Loading ...the nerve!
The fifth grade teacher sent home a note this week alerting us to the fact that there’s a fairly wide discrepancy between elder cherub’s test results and her classroom paperwork and participation. When George asked her what she thought the problem was, my girl owned up — she said she gets nervous at test time. Rather than dwell on the obvious (slow down, check your work, blah blah), I’m having a great time with her discussing strategies for dealing with feelings of nervousness.
I love it when the themes in our lives run parallel. I’m dealing with massive cases of nerves this week myself; settling into a new partnership is careful work and I’ve tried my best to get it right. I spent a lot of time before this tournament working on my game face, because for whatever reason it was important to me that I not look like a nervous wreck at the table. I was, and I probably looked it on Monday and Tuesday. Yesterday was better, and I fully expect today to be better still.
My fifth grader recommended sweets as a last resort for settling nervous butterflies. I draw on experiences from yoga. What sorts of things work for you?
February 7th, 2008 at 6:58 pm
Red - don’t know how concrete this is for help, but, it has worked for me over the years. Two parts.
The first is that I imagine what the worst is that could happen. With a test? You do poorly. Then you think; could I deal with it? How would I deal with it? Of course, you can always come up with solutions. Knowing that I could meet with an unfortunate outcome and still be standing helps me to relax.
The second part is that I tell myself I will do my best - and - whatever happens, happens. If I do wonderfully: wonderful! If I do less than wonderfully - it is not the end of the world.
Again, I prepare myself like that, and it helps me to calm down, which in turn helps me to have a superior outcome.
Good luck to both of you ladies!
February 7th, 2008 at 8:03 pm
Hi, when I play in good or top competition, I tell myself that I will
trust my pard completely and I will
NEVER, NEVER, take a flyer, unless it
is right
February 7th, 2008 at 9:09 pm
A great question. I hope lots reply so I can get some ideas.
I try to do a few things:
1. Hope that the first hand is either an easy one or one I get right. Always much easier to relax after one hand is out of the way. And if it goes badly, then it is still out of the way.
2. Try and slow down my pace, double thinking things through so as not to miss anything that my sometimes scrambled brain might overlook. I still remember sadly losing a team game about 15 years ago when Meckstroth was declaring a hand and got me to play at his pace rather than stopping to think about what was going on.
3. Not be lazy. In bidding, have an idea as to what I will do over partner’s bids that I can reasonably anticipate. When playing the hand, take the time time to count opponents high cards, think about not just what they led but what they didn’t lead (if I am missing AK of a suit chances are they are not both on my left) and plan out the play. On defense make the extra effort to count declarer’s high cards, mentally recording the spot cards.
4. Try and talk a little (helps me to relax) and in your case I am guessing not a problem.
5. Spend a little time before the game starts, focusing on the game, looking at my convention card, taking care of any outside business (like a business call or call home).
6. Remembering that most of the time bridge is about not making mistakes, not about making great plays. So don’t waste brain energy thinking about dropping stiff Kings.