Performance pressure, anxiety and tension are caused by mind-set of inflated expectations, fear of failure and an unhealthy attitude toward your competition. Let's look at each of these.
Expectation: When you develop expectations with regard to outcomes and results, you will become tight, tentative and tense simply because you cannot control these. You always experience anxiety when you have no control. I coach my clients on how to create expectations about what can be controlled, thereby giving them confidence in their ability to perform in that way. For example, if you have prepared well you can expect the emergence of your best, expect to do well, expect things to come together, expect that something good will take place, expect to learn about yourself and the game you play and expect to feel happy about your performances. I encourage my clients to focus on all those "little things" that make them perform well in practice. Such expectations help you to relax and let your body and mind do what they have been trained to do.

BE A CHAMPION. . . NOW!
FROM MY EXPERIENCE working over the last 30 years with hundreds of national and world-class champions, I can assure you that being a champion is NOT as far fetched as you might imagine. Read the following and see how reaching such a level is within your grasp. Let me help you to begin today to live your life as a champion.
In the play "No Exit" by Jean-Paul Sartre, some people are trapped in a metaphysical, self-imposed hell - one room, no windows, crowded together and not able to leave. After they had spent much time here, a door opened and they were free to go. However, they remained because the unknown was too risky and filled with perceived danger. They had become comfortable with the status quo (horrendous lives) and lacked the courage to experience something much better.
Read more: The Competition on the Edge: The Art of Being Courageous
As an athlete, you may wonder how you can remain motivated and excited for your workouts on a daily basis. There is no magic involved. When I work with athletes and fitness enthusiasts, I help them to remember the intrinsic physiological benefits that transpire from the very moment they begin to move their bodies. Simply being aware of these occurrences taking place in-the-moment motivates them to continue and feel good about the process itself. The following physiological benefits can be posted in a visible place to help you keep perspective on your true motive (taken from the word MOTIVATION) of overall fitness and wellness: Working out
Lowers your blood pressure. It increases vessel size and elasticity.
Raises the quality of blood by increasing the number of blood cells, hemogolbin and plasma
Raises the high-density lipoproteins (HDL's), which clear the arteries of unhealthy cholestrerol deposits.
Strengthens the heart muscle. Like all muscles, the heart grows larger and stronger if it's worked.
Makes the lungs more efficient.
Controls Osteoporosis by reversing or delaying the opportunity.
Controls weight and metabolism and burns fat.
Enhances thought processes.
Controls stress and degenerative diseases such as diabetes, arthritis, cancer and heart failure.
The following information is presented here to help you to experience an immediate boost in your performance. It will give you a sense about how I may be of help to you.
In sport, there is an expression that refers to the importance of patience in learning a new skill or accomplishing a goal: "It's all possible - you just need time in the saddle." Becoming proficient at anything requires hours of practice. Hitting a good serve in tennis or shooting a basketball well is simply a matter of putting in hours of practice, persisting through any and all setbacks.
Read more: Wait Training: The Difficult Art of Being Patient