Performance anxiety

The feeling of great demands being made upon you as a student is not uncommon. You are, after all, here to perform well and thus lay down a firm foundation for your future.

Performance anxiety is often caused by low self- confidence. You think you have to show others or yourself that you are good enough by performing at top level all the time, either consciously or unconsciously. Your self-confidence is totally dependent upon how you perform and you are scared of not being best or of making mistakes.

Some helpful tips

• Everybody fails sometimes. Look upon these occasions as learning opportunities. Reflect upon what happened.
• Do not judge yourself too harshly. There are always different aspects to things that happen and different circumstances which affect them.
• Observe what happens if you make a mistake.  Does it mean that people around you think less of you? The fear of not being good enough is probably only in your head.
• Remember that your thoughts about yourself affect how you feel and how you act.
• Try to identify your negative perceptions and think about whether you are really being fair to yourself. Are there other ways to see the matter?
• When it feels as if everything is going wrong, remind yourself of things you have already done and succeeded well with instead of focusing on things you did not succeed with.

Do not hesitate to contact Student Health Service if you need advice or help.