Enjoy The Practice

My younger son enjoys cricket so much that he takes his game very seriously. He practices his bowling and batting regularly, and every time the practice doesn’t go well, he beats himself up, thinking a lot about the mistakes he makes and what he could/should have done better. 

I tell him that the driving force behind his hard practice is an imaginary fear of failure stemming from his desire to succeed, and paradoxically, this keeps him from really enjoying his game. This also impacts his performance in the big games, where he puts himself under pressure even before the actual game starts. 

I tell my son to lighten up his approach toward practice. Take it easy- enjoy the process. Practice should help you gain more composure, not activate more anxiety !!

This advise I give my son is applicable to practise of any sort- It should be something one must enjoy. Practice must help one get more proficient and confident not instill stress and anxiety.