We often misunderstand our emotions and think they are something that we must ignore to reach our optimal performance state. However, blocking out emotions is highly effortful for the human brain, and it can easily make us lose focus during sports performance and life.
So..... Emotions are here to stay!
Emotions are actually tiny little predictions that our brain is constantly making, enabling us to survive. But our brain is a wee bit ancient, and it hasn't evolved as quickly as the world around us. So, the reaction we have to our pre-game nerves can feel a bit like life or death. Thus, we do things to try and get rid of this feeling by either avoiding or arguing with ourselves. The problem with these two reactions is we miss an opportunity to grow.
However, by developing a flexible mind and accepting our emotions as part of our journey in sport, we can reduce the noise of our emotion, allowing us to focus on what matters. When activated, emotions can have a very short life, but the more we resist them, the more 'noise' they produce. Thus the more noise, the more we are dragged out of the moment.
So next time an uncomfortable emotion arises, try to notice it and recognize some of your typical reactions to it. Show your emotions some self-compassion; they are there to support your survival, not there to hurt you. But this doesn't mean we have to act on our emotions. By building our self-awareness, we can experience the whole emotion without judgement and choose what behaviours we engage in. This skill will take time and is not a simple process, but over time we can reduce the noise in our performance.
Suggested reading - How Emotions Are Made (Lisa Feldman Barrett)