to play on main stage of a tournament.

Maybe pick up meditation to control your nerves

 

[MrProfDrPepper]

Keep playing in tournaments, tournament nerves are normal, hell going to locals helped me a ton, I used to have stream nerves but not anymore thanks to @EGP Wonder_Chef for helping me with that putting me on stream per my request so that I could get rid of those, and it seems to have done the trick

 

[MrProfDrPepper]

Don't get hit is legit advice I tell myself before tournaments and so far it's been working.

Along with "don't get put in the corner, don't get put in the corner" and my personal favorite, "don't get put in the corner"

 

[WiseM0nkey]

Don't get hit is legit advice I tell myself before tournaments and so far it's been working.

don't. get. hit.

 

[21122]

Sure fire way with no bs that will work 100%

Go to your doctor and tell him you have a performance to give and you get super anxious/nervous. The doctor will prescribe you something along the lines of benzos/xanax/betablockers. Works amazing. I was given benzos and they worked amazingly, you just stop giving a fuck and all nerves are gone.

This sounds extreme but hey it works haha and benzos/betablockers won't have a negative impact on your performance unlike alcohol.

 

[Juggs]

Breathe. It seems obvious and like useless post, but I'm 100% dead serious.

http://www.npr.org/2010/12/06/131734718/just-breathe-body-has-a-built-in-stress-reliever
http://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-4386/A-Simple-Breathing-Exercise-to-Calm-Your-Mind-Body.html

It helps calm me down when I start getting too stressed or nervous. I take a deep breath, and tell myself to calm down and focus. You're probably thinking "this is too easy, it can't work", but just try it. Other than experience this is one of the the only things that has worked for me in tournaments and in life. It also has the benefit of being scientifically proven to work.

 

[Undergroundepict]

Sure fire way with no bs that will work 100%

Go to your doctor and tell him you have a performance to give and you get super anxious/nervous. The doctor will prescribe you something along the lines of benzos/xanax/betablockers. Works amazing. I was given benzos and they worked amazingly, you just stop giving a fuck and all nerves are gone.

This sounds extreme but hey it works haha and benzos/betablockers won't have a negative impact on your performance unlike alcohol.

Benzos can and will have a negative effect on your performance.

Do not recommend.

 

[21122]

Benzos can and will have a negative effect on your performance.

Do not recommend.

I take benzos and it doesn't for me

 

[NB Semi Evil Ryu]

Experience.

Just keep throwing yourself into those situations and your brain will eventually learn how to cope.

 

[Undergroundepict]

I take benzos and it doesn't for me

Trust me, it does. It's possible that your anxiety is such that, on a subjective level, you perform better with benzos than without, but I assure you that it is nowhere near the level you would perform at with neither anxiety nor benzos.

You would be much better served overcoming your performance anxiety (and whatever anxiety you face in general) without the use of benzos, except in small amounts and on a non-regular basis for breakthrough anxiety.

Prescribing benzos for longterm use in the treatment of anxiety disorders is an outdated, archaic medical practice that psychiatrists still engage in because, apparently, they have absolutely no requirement to stay up to date with regards to psychiatric medicine.

 

[iSuckAtFightingGames]

There is no trick to this.. it is just experience. Keep at it.. your good enough to get to top8.. so if you keep at it you will keep placing... after X game in finals you will just be used to it.. simple as that.

I used to jump out of air planes recreationally. It was a real rush. I gave it up after about 8 years as it was actually becoming boring. My point is you cab get used to anything through repetition.

This is the only real trick... just keep playing and the nerves will go away.

 

[Mileena_Monster90]

I been learning the game, posting around here for the past few days. I've been learning combos and everything I can, doing them in training nearly perfectly, know what to do and not to do, but once i go into a match online I instantly get hit with nerves as soon as the announcer says fight lol

How do you overcome nerves? I'm trying to really get into the game and try to play competitively but this is one of the main things holding me back. How do you get over nerves if you ever had them?

 

[TQT1995]

Just keep playing. Eventually you will start to get use to it.

 

[Mileena_Monster90]

did not mean to post this under dlc discussion xD i feel so stupid

 

[Kevin Kusanagi]

when playing online just remember i'ts JUST online and it doesn't really matter much... just keep calm and use it for learning purposes like for example MU knowledge also use it to test it out new stuff you might discover with your characters like set ups etc...... but just remember at the end of the day it's just online and if you lose to some dumb shit it doesn't make you a bad player because 1. you probably didn't know that MU 2.online delay/Lag 3. online players play really dumb and might throw you and at times online allows dumb shit slide because of lag.... so be easy on yourself. i'm on psn and my psn is Kusanag_1 if you ever feel like running casuals.

 

[Mileena_Monster90]

when playing online just remember i'ts JUST online and it doesn't really matter much... just keep calm and use it for learning purposes like for example MU knowledge also use it to test it out new stuff you might discover with your characters like set ups etc...... but just remember at the end of the day it's just online and if you lose to some dumb shit it doesn't make you a bad player because 1. you probably didn't know that MU 2.online delay/Lag 3. online players play really dumb and might throw you and at times online allows dumb shit slide because of lag.... so be easy on yourself. i'm on psn and my psn is Kusanag_1 if you ever feel like running casuals.

I know nothing about match ups yet haha, but I do look over my records on playstation and look at what i did wrong but when i go back on as soon as my next match starts i do it again, i just get nervous playing, its like when i run sets with my friends on xbox i dont get nervous, but online with random ppl i just get scared and spend 80% of my time blocking, and sure i'll add you right now