Anxious or excited?

July 8, 2008 by Mary Wynne-Wynter 

I recently attended a workshop for people who race. It was tailored for competitive rowers but applicable to all sports competitors. What I liked so much about this presentation, given by a former national team rower/psychologist, was her in-depth explanation of why race anxiety is ok and should be accepted by the competitor as a natural combination of adrenaline, excitement and a small amount of anxiety, but not a debilitating amount. I totally related to what she was teaching us because I often get anxious at the start-line and then I get anxious about being anxious. Its a downward spiral of my own creation.

Her presentation also reminded me of Ken Wilber’s shadow work that I’d once read and saved and which teaches that anxiety is a symptom and its original shadow form is excitement. In other words, when we deny or avoid feeling excited, we pay the price by feeling anxious. So why would we deny or avoid excitement? Well that depends on what we believe about our experiences, situations and changes.

If you’re feeling anxious and depressed and race_flag.pngbelieve that some things or everything is falling apart, are you willing for at least a few moments a day to shift your belief and feel the excitement and adrenaline of being at the start-line?

Because in every moment and with every breath, the start-line is exactly where you are.

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Filed under: In Transition, career, going solo, rowing, stress relief
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