From the author: The material was prepared for teachers involved in preparing children to perform at various competitions CONCEPTS: Anxiety is the experience of emotional discomfort associated with the expectation of trouble, the premonition of impending danger or something unknown . People experience anxiety in different situations. On the eve of important events, to a greater or lesser extent, all people experience confusion, anxiety, anxiety or even fear. They are usually followed by composure, focus, and concentration. Our negative emotions are considered “watchmen” that prevent us from falling into carelessness, which would threaten our lives. However, prolonged stay in this state is dangerous. Being constantly in an anxious state, a person, his body, experiences stress. Stress is a state of mental tension that occurs in a person in the process of activity in the most complex, difficult conditions (translated from English it means pressure, tension, effort). Recognized stress expert Hans Selye believes that a small dose of stress adds vitality to a person and sharpens the ability to cope with unpleasant situations. “Stress is not what happened to you, but how you perceive it.” RULES FOR COMBATING ANXIETY AND STRESS AT THE PREPARATION STAGE: - Tune in psychologically. The success or failure of your performance is determined by your psychological mood before and during the competition. If before the start of the competition you begin to be overwhelmed by thoughts like: “What will happen if..., or “I’m not as good as my competitors,” expect failure. Learn to program your thoughts only for positive results, and success will accompany you. Use the formula: “even if...., in any case...” - Look at things positively. When you look at things negatively or become discouraged by failures, you lower your energy level and weaken your confidence, no matter what. .A positive attitude will help you overcome difficulties and failures and continue to improve. Negative emotions will contribute to the end of your career. All winners always think positively. Develop a positive attitude towards success or failure. be perceived primarily as a guide on the path to mastering knowledge, skills and abilities. It is this attitude that allows you to remove the focus only on the result, make the competitor more free in relation to his own successes and failures, and focus his attention on the activity itself. - React to fears and negative emotions. Use the response method, for example, adopt the techniques of “drawing fears”, “stories about fears”, and the theme of competition and competition should be emphasized. In the course of this work, attempts at a humorous, caricatured depiction of the situation are welcome. - Gain experience. The more often you find yourself in situations related to an area that causes anxiety and fear, the less susceptible you are to these same fears. Practice your speech in front of a mirror, in front of relatives, friends, classmates, etc. (ranging from situations that may only be a little worrying to those that cause great anxiety). - Create your own ritual. Create your long-term and short-term performance preparation program and act in accordance with it. Come up with and use “talismans”, “success formula”, “winner ritual”. - Choose a suitable costume, makeup and hairstyle. A competitor who looks stylish and neat is always rated higher. And the polish created psychologically organizes a person. He is not ashamed, at least, of his appearance. RULES FOR COMBATING ANXIETY AT THE STAGE OF PARTICIPATION IN THE COMPETITION: - Be consistent and careful in the necessary organizational aspects. It is necessary to register on time, prepare on time and track when and for whomyou to perform. - Conduct “reconnaissance on the ground.” Orientation in the geometry of the room quite seriously affects the performance itself. - Use foresight. Winners always use their imagination to achieve their goals. In your practice, focus on what you want to achieve, not what you fear. By thinking about positive things, you become calmer and more confident, which increases your chances of success. - Stay alone with your thoughts, act independently. Your success will be much higher if you learn to think about what you are currently doing. Mental breakdowns occur when contestants focus their attention on rivals, fans or the jury. Think about your performance, and if you accidentally start paying attention to someone else’s ratings or the performances of your opponents, try to calmly return your thoughts to your state and upcoming actions. - Monitor your vision and hearing. Learn to control your vision and hearing before and during the competition. Observe only what does not cause irritation and excitement, turn your gaze to something that can calm you down. - Learn to relax. In order to perform successfully, you must overcome possible tension. For many, this ability does not come naturally. There are several ways to achieve relaxation during competition. One of the simplest is breathing exercises. A few deep diaphragmatic inhalations and exhalations will help quickly reduce pre-performance anxiety. Practice at home by inhaling through your nose for a count of 4 and exhaling slowly for a count of 7-8. Using this method, you will make sure that anxiety goes away and confidence appears. - Act like a winner. Act like a champion. Look at the losers: their heads and shoulders are lowered, their legs are barely dragging - they are depressed. Don't be like them. Be smart, look confident, lift your head, smile. Show the jury and your opponents that you are confident in yourself and have no doubts about success. - Be sincere. The source of many fears is the irrational idea that you need to be perfect and infallible, and the belief that any failure in business indicates that you are stupid, mediocrity and incompetent. Start your speeches by announcing that you are nervous. "Good evening ladies and gentlemen! Before I begin my speech, let me share one personal detail with you. At the moment I am gripped by horror. I'm scared to death of speaking in front of an audience. So if I drop dead now, you'll know why! This will immediately help you deal with your perfectionism and overcome your desire to be infallible. When you stop playing the role of the Undaunted, the audience will see you as just a person and will begin to sympathize with you, and the fear and tension will pass. - Compete without stress. Carry out your actions automatically, don’t tense up, try to relax. Work effortlessly: If you try hard, your results will probably get worse. - Overcome difficulties calmly. Learn to look at challenges as an opportunity to be even more motivated to become more confident. As they say: “If you get a lemon, make lemonade out of it.” - Don't forget that you are not only a contestant. Don't forget that you are assessed not only by points or points, but also by the attitude of people towards you. The results of a competition are never the measure of your human self. Be yourself. RULES FOR COMBATING ANXIETY AND STRESS AT THE STAGE OF SUMMING UP THE RESULTS OF THE COMPETITION: - Don’t scold yourself for mistakes. We are all human and we all make mistakes. Negativity will only lead to an even worse outcome. - Remember the pros, not the cons. Of course, it’s nice to take a prize, but not every time you manage to be a winner. This is very upsetting for many people. Unfortunately, there is no cure for this other than self-hypnosis! - Learn to quickly overcome failures. Winners.