Communications majors share something in common with student athletes: performance anxiety. Standing up and speaking in front of an audience can be the same as being required to perform on the sports field.

I have experienced performance anxiety firsthand as a student athlete, and for my major. For one of my communication class presentations I decided to do an oral presentation about performance anxiety and how to deal with it.

Many times people will give advice  to just “know your content” or just “practice in front of people” which is not always helpful and can create even more anxiety. 

I created this presentation with tips and tricks for a general audience on how to perform in situations like tests, public speaking, or other forms of high-stress scenarios. It also applied to student athletes for pre-game prep and in-game situations.  I included 8 tips to help with anxiety, including, mental preparedness, visualization and breathing techniques. I found that using these techniques regularly helped me and hopefully can help other students when they find themselves having performance anxiety.