你是否曾經在重要場合感到手心冒汗、口乾舌燥、雙腿發抖？不論是面試、演講還是人生的重大時刻，緊張情緒總是如影隨形。別擔心，你並不孤單！就連世界頂尖的奧運選手，也必須不斷與緊張對抗。今天，讓我們一起走進奧運冠軍的內心世界，學習他們克服緊張的獨門秘笈。
1. 滑雪板選手 Jamie Anderson：建立屬於自己的儀式感
想像一下，你正站在奧運會滑雪賽道的起點，全世界的目光都聚焦在你身上。這種壓力，恐怕會讓普通人腿軟得連站都站不穩吧？但對於2014年索契冬奧會金牌得主Jamie Anderson來說，這卻是她發揮最佳水平的時刻。
Jamie的秘密武器，就是在比賽前擁抱樹木！沒錯，你沒聽錯。這個看似奇怪的習慣，其實是Jamie建立的一套獨特儀式。
當她意識到在索契奧運會的賽道頂端沒有樹可以擁抱時，她並沒有慌張。取而代之的是，她轉向了另一個更便捷的方法：冥想。
Jamie在接受《阿斯彭時報》採訪時表示：「我已經練習這個方法很多年了。越是注意並堅持練習，我就感覺越好。」
建立儀式感的好處在於，它能讓你在面對未知和壓力時，找到一絲掌控感。不妨想想，在你緊張的時候，有什麼小動作或習慣能讓你感到安心？也許是緊握拳頭三次，或是哼唱一首熟悉的歌曲。找到屬於你的儀式，讓它成為你面對挑戰時的心靈寄託。
2. 自行車選手Laura Kenny：專注於呼吸
當緊張來襲時，我們往往會不自覺地屏住呼吸。但英國自行車選手 Laura Kenny（原名Laura Trott）卻告訴我們，正確的呼吸技巧，像是腹式呼吸，才是戰勝緊張的關鍵。
Laura在接受《Cosmopolitan》雜誌採訪時分享道：「這聽起來可能有點傻，但當你專注於呼吸時，就無暇顧及其他事情了。如果你在吸氣時將腹部微微鼓起，別管縮小腹那事，這真的會有幫助。
慢慢吸氣，感受腹部微微鼓起，然後緩緩呼氣。重複幾次，你會發現身心都變得平靜許多。記住，呼吸是我們與生俱來的天然減壓工具，好好善用它。
3. 游泳選手Michael Phelps：想像各種可能性
「飛魚」菲爾普斯，作為奧運史上最成功的運動員之一，他和教練Bob Bowman在接受《華盛頓郵報》採訪時透露，他們應對緊張的秘訣就是：想像各種可能發生的情況，並提前準備應對方案。
「如果我的泳衣破了，或者護目鏡壞了，我該怎麼辦？」Phelps這樣解釋道。通過在腦海中預演各種可能的場景，他為自己建立了一個強大的「應對數據庫」。
正如Bowman教練所說：「當他真正參加比賽時，他的神經系統已經被預先編程，能夠應對這些情況中的任何一種。」
這個方法在我們的日常生活中同樣受用。比如，在重要演講前，你可以想像各種可能出現的問題：投影儀故障、忘記講稿、觀眾提出刁鑽問題......通過提前準備應對方案，你會發現自己更有信心面對各種突發情況。
4. 滑雪板選手Lindsey Jacobellis：充分準備是最好的信心來源
在面對緊張局面時，如果還需要即興發揮，無疑會讓你的焦慮感倍增。這就是為什麼許多奧運選手，包括滑雪板選手Lindsey Jacobellis，都如此重視充分的準備。
「我盡量只關注我能控制的事情，」Jacobellis在接受女性生活雜誌《MissBish》採訪時這樣說道，「我會準備好我的滑雪板，確保第二天需要的一切都已就緒，然後一步一步來。在我的運動項目中，有太多無法控制的變數，很容易讓人感到不知所措。」
試著列出一個清單，確保你需要的所有材料都已準備就緒。這樣，即使遇到意外情況，你也能有信心從容應對。
5. 速滑選手Apolo Ohno：大聲打哈欠
速滑選手Ohno應對緊張的方法可能會讓你大吃一驚：他會不停地打哈欠。
這個看似漫不經心的舉動曾在過去的比賽中為他招來不少批評，但背後其實大有玄機。
首先，打哈欠能幫助他的肺部吸入更多氧氣，就像深呼吸練習一樣，有助於平靜神經系統。
其次，Ohno坦言，他這麼做只是因為喜歡這種感覺。「這讓我感覺更好，」他向《YahooSports》證實道，「它能讓氧氣進來，把緊張趕走。」
Bonus Tip：把緊張化為面對挑戰的「興奮感」
面對人生的重要時刻，緊張是再正常不過的事情。重要的是，我們要學會如何與這種情緒和平共處，甚至將其轉化為動力。
值得一提的是，TED演講者和領導力顧問 Simon Sinek 提出了一個有趣的觀點。
他注意到，當記者問運動員「你緊張嗎？」時，幾乎所有運動員都會回答：「不，我很興奮。」這背後蘊藏著一個強大的心理技巧：重新詮釋我們的身體反應。
事實上，緊張和興奮對身體的影響是相似的，關鍵在於我們如何解讀這些信號。
所以，下次當你感到緊張時，不妨試著告訴自己：「我不是緊張，我是興奮！」同時，回想一下本文中提到的方法：建立屬於自己的儀式感，專注於呼吸，想像各種可能性並做好準備，或者像Ohno那樣大聲打個哈欠。這些小技巧，再加上對情緒的積極詮釋，都能幫助你在人生的重要時刻保持冷靜和自信。
緊張不是你的敵人，而是你身體準備好迎接挑戰的信號。擁抱它，利用它，讓它成為推動你前進的力量！
Olympic Champions' Secret Weapons: 5 Simple Methods to Overcome Nervousness
Have you ever felt your palms sweating, mouth dry, and knees shaking in important situations? Whether it's an interview, a presentation, or a significant life moment, nervousness always seems to follow. Don't worry, you're not alone! Even the world's top Olympic athletes must constantly battle nervousness. Today, let's delve into the inner world of Olympic champions and learn their unique techniques for overcoming nervousness.
