dravz Posted March 23, 2012 Share Posted March 23, 2012 This is taken from the CSF-PREP curriculum done by the Army to teach Soldiers mental strength routines. While we shooters have match stress to deal with, Soldiers have two-way range stress to deal with. One of the easiest ways to make nervousness less stressful is to understand why it happens. Your nervous system does nothing by chance. Everything your body provides you during stressful moments is good for performance, but since we don't know that we wonder why our bodies are trying to sabotage us when we need help the most, like right before a big match. Fact is, performing at extraordinary levels requires an extraordinary amount of energy and activation. Mentally tough individuals learn to accept and embrace the natural and helpful flood of adrenaline and energy -- to see the nervousness as an advantage! Dry Mouth Saliva, used to digest food, turns off so energy used for digestion can be redirected to the brain and muscles -- where it's needed! Unless you are nervous before an eating contest, this is a good thing. Rapid Breathing Brings in more oxygen and rids the body of waste products that cause fatigue. Take deep breaths to get your breathing under control and relax to stay in the zone. Increased Heart Rate Speeds up the delivery of oxygen and nutrients to the brain and muscles! Sweaty Palms and Pits Sweating ensures the body, muscles, and internal organs remain at their optimal temperature right from the start of the mission. Butterflies in the Stomach Digestion shuts down so that energy used for digestion can be redirected to the brain and muscles! The resulting change in stomach acid creates the sensation of "butterflies." Realize this is an advantage (again, unless you are preparing for an eating contest), thank your stomach for powering down and conserving energy! Digestive Clearing (PPP) Relieving oneself empties the digestive system so that energy used for digestion can be redirected elsewhere, and lightens the load on your body! The 3 P's: Pee, Poop, and Puke! Your body clears out your digestive tract so it doesn't slow you down during the mission. Get the lead out! Trembling Hands and Knees The nervous system kicks into a higher gear in order to speed up communication between the brain and the body, which results in trembling hands and knees in some people. Understanding why your body does these things when you are nervous will help you perform at your best without worrying about your body being out to sabotage you. It is just trying to help! Understand what is happening and use it to your advantage. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DWFAN Posted March 23, 2012 Share Posted March 23, 2012 snip.. Digestive Clearing (PPP) Relieving oneself empties the digestive system so that energy used for digestion can be redirected elsewhere, and lightens the load on your body! The 3 P's: Pee, Poop, and Puke! Your body clears out your digestive tract so it doesn't slow you down during the mission. Get the lead out! snip Understanding why your body does these things when you are nervous will help you perform at your best without worrying about your body being out to sabotage you. It is just trying to help! Understand what is happening and use it to your advantage. No wonder I can go pee right before I shoot, and as soon as I'm on the line 3 minutes later, I gotta go again! Interesting information, thanks for posting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TroyB Posted March 26, 2012 Share Posted March 26, 2012 I can probably count the number of matches that I have shot, and about the middle of last year I noticed I wasn't as nervous as when I first started, or even nervous at all. Until now, I thought that might be a good thing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dravz Posted March 26, 2012 Author Share Posted March 26, 2012 I can probably count the number of matches that I have shot, and about the middle of last year I noticed I wasn't as nervous as when I first started, or even nervous at all. Until now, I thought that might be a good thing. Not to worry, everyone's optimum stress level is different. Knowing why your body is doing all these strange things is just one way to back yourself down a little bit and avoid the downward stress spiral. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Don Springer Posted March 26, 2012 Share Posted March 26, 2012 Well my body is trying to sabotage me then. If I have a shoot on Sunday then the last good movement I have is on Friday and nothing happens again till Tuesday of the next week. Damn you body.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jun_1911 Posted March 27, 2012 Share Posted March 27, 2012 Now I understand why I feel weird immediately before load and make ready. This is enlightening. Thank you so much Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JeremyV Posted March 27, 2012 Share Posted March 27, 2012 I think the most important thing to learn from this is to controle your mind and body to the point where you can get the benifits of what your body is doing but keep it from over reacting and getting to the point where your motorskills are impaired . I talked to a 12 time world champion athlete (not a shooter) who told me the difference in the top ten athletes in his sport was tye ability to controle their emotions to get the correct ammount of adrenaline and energy for the competition without losing controle. Jeremy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dillon b Posted March 28, 2012 Share Posted March 28, 2012 the trembling hands is the only thing that hurts me on those head shots at 15 plus yards! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Contender Posted April 4, 2012 Share Posted April 4, 2012 Whether it is true or not that is very interesting info. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
feederic Posted April 6, 2012 Share Posted April 6, 2012 Rapid Breathing Brings in more oxygen and rids the body of waste products that cause fatigue. Take deep breaths to get your breathing under control and relax to stay in the zone. Increased Heart Rate Speeds up the delivery of oxygen and nutrients to the brain and muscles! I had these two do a number on me last night! Sweaty Palms and Pits Sweating ensures the body, muscles, and internal organs remain at their optimal temperature right from the start of the mission. This one is everyday life for me Digestive Clearing (PPP) Relieving oneself empties the digestive system so that energy used for digestion can be redirected elsewhere, and lightens the load on your body! The 3 P's: Pee, Poop, and Puke! Your body clears out your digestive tract so it doesn't slow you down during the mission. Get the lead out! I sure hope this never happens to me at a match! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
XRe Posted April 6, 2012 Share Posted April 6, 2012 Good stuff. Some deep, slow slow breaths help combat some of the negative side effects of a pre-stage adrenaline dump. Get your breathing under conscious control, and slow it down - that will help with the shakes and rapid breathing! It won't clear all the feelings (and, as dravz points out, you don't want them to). But, too much adrenaline will put you in a bad state to perform (basically - too amped up). If I don't have butterflies before the beginning of a major match, I get concerned about how sharp my performance is going to be! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shawneeboy87 Posted April 6, 2012 Share Posted April 6, 2012 This was an awesome post. During the short time I've been shooting -- I've found that if I don't acknowledge the adrenaline and control it -- I find myself moving a little too quick and taking shots before I have the sights. I just am not as smooth. Acknowledging and understanding the adrenaline is pumping and taking a deep breath helps me focus on what's in front of me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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