Tag: anxiety

Posted on in Sports

What I’ve Learned as a Former Student Athlete with Sports Anxiety.

In sports, mental health is more important than you might think.

Image from Shutterstock

Only one thing holds back athletes from becoming better players: themselves.

As a young athlete playing basketball, I saw every game as a mountain I had to climb. The greater the stakes, the stronger the pressure, and the less air I had to breathe. Constant trips to the restroom to throw my brains out in the toilet pre-game were a reminder of how anxiety-filled my thoughts were.

I felt choked by a game I loved, and never fully understood why.

Even with limited skills (no left, low free-throw accuracy), I constantly felt I was the determining factor in every game. I thought, “If I don’t make any shots, we’ll lose.” I always put myself down, but realistically, I was a great player with limited physical capabilities that I could improve.

Even when I practiced dribbling,left-sided lay-ups, and free throws, I was still nervous for every game.

It took me years to realize that my mental struggles held me back the most. The fear of uncertainty and the outcome of the game was my biggest worry. I also did not have the best sports intellect and only practiced physical technique and skills. Many young athletes are not mentally equipped to understand and process the meat and potatoes of sports. Criticism (especially when ineffective) seems like bashing and can discourage athletes with high hopes, such as myself.

In my brain, it was either winning or losing, nothing else. If I didn’t perform at a level that was good for me, then I didn’t win. I also didn’t understand that having a sports intellect could shape how I played the game.

Kobe Bryant puts it best in this one-minute clip:

Kobe Bryant’s Preparation Mentality Video on YouTube

Brant mentioned that he would watch games and study them. This is key when learning and understanding any sport. You gain insight into different strategies and also observe areas for improvement.

Another strategy that mentally strong athletes use is “visualizing.” Michael Phelps describes it as visualizing the outcomes of a game, whether positive or negative. This way, he is already mentally prepared for any outcome.

Phelps goes more into depth about this in an interview at the Hindustan Times Leadership Summit in 2019.

After quitting basketball because of severe sports anxiety, I noticed that it affects professional athletes, too. A popular name that gets thrown around regarding this topic is NBA player, Ben Simmons. During his time on the Philadelphia 76ers, it was evident that he was going through some mental health struggles:

Simmons giving up the ball with an open shot.

Commentators noticed that Simmons would do well during practice but would miss open shots during games. Simmons opened up about his mental health struggles and how he was seeing a therapist while on the 76ers but did not feel supported by the organization. As a result, he was underperforming, and got dragged by fans for such blatant and rookie mistakes on the court.

With this knowledge, looking back on my athletic years, it is easy to understand how I got caught up with the pressure to succeed and do well in every game. Fear, uncertainty, and limited intellect on the game caused my mental health to suffer while doing something I loved. The goal was to always win but sometimes losing can change your perspective. Mental health is important for any athlete to succeed as they need to be in the right headspace to perform well physically. Studying games, famous athletes, and practicing mindfulness and pre-game mental techniques can help ease any sports anxiety. Without the proper preparation and mental health guidance, an athlete may never discover their true potential on/off the court.

Posted on in Relaxation

ASMR: A Guilty Pleasure for the Sleepless.

How everyday sensations can induce relaxation.

(Image by Freepik)

Have you ever wondered what it would feel like to be touched by sound…literally?

Before answering, think of things in life that can make you feel calm and relaxed. It could be as simple as hearing the wind blowing against the trees or the ocean waves splashing.

As satisfying and soothing as those sounds are, you’d also know that nature isn’t the only source of comforting noises.

This is the intention of the autonomous sensory meridian response, known as “ASMR.” It stimulates your brain through visual and auditory sensors that trigger a response such as relaxation or pleasure.

For example, popular YouTuber ‘ASMR Zeitgeist’ creates experimental ASMR videos to help viewers/subscribers tingle, sleep, and relax. Using 2 microphones, he mimics a “3D” audio effect to make it appear like the viewer/listener is close to the triggers.

(Screenshot of ASMR Zeitgeist from YouTube) (Watch here)

In the video, you can see/hear burning marshmallows, soft drinks fizzing, and foaming shaving cream being pumped out of the can. Most of these triggers were requested by subscribers or viewers who find relaxation in “odd” noises.

Around 15 years ago, ‘WhisperingLife ASMR’ posted what is considered to be one of the earliest ASMR videos. In her video, she whispers into the microphone and says she loves hearing others whisper because it is soothing. After that, she posted a series of whispering videos describing herself and even started reading (while whispering) books on her channel.

According to the results of an NCBI study from 2022, the findings stated, “…ASMR decreases feelings of depression in individuals who are sensitive to ASMR. Moreover, ASMR videos reduce heart rate in individuals, irrespective of being sensitive to ASMR or not.”

Popular ASMR triggers include whispering, scratching, typing, hair play, and hand movements that can induce a tingling sensation in the listeners’ skin, neck, and upper spine.

However, this may not be the case if you experience misophonia.

Once considered taboo, ASMR has been growing increasingly popular since its “birth” back in 2009 and has grown visually and audibly as well. Videos such as “ASMR Roleplay” have been introduced to optimize visual/audio aspects of ASMR.

(Screenshot of Celaine’s ASMR from YouTube) (Watch here)

Another example can be seen with ‘Celaine’s ASMR.’ In her video, Celaine is dressed up as a Doctor preparing to conduct a cranial nerve exam for the viewer/listener. She tests the eyes, and ears through a series of hand and light movements close enough to the camera to create an in-person checkup experience.

Typically in these types of videos, the ASMR “artist” asks and “responds” to the viewer as if they are too present.

According to a study by Peerj.com, “The most common time for engagement with ASMR media was reported to be before going to sleep at night, with 81% of participants reporting this as their preferred time.” In addition, they reported that at least 75 percent of participants were triggered by whispering and 69 percent by personal attention.

Using headphones to watch can also amplify the listener’s overall experiences with ASMR.

Personal attention videos involve the ASMR “artist” usually whispering into the microphone while asking the viewer how they are doing. They try to reduce anxieties or worries through popular triggers such as makeup application and close camera contact to induce feelings in the cranial nerve.

‘Whispering Willow ASMR’ posted a personal attention video which you can watch below:

(Screenshot of Whispering Willow ASMR from YouTube) (Watch here)

USA Today said, “Since ASMR appears to activate regions of the brain associated with calming, sleep-inducing hormones like dopamine and oxytocin, ASMR could possibly help some users sleep better.”

Nonetheless, ASMR (the type that does not involve eating or strange role play) benefits those looking for a good night’s sleep. Otherwise, the more aggressive (and odd) videos might be too distracting before bedtime.

First Monday.Org stated, “Empathy is also an important component in the ASMR experience, as “[…] the more you connect and empathize with a particular trigger, the stronger the ASMR reaction you will have to that triggering event” [20].”

This creates a feeling of security between the viewer/creator. It is common among ASMR “artists” to be seen meticulously “performing” triggers as they are seen as the “experts” in the field.

Although ASMR is popularized in certain contexts, many social media consumers don’t understand its benefits and consider it “weird” or “strange.” Many are still unaware of what ASMR is and how it works but, there is a slight chance that watching an ASMR video will change your perspective (even if it seems cringey.)

There is no denying that exposing yourself to ASMR can feel a bit illegal. This is because it is still a growing community stigmatized for being generalized as embarrassing, unsettling, and sometimes creepy. It is about finding the right ASMR “artists” who can make sense of its phenomenon.

Even if these videos are shared all over the internet for the world to see, they were meant to be watched in your downtime to create an ultramodern audio/visual personal experience!