Getting My Head In The Game: How I Learned To Live With Competitive Anxiety

In some sports they call it the “yips”, when a player is suddenly unable to throw the ball accurately or sink a simple putt. The “yips” manifest in a player’s brain, and makes them suddenly doubt their ability to perform in a game they have played their whole life. Some refer to this moment - when stress mounts and a player crumbles - as "choke". No matter how you refer to this mental freeze, the source is the same: anxiety.

I was born competitive. Every contest, race, or game was a way for me to set myself apart. My parents would probably tell you I was a bulldog: unrelenting, stubborn, motivated. I have also been my harshest critic. No one has ever needed to get after me when something goes wrong because I’m the first one there. I am always fighting the vision in my mind of what “perfect” should be: perfect horses, perfect appearance, perfect college, perfect life.

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Article written by: Leah Taylor