Reappraise physiological arousal as activation, not anxiety

Tell yourself "I’m excited" rather than "I’m nervous" — the physiology is identical; the label changes performance.

Why it works

Pre-performance arousal — elevated heart rate, butterflies, heightened alertness — is physiologically identical whether interpreted as anxiety (threat) or excitement (challenge). The cognitive label determines the downstream behavioral response: anxiety triggers avoidance and harm-prevention focus; excitement triggers approach and opportunity focus. Brooks (2014) showed that saying "I am excited" improved performance across multiple high-pressure tasks compared to "I am calm" or no instruction, because attempting to calm down fights the arousal that is already present.

How to do it

1. Before high-pressure situations, notice the physical arousal and label it explicitly: "I’m excited" or "I’m ready."
2. Do not try to reduce the arousal — redirect its interpretation instead.
3. Pair the reappraisal with a brief physical action (deep breath, upright posture) that aligns with an activated, ready state.
4. Practice the reappraisal in moderately high-stakes training situations so it is automatic before the highest-stakes moment.

Evidence

Brooks (2014) found across multiple experiments that "I am excited" instructions improved performance on singing, public speaking, and math under pressure, compared to calm-down instructions. The arousal-reappraisal mechanism is the strongest direct experimental evidence for this practice. (rct)

Effect sizes are moderate; the reappraisal works best when arousal is already present (it has something to reinterpret). Under very low arousal, the "excited" label is less credible.

Sources

• Brooks (2014), get excited: reappraising pre-performance anxiety as excitement, Journal of Experimental Psychology: General

Common mistake

Trying to calm down before performance by using relaxation techniques when arousal is already elevated — fighting the arousal increases the internal conflict and often elevates distress further.