On the podcast Jennie shared how she is often crippled with nerves and anxiety – and yet she still managed to jump clear on the Global Champions Tour.
We asked Jennie to share her top tips for managing nerves and anxiety with you:
1. Finding the right trainer
Find yourself a trainer who understands you and your horse. Sometimes the “best” riders cannot coach you in the way you need.
2. Find a coach who understands
Make sure the coach you choose understands nerves and how crippling they are. I’ve had people shout at me because “I’ve done this 100 times” or “stop crying and get over it” this isn’t helpful and will set you back.
3. What is making you anxious?
Work out what part is making you anxious and try to work out the reasons why – what is the root cause of this? It could also be something not even horse related and be happening at home. It’s important to understand your anxiety so keeping a diary of what you are doing and how you feel at different times may help you understand why you’re anxious and identify ways to manage or get rid of anxiety.
4. Train, train, train
Practice makes perfect! Be prepared. You’re less likely to freeze up if you’re well prepared. Train as much as you can and practice — alone or in front of others — at every opportunity. Practice until you feel relaxed and ready. Nothing calms nerves like the confidence that comes from knowing you’re prepared.
5. It’s ok to drop down a height
I find if I’m finding the height daunting – I drop down a height. Who are we trying to impress? Slowly facing up to a situation might help, and eventually it will feel OK.
6. Your horse just wants to be loved, fed & looked after
When I’m having the feeling of “I’m not good enough” “my horse deserves someone better” I must remind myself that this isn’t true and that as long as I love them and they’re fed and looked after that is all that matters to them – not how high they are jumping, or what level dressage test they do.
7. Focus on the process, not the outcome
8. Psych yourself up
Instead of dwelling on what could go wrong, rev up some positive energy. Watch a football team before they run onto the field. They get in a group and pray or sing a team song to pump themselves up with positive energy and team spirit. You can do this whether you’re performing alone or as part of a group. Have a friend give you a pep talk. Give yourself one too. Tell yourself, “I got this!” “I’m ready to do this — here goes!” or, “This is going to be fun!”
9. Don’t be afraid of the nervous feeling
When you feel performance jitters, don’t freak out! Don’t let the feeling stop you or intimidate you. Just let it be there. Remind yourself to Look after yourself. Before big performances it’s easy to let taking care of yourself slip as you spend too much time on rehearsals and practice. You’ll look and feel your best if you get enough sleep and eat healthy meals before your performance. Exercise can also help you feel good, and along with sleep and nutrition, is an excellent way of keeping those stress hormones from getting out of control.
10. Tell yourself you are ready and set to go
Know that it’s up to you to manage it to your advantage. Use your positive pep-talk and calming strategies to do just that. Then, go for it! Tell yourself you’re excited. We get a lot of the same physical symptoms with excitement, as we do with fear and nervousness.
11. Learn ways that help you relax such as slow breaths, or exercise
12. Remind yourself of when you’ve done well
Re watch old videos or look at photos where you left feeling like you had done well. It reminds you that you can do this.
Thank you Jennie for sharing your secrets – we absolutely loved them! If you find your nerves or anxiety are crippling and inhibiting your performance then in addition to the tips above why not explore the option of some off the horse support.
You can follow Jennie journey on Facebook here, or on Instagram here.
