Dealing with stress

[Brankica]

How do you deal with stress at a match, I want to compare men and women considering this matter.

I have noticed we act differently at a match which has a lot to do with focus and mental preparations to shoot.

Do you "train your brain"? What do you do on the match day? Do you sleep enough the night before (we had situations where we go partying all night, don't sleep, go straight to the match and kick a$$)? What do you do while waiting to shoot?

I have two reasons for asking this. One is this thread http://www.brianenos.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=97265 and second is that I am going back to IPSC shooting after two years of unwanted break So I wanna work on everything more seriously than before.

Thanks

[benos]

As much as possible, be aware of the thoughts in your own head, so you get to know the difference between helpufl thoughts, and thoughts that are detrimental.

It's SO EASY, when we are not aware of our thoughts, to be so caried away by them. But when we notice a thought such as, "If I tag that no-shoot it's gonna put me out of the match" - when I become acutely aware that that thought just passed through my head, in the noticing of it, a "letting go" occurs. Which opens up some space for a fresh new thought. So instead of the habit-mind piling more garbage on that thought train, I say, "Wow, instead of that thought, I am going to replace it with - I am going to shoot that target RIGHT THERE, in the sweet spot."

be

[jkatz44]

As much as possible, be aware of the thoughts in your own head, so you get to know the difference between helpufl thoughts, and thoughts that are detrimental.

It's SO EASY, when we are not aware of our thoughts, to be so caried away by them. But when we notice a thought such as, "If I tag that no-shoot it's gonna put me out of the match" - when I become acutely aware that that thought just passed through my head, in the noticing of it, a "letting go" occurs. Which opens up some space for a fresh new thought. So instead of the habit-mind piling more garbage on that thought train, I say, "Wow, instead of that thought, I am going to replace it with - I am going to shoot that target RIGHT THERE, in the sweet spot."

be

It's SO EASY, when we are not aware of our thoughts, to be so caried away by them. But when we notice a thought such as, "If I tag that no-shoot it's gonna put me out of the match" - when I become acutely aware that that thought just passed through my head, in the noticing of it, a "letting go" occurs. Which opens up some space for a fresh new thought. So instead of the habit-mind piling more garbage on that thought train, I say, "Wow, instead of that thought, I am going to replace it with - I am going to shoot that target RIGHT THERE, in the sweet spot."

I am slowly starting to do this.

[benos]

Since you said you are getting serious, I have a few threads in the Zen forum, that are general in nature, but can be applied specifically to doing anything well, including shooting. Check them out of you haven't seen them.

Man's Greatest Weapon:

http://www.brianenos.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=106828

The Pause Principle:

http://www.brianenos.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=106299

Attention and Error Games:

http://www.brianenos.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=105199

[Brankica]

Gonna read all these...

It was always hard for me to loose a bad thought. It's like it moves slowly in and gets me all upset. It costed me few stupid mistakes a few times.

The only match I shot without winning a medal was the last one I did. (At the time I gave up cause the results were being faked and not the fact I didn't win a medal)

Anyway,first two stages I get two re-shoots!!!! That threw me completely off the track, especially that the first shooting was great. I could not pull myself back together the next 10 stages.

I lost so much focus that somewhere on the stage 7 I even broke my protective gear throwing it away and kicking it all over the place

[Sam]

It's SO EASY, when we are not aware of our thoughts, to be so caried away by them.

BE

The truth which becomes apparent in my shooting, often leads to a life application of a parrallel truth.

My self is a shadow. And my attention is a light. The brighter my attention burns, the happier I am. When my attention flickers, the shadow comes back. And with it all the un-happy feelings and fears.

I believe that all the wars and crime and killing and cheating in this world come from folks getting carried away by their own shadows. Folks are just trying to find happiness where there is none. So, they go deeper, and deeper, into the shadows.

[Brankica]

Hey, I am also wondering about your daily mental routine on the match day. And what do you do on the range? Concentrate? Talk to people? Read books Swap fishing stories

[Sam]

Brankica, that's going to depend on the reason I'm shooting the match. Swapping stories is always a pretty high priority. I go for the whole match experience. It's good to see friends and learn from better shooters.

When it's time for the walk through, I usually stop visiting and start paying real attention to the upcoming stage. Inside my head, I visualize the stage in great detail. Each stage presents a different challenge. If I forget to visualize some key part, I will also forget to execute that key part when the time comes to shoot. It's fun to sort out the things that matter from the irrelevancies.

The mental routine is not so much what I think about, but keeping the thoughts away. Practice is where we learn what we can do, cold, and on demand. Thinking about the mechanincs of shooting is one part of practice. Conversely, a match is the last place I want to think about the mechanincs of shooting. What happens in a match envronment can sometimes intimidate. Intimidation causes doubt. You doubt, you die.