1. Snowboarder Jamie Anderson: Establish Your Own Ritual
Imagine standing at the starting point of an Olympic snowboard course, with the world's eyes focused on you. This pressure would probably make an ordinary person's legs so weak they could barely stand, right? But for Jamie Anderson, the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics gold medalist, this is when she performs at her best.
Jamie's secret weapon is hugging trees before the competition! Yes, you heard that right. This seemingly strange habit is actually a unique ritual Jamie has established.
When she realized there were no trees to hug at the top of the Sochi Olympic course, she didn't panic. Instead, she turned to another more convenient method: meditation.
Jamie told the Aspen Times: "I've been practicing this method for many years. The more I pay attention and persist in practice, the better I feel."
The benefit of establishing a ritual is that it can give you a sense of control when facing the unknown and pressure. Think about what small actions or habits can make you feel at ease when you're nervous? Maybe it's clenching your fist three times, or humming a familiar song. Find your own ritual and let it become your spiritual anchor when facing challenges.
2. Cyclist Laura Kenny: Focus on Breathing
When nervousness strikes, we often unconsciously hold our breath. But British cyclist Laura Kenny (formerly Laura Trott) tells us that the correct breathing technique, like abdominal breathing, is the key to overcoming nervousness.
Laura shared with Cosmopolitan magazine: "This might sound a bit silly, but when you focus on breathing, you don't have time to think about anything else. If you slightly puff out your abdomen when inhaling, forget about trying to make your stomach smaller, this really helps."
Inhale slowly, feel your abdomen slightly expand, then exhale slowly. Repeat a few times, and you'll find both your body and mind becoming calmer. Remember, breathing is our innate natural stress-relief tool, make good use of it.
3. Swimmer Michael Phelps: Imagine Various Possibilities
"The Flying Fish" Phelps, as one of the most successful athletes in Olympic history, revealed in an interview with The Washington Post along with his coach Bob Bowman that their secret to dealing with nervousness is: imagining various possible situations and preparing response plans in advance.
"What if my swimsuit tears, or my goggles break?" Phelps explained. By mentally rehearsing various possible scenarios, he built a powerful "response database" for himself.
As Coach Bowman said: "When he actually competes, his nervous system has been pre-programmed to handle any of these situations."
This method is equally useful in our daily lives. For example, before an important presentation, you can imagine various problems that might occur: projector failure, forgetting your speech, audience asking tricky questions... By preparing response plans in advance, you'll find yourself more confident in facing various unexpected situations.
4. Snowboarder Lindsey Jacobellis: Thorough Preparation is the Best Source of Confidence
When facing a nervous situation, if you still need to improvise, it will undoubtedly increase your anxiety. This is why many Olympic athletes, including snowboarder Lindsey Jacobellis, place such importance on thorough preparation.
"I try to focus only on things I can control," Jacobellis told women's lifestyle magazine MissBish, "I prepare my snowboard, make sure everything I need for the next day is ready, and then take it step by step. In my sport, there are so many uncontrollable variables, it's easy to feel overwhelmed."
Try making a list to ensure all the materials you need are ready. This way, even if unexpected situations arise, you can confidently handle them.
5. Speed Skater Apolo Ohno: Yawn Loudly
Speed skater Ohno's method of dealing with nervousness might surprise you: he keeps yawning.
This seemingly nonchalant behavior once brought him a lot of criticism in past competitions, but there's actually a lot behind it.
First, yawning helps his lungs take in more oxygen, which, like deep breathing exercises, helps calm the nervous system.
Secondly, Ohno admits he does this simply because he likes the feeling. "It makes me feel better," he confirmed to YahooSports, "It lets oxygen in and pushes nervousness out."
Bonus Tip: Turn Nervousness into "Excitement" for Facing Challenges
Feeling nervous at important moments in life is perfectly normal. The key is learning how to coexist peacefully with this emotion, and even transform it into motivation.
It's worth mentioning that TED speaker and leadership consultant Simon Sinek proposed an interesting perspective.
He noticed that when reporters ask athletes "Are you nervous?", almost all athletes would answer: "No, I'm excited." Behind this lies a powerful psychological technique: reinterpreting our body's responses.
In fact, nervousness and excitement have similar effects on the body; the key lies in how we interpret these signals.
So, next time you feel nervous, try telling yourself: "I'm not nervous, I'm excited!" At the same time, recall the methods mentioned in this article: establish your own ritual, focus on breathing, imagine various possibilities and prepare well, or yawn loudly like Ohno. These small techniques, coupled with a positive interpretation of your emotions, can help you stay calm and confident in important moments of your life.
Nervousness is not your enemy, but a signal that your body is ready to face challenges. Embrace it, utilize it, and let it become the force that propels you forward!
Source:
https://www.themuse.com/advice/calm-your-nerves-olympic-athletes
