Q: I get so nervous before my class that I feel sick. How do other riders manage this physical anxiety?

A: Physical symptoms of anxiety – nausea, shaking, racing heart, sweating – are unpleasant but manageable. Understanding that these sensations are your body preparing for action, not signs of danger, helps you reframe them. Your body is releasing adrenaline to enhance performance; the same physiological state that feels awful when labelled ‘anxiety’ can be reinterpreted as ‘readiness.’

Practical management strategies

Timing your arrival: Arrive with enough time to settle but not so early that you have hours to ruminate. For most riders, arriving 90 minutes before your class provides adequate preparation time without excessive waiting.

Stay busy: Idle time amplifies anxiety. Keep yourself occupied with useful tasks – grooming, tack cleaning, walking the course. Physical activity also helps burn off excess adrenaline.

Eat strategically: Avoid heavy meals before competing, but don’t show up on an empty stomach either, as low blood sugar worsens anxiety. Light, easily digestible snacks work well: bananas, crackers, energy bars. Stay hydrated but don’t overdo fluids if you’re prone to needing the bathroom when nervous.

Physical grounding techniques: When you feel panic rising, try the 5-4-3-2-1 technique: identify five things you can see, four you can touch, three you can hear, two you can smell, one you can taste. This grounds you in the present moment rather than catastrophising about the future.

Progressive muscle relaxation: Systematically tense and release muscle groups. Clench your fists tight for 5 seconds, release. Tense your shoulders, release. This reduces overall muscle tension that accompanies anxiety.

Accept the nerves: Paradoxically, trying to eliminate nerves often makes them worse. Instead, acknowledge them: ‘I’m feeling nervous, and that’s okay. These feelings won’t stop me from riding.’ Acceptance reduces the secondary anxiety about being anxious.