As adults, many of us are tempted to medicate our various anxieties with substances – drinking, smoking, popping pills, et cetera – but I strongly believe that the power of the mind, when harnessed correctly, is infinitely more effective (and healthier, to boot) than anything you’ll find in a bottle.
When I was a kid competing in horse shows (hunters and equitation, specifically), I noticed that as the stakes grew higher, so did my nerves. Entering the ring was a one-shot performance, and the aim was to be as close to perfect as possible.
It was during a particularly high-pressure Medal Finals that I developed a technique to calm the freight train roaring through my chest. When my heart began to pound, I would imagine that my nerves were little red balls with angry cartoon faces, hyper-actively bouncing out-of-control. I pictured myself carefully rounding them up and stuffing them into a transparent box, quickly folding the flaps over the top so that they couldn’t escape. I could see them within their prison, furiously springing up and around inside the small space and smacking their little heads against the top of the enclosure. Once trapped, however, these “nerve bugs,” as I called them, were unable to interfere with the steadiness of my breathing. Occasionally, one managed to worm its way out, but I’d quickly catch it in my hand, squeezing it tightly as a warning, and shove it back into the box with the others. Using this visualization method, I was able to execute each course with a focused precision that would have otherwise been impossible had my nerves over-powered me.
Recently, my performances have begun to take place onstage as a singer. My mom left me a message before my show last week, reminding me: “Put your nerve bugs in a box like you used to, Britt.” And you know what? It still works.
Author: Britt Warner
