Anxiety before playing

I know I've posted on this before, but it's becoming more prevalent the higher rated I get. I've tried everything I can think of from meditation, to daily positive affirmations, to simple attitude adjustment and retraining of my thought process. But no matter what I do, before playing a game as I'm getting ready and mentally prepared to play my heart starts beating super fast and my breathing gets labored and I have no idea why. Anxiety has been a part of me for pretty much my entire adult life. I'm not worried about losing because I have also altered my approach to losing to view it as a learning opportunity rather than an affirmation of my inferior skill in chess.

So truth be told I have no idea where it comes from. Maybe it's simply my nature. Either way I'm curious to know if anybody else experiences this kind of anxiety before or during play. Again sorry for the repeat of topics but this is annoying and I want to deal with this in the most effective way possible.

Anyway good vibes to everyone. 🙏🙏🤜🤛

I drink, that’s my story to 1500. Chess is more fun this way.

My rating plummeted multiples times in 2022 when I played sober. 

I kid you not. Look at those tilts!

Then came the holidays, rating climb…1400 to 1500 was a cake walk and fun doing it in the 35 games it took.

For me, it was about making chess fun again.

I often feel anxious before an important game, such as an over the board tournament game. But I don't get the physical symptoms that you describe which sound like a panic attack.

Generally once play starts I just start playing chess and relax. However, when I am getting outplayed it is not a good feeling at all.

So I think it is pretty normal to be apprehensive about an important game, even to have an adrenaline rush. If it is a full blown panic attack then I think that is more rare.

What do you do for a warm up before your playing session?

 @Chuck639

Sometimes I'll do puzzles or something beforehand or I will review my favorite lines or gambits. Watch videos on opening principles or tactics just to get my brain going. But oftentimes I will simply dive in and start playing.

Don't try to push it away or be scared of it. It will only make it worse. Just embrace it. The more you try to distance yourself the bigger it gets, by accepting you remove the stigma and the anxiety will subside. Think of like the Hulk. Bruce life was hell trying to contain the Hulk. Only when he accepted it was a part of him was he able to live a normal life.

@RespektMyAuthoritah

I really appreciate your advice. That's very helpful. And at your rating I will definitely respect your Authoritah. I've never considered trying to embrace the anxiety as a means of defeating it. But that sounds like a very philosophical idea that I will have to delve into. I've always just wanted to be rid of it. I'm just ready to be confident when I start a game. Sometimes you feel like you're already losing before the game is even really started and that's a weird feeling in and of itself. 

Thanks again for the thoughtful response, buddy. 🙏

I find a good warm up helps my confidence and calms me down. If I am missing easy puzzles, I have no problem walking away for the day.

lol that's hilarious

I've never considered trying to embrace the anxiety as a means of defeating it

You know that's the funny thing. Sometimes answers are in the last place we look. The contradiction of doing the complete opposite of what is usually thought to be the answer is found all over the place.

One time I hurt my back really bad. Couldn't stand up. I figured I needed to lay on the bed and rest as much as I could, I am hurt I need to rest right? Went to the doctor and you know what she told me? The last thing I should do is rest on the bed. I needed to move, she said if I stay in bed the pain will worsen. Only by doing what was uncomfortable is how I got better (moving, stretching etc)

There's this book that has kind of that same philosophy "The obstacle is the way", I found just the title alone to be such a powerful philosophical idea. The army also has a saying "Embrace the suck". And this same idea of embracing the challenge is even found in nature. Have you heard about how cows and buffalos deal with storms? It's quite fascinating and such a great metaphor for life

Anyways, no one can make those feelings go away the only person who can is yourself. Just think about it, let it marinate and I'm sure you're going to figure it out. Much love bro!

That’s how I’d get before football games kinda then after a play or two you don’t notice the crowd really and your just trying play good and kill everyone on the field for Jesus and the respect of your teammates 

Non sequitur.

Hello

Ich habe leider das gleich Problem. Ich erlaube mir auf deutsch zu schreiben, da ich auf deinem Profil gesehen habe, dass du es sehr gut beherrscht.

Bin auch Späteinsteiger, deutlich später als du.

Egal was ich probierte oder mache, das Problem wird nur minimal besser. Auch ungewertet oder gegen einen Bot, komme ich unter Stress, wenn auch nicht ganz so stark.

Mich nervt das extrem. Ich habe jetzt für mich entschieden, dass ich es akzeptiere und womöglich auch einfach nicht mehr spiele. Der ständige Stress ist nicht gut für den Körper und auch für die Psyche. Ich hatte gehofft, dass es irgendwann einfach besser wird durch häufiges spielen. Wie bei einer Angsttherapie sich einfach der Angst stellen. Aber es wurde nicht besser.

Ich spiele deswegen auch viel schlechter als ich eigentlich bin, weil die Angst oft zu einer totalen Denkblockade führt.

Ich würde gerne Schach als Hobby und Zeitvertreib zur Ablenkung vom Alltag spielen. Aber es geht nicht. Es kostet mir dann auch zu viel Kraft, die mir woanders fehlt. Das ist es nicht wert.

Das ist mein aktueller Stand. Ich hatte schon oft beschlossen Schach ganz aufzugeben es aber nicht geschafft. Ich spiele nicht mehr aber ich schaue sehr viel Turnierschach, mache ab und zu Taktik oder beschäftigte mich sogar mit Bücher. Das fühlt sich aber immer so an, als ist es eine Notlösung und eigentlich würde ich doch viel lieber selber spielen.

Wirklich nervig und macht mich auch traurig.

Allerding ist es kleiner Trost hier zu lesen, dass ich zumindest nicht der einzige bin, dem es so geht.

 But no matter what I do, before playing a game as I'm getting ready and mentally prepared to play my heart starts beating super fast and my breathing gets labored and I have no idea why.

That's because what is at stake: your rating, and the self esteem that goes with it: you dread a blow to your self esteem. Through that, you dread rejection for not being good enough.

I'll give you two ideas to go after, one being rather pragmatic without solving your deeper problem, and one aimed at solving, or reducing the said problem.

1°) Pragmatic: go play a couple of tournaments in real life. Endure the stress of it. Come back, see now how playing online is a joke compared to what you experienced.

2°) Indeep: Work on the actual importance of your self esteem, and also on what makes a person valuable: if their capacity to jump high, run fast, play good chess, or more moral (and important) things, such as keeping your promises, being honest, helpfull, selfless, etc.

Any time I'll recruit a clumsy but honest person over a brilliant but dishonest person. Think/meditate about it.

I agree with that and that´s ist what i guess. I do not succeed. But its worth a try.

That looks like a foreign language to me.🤨

Sorry, yes thats german. I cant say it in english, but BigFoxy90 can understand it.

Do a warmup. 

Try some non-ELO chess on Lichess to exercise anxiety and once you get used to it, try ELO chess.

Some anxiety is probably a good thing. Fear is an instinct that is designed to keep us alive.

I used to get very nervous before boxing. Just tell yourself that you are ready, well prepared, and are going to be matched against someone of similar ability - same should hold for chess.

Once the bell goes, training and preparation will take over.

Chess is just a game even sometimes I feel that chess is a fight for life...