So, do the most extreme things you can think of in practice. Shoot crazy fast swingers weak handed, plate racks on the move, 100 yard accuracy shots. When you get to a match, there won't be anything to start you wondering if you can.......When you "know" you can. You can.

[BritinUSA]

Brankica,

I have the exact same problem; A bad thought will get into my head and once in there its very hard to get rid of it. I now try to 'live in the moment', so I'm not thinking about what will happen that is outside of my control, I just try to focus on my plan for that one stage. And once that stage is done, its over, I try not to dwell on t, regardless of whether it went well or not.

[benos]

Good stuff in both posts from Sam!

When you've become aware of a bad thought, "digging its way in," (for example, the same thought is being repeated over and over), at that moment make a STRONG COMMITMENT to be on the lookout for that thought-train. AS SOON as you notice it's there again, place all of your attention into an area in the middle of your forehead about an inch above your eyes, and you will see the magic of attention at work as the thought-train dissipates.

Practice that at home. Turn away from your computer, and place all of your attention as described above. Keep it there as long as possible. Then when you notice any thought has returned, bring your attention right back to that spot.

After a lot of practice with that, you'll realize that it is not possible to think if your mind is filled with attention.

Reminded of my favorite Chinul quotes:

It is said that we should not fear the arising of thoughts, just fear being slow to notice.

-Chinul

[benos]

Another good method to replace habitual thinking with awareness is to just know that you are breathing.

be

[Sean Gaines]

Another good method to replace habitual thinking with awareness is to just know that you are breathing.

be

That is awesome! is that in your own words, or is that a quote from someone?

[benos]

Another good method to replace habitual thinking with awareness is to just know that you are breathing.

be

That is awesome! is that in your own words, or is that a quote from someone?

That came into my head when I was having some brutal dental work done. I knew that I was breathing for the better part of 45 minutes. When I left the office I was in a state of euphoria, that lasted for a couple hours. I had to back in an week to have the same massive deep clean job done on the other half of my mouth, so that time I kept a "know that you are breathing" state of mind from while I was driving to the dental office. Same result - an awesome state of euphoria after the brutal cleaning. (In case you're wondering, I hadn't been to the dentist in 12 years. That won't happen again!)

[Brankica]

Well, I will try to use some of these advices as I am shooting my first match this Saturday, after 2 years of not shooting. Had to take health/professional break. Hope I don't embarass myself

[Bigpops]

Brankica - I just finished reading "With Winning in Mind". It's an easy read and great book. I would highly suggest it for you!

You can also purchase it from Mr Enos!

[Corey]

Brankica - I just finished reading "With Winning in Mind". It's an easy read and great book. I would highly suggest it for you!

You can also purchase it from Mr Enos!

Ive gone through it twice and about to start a 3rd. ive heard good things abouthis 2nd book as well

[Sam]

Hope I don't embarass myself

Brankica, that's one of those thoughts you don't want to be thinking while you're shooting.

[Brankica]

I guess I will just do the thing I wrote about in the other topic - Not recommended...ha ha ha

I'll post the update on embarassment when I come back to the country ))))

[huskerlrrp]

I guess I will just do the thing I wrote about in the other topic - Not recommended...ha ha ha

I'll post the update on embarassment when I come back to the country ))))

I'm not a Pro by any means, but looking away from your target (I like to look at the ground) taking some some deep breaths in the nose and out the mouth and rolling the neck seems to help me pass the jitters. Then I raise my head up in the correct direction of shooting, nod ready and wait for the beep.

[doc540]

Being a musician has helped me develop a "stress barometer".

It's connected with breathing.

I inhale deeply enough to feel my diaphram begin to expand, but not deeply enough to feel it become "painful" (not really painful, but gets that "muscle sting" when stretching).

Then I quietly began a chant in the lowest register in which I'm capable at that moment.

My stress level and "centered-ness" (or lack of) is in direct proportion to my pitch.

I'll not only feel the stress in my chest, I'll hear it.

It immediately becomes obvious.

As I center and relax while continuing to chant, the pitch begins to drop lower and lower.

It doesn't have to be audible enough for anyone else to hear unless their within just a few feet, but it's as accurate as a mechanical gauge.

I suppose chanting, in general, is a rare discipline in American culture.

Edited November 17, 2010 by doc540

[JThompson]

Another good method to replace habitual thinking with awareness is to just know that you are breathing.

be

That is awesome! is that in your own words, or is that a quote from someone?

That came into my head when I was having some brutal dental work done. I knew that I was breathing for the better part of 45 minutes. When I left the office I was in a state of euphoria, that lasted for a couple hours. I had to back in an week to have the same massive deep clean job done on the other half of my mouth, so that time I kept a "know that you are breathing" state of mind from while I was driving to the dental office. Same result - an awesome state of euphoria after the brutal cleaning. (In case you're wondering, I hadn't been to the dentist in 12 years. That won't happen again!)

Brian, I think you have the Zn thing confused with Nitrous!

JT

[JThompson]

I used to get pumped so bad it was hard to get a good sight picture because I was shaking so bad. I still get a little tweaked, but not bad. I tried this and that, but nothing ever really cured it. As your skill level grows you get more confident and that helps. Time and repetition was the key for me. When I'm up I step in the box as they are pasting targets and think about my plan... I don't turn around to see the gallery or even make eye contact with the ROs/Squad that are pasting. That helps me to stay in the moment and keep my mind where it needs to be. Bottom line though, for some of us it just takes time. I guess I started getting more relaxed late in my second year. I still have issues when I shoot multiple strings. I get that big adrenaline dump and shake pretty good on the subsequent strings. This is normal though... Max Michel and I were discussing hand position for surrender draws. I like to have my hands a little forward and he touches his ears. I asked him if there was a particular reason he did it... was it for consistency? He said, yes a little, but it's more so that his competitors don't see his hands shake. He doesn't want to let them know he's tweaked out. I think that is a huge admission from the man and I was thankful for it.... He's been doing this stuff for what? 20 yrs? and he still gets the shakes.

JT

PS Let's see the rest of that ink on your back!

J

Edited November 17, 2010 by JThompson

[jameswilliam]

When person loosing anything about carrier, person, money and so on then as a human nature person become depressed. Another thing is that there is required to come out from the depression to enjoy the life. For that to start the activities which you like the most due to this procedure it increase the concentration power.

[NewColonial]

Hope I don't embarass myself

Brankica, that's one of those thoughts you don't want to be thinking while you're shooting.

Timely reading this today. I find myself back sliding into that "hope I don't embarrass myself" syndrome. Yesterday I shot a falling steel match and literally could not find my sights. I don't expect to place but was downright surprised at how bad I shot. In retrospect thinking back on my mindset leading up to my time on deck it's all clear. I stood there watching competitors arrive and was texting my wife with the who's who of competitors arriving. Obviously these are folks who don't know me from Adam, could care less how I shot, and wouldn't even be watching. (But who would likely offer advice if I was bold enough to ask.) By the time I shot, I was all "don't screw up, don't screw up." You can guess what happened. :-) In fact, i went home, loaded the paper and steel targets in the care and headed out to the local range to confirm I could still hit static targets while standing still!

Same thing happens when I walk up to a classifier stage. I haven't shot a clean classifier for the last 4 attempts. If I could get the match jitters to the point of beneficial adrenalin and away from debilitating stress, I'd probably start making progress. Glad to read the reports here.

[blaster113]

How do you deal with stress at a match, I want to compare men and women considering this matter.

I have noticed we act differently at a match which has a lot to do with focus and mental preparations to shoot.

Do you "train your brain"? What do you do on the match day? Do you sleep enough the night before (we had situations where we go partying all night, don't sleep, go straight to the match and kick a$$)? What do you do while waiting to shoot?

I have two reasons for asking this. One is this thread http://www.brianenos.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=97265 and second is that I am going back to IPSC shooting after two years of unwanted break So I wanna work on everything more seriously than before.

Thanks

Awesome avatar. I think pre-match jitters will be present no matter what we do, its a matter of minimizing them. I'm by no means a top level shooter, and have just started shooting big matches myself. I ramp up my dry fire and live fire practice sessions until I leave for the match. Sounds obvious, but I think that if you have already been practicing hard before you leave it'll reduce some anxiety once you get there if you have confidence in your skills. Especially focus on weaknesses such as weak hand shooting, long distance shots, etc if you know in advance that your match will have these types of shots. I always study the match booklet before leaving for the match, when I arrive there, and the morning of the match so I have a good mental picture of what to expect before I do the first walk through. Mentally rehearse shooting positions for each stage along with footwork, reloads, etc. Biggest thing for me was going into a match and having high expectations; just go in and tell yourself you're going to shoot the best you can and not pressure out about results.

I try not to stay out too late at night drinking before a match, its hard to focus the next day tired, hungover and reeking of booze (hard not to party when you're in places like Vegas ). When shooting a stage and you feel yourself unravelling, try slowing down a little and concetrate on getting hits. On my first stage at the Nats this year I drew and took 3 shots to hit a piece of steel that wasn't even that far. I had no sight picture and had to really force myself to slow it down. Once I got the steel, everything started to flow again. Mentally rehearsing your main stage plan several times along with an alternate in case you have missed shots, etc. helps when you have mental overload and everything goes to sh*t. Good luck.