Performance anxiety in sport refers to nervousness, worry, or fear connected to competing that rises to a level that interferes with performance. It can include both mental symptoms (racing thoughts, worry, fear of failure) and physical ones (pounding heart, tense muscles, nausea, shaky hands).
A degree of pre-competition arousal is normal and even helpful — it readies the body to perform. Performance anxiety is when that arousal overshoots an athlete's optimal level or is interpreted as a threat, causing tightness, rushed decisions, and narrowed attention. This connects to the inverted-U relationship between arousal and performance.
The good news is that performance anxiety is highly trainable. Athletes manage it through breathing techniques, pre-performance routines, reframing nerves as readiness, and rehearsing pressure moments in advance with visualization. Our full guide on handling pre-game anxiety covers the practical steps. Note that severe, persistent anxiety that extends beyond sport may warrant support from a qualified professional.