Avoid the Mousetrap: How Athletes Can Manage Their Fear of Failure

The next time you feel the fear of failure creeping in, remember these