In some gyms, and on social media, experiencing nerves or self-doubt means you can’t fight or shouldn’t fight; it’s seen as a weakness that an athlete shouldn’t have.

Nerves, fear, worry, anxiety and self-doubt are part of our survival mechanism. Our mind wants to keep us safe and that means staying in your comfort zone.

So you're about to compete yet you don't feel as though you're in the optimal zone. This happens often. All's great in training, then right before competition, your body just doesn't seem to listen. You feel either low or high levels of body activation. Is there a way to get the ideal activation levels? Yes absolutely. Let's dive into what's happening first.