Excitement in the game: how do eSports players deal with it?
Yuriy SheremetThe legs tremble nervously, the head cannot concentrate and the hands get clammy: These are classic symptoms of nervousness that often occur before an exam or an event in which you and others have high expectations. eSports tournaments are of course predestined for this, because hundreds of thousands or even millions of viewers often watch behind the screens while the arena is also filled with people. Unfortunately, it can easily happen that you lose your bite and play worse than ever before. However, various techniques help to drive away stage fright and nervousness!
Thrill: can nervousness be a good thing?
Anyone who has ever jumped out of a helicopter or experienced a bungee jump will certainly know the exciting side of nervousness. Some people particularly enjoy the fear and excitement of a challenge and feel even more alert and focused as a result. If this were not the case, the concept of casinos would not work either. The thrill is the be-all and end-all when you B. Playing roulette online and watching the virtual ball roll. Will it fall into exactly the right place and result in a big profit, or did you make a mistake with your stake? The tension before the result is the reason for many to take part in the game. In this case, excitement is much more likely to be called a thrill. Anyone who can formulate their feelings positively and thus see more relaxed has already passed the first hurdle.
Use posture for relaxation
An interesting phenomenon that has now been proven is that changing posture can improve self-confidence and reduce nervousness. Who z. For example, taking a few victory poses in an unseen place before a job interview can symbolize self-confidence in your body. Exactly the same thing works before big tournaments. When we're scared, we tend to assume a huddled, unsteady posture. If you consciously break with it and straighten yourself up, open your body and relieve tension, you can let go of the greatest tension. Relax shoulders, stand a little wider, straighten your back and take a deep breath - this sequence can already work wonders.
Calming techniques before the game
If the thrill can neither be enjoyed nor improved with different postures and breathing techniques, more complex processes are available to help. Anyone striving for a career as a professional eSportsman, but who is terrified of competitions and the limelight, has to find a way to deal with their panic - and not just before that. Regular meditation, which ideally is carried out daily, is particularly effective. This is important because meditation techniques don't work very well the first few times. Usually too many thoughts buzz in the head and it is too difficult to switch off. Precisely for this reason, you should already have a routine here in order to then use the technology in a targeted manner. Meditation apps can also help you focus better. Mantras and mental images can help with this. Some already imagine the great success and strengthen themselves with sentences that give them courage, others try to beam themselves mentally to another, quiet place and switch off the outside world. Here everyone can find the technology that works best for them.
For many players, nervousness and tension can lead to their ability to perform significantly less in competition than in training. This ensures that a career in eSports becomes almost impossible. However, if you know how to deal with and control your emotions, you have the tools you need to overcome your fear.
Yuriy Sheremet – Expert in mobile gaming and esports among shooters and MOBA games.
At EGamersWorld, Yuriy, as in 2020 when he joined the portal, works with content, albeit with adjustments to his area of responsibility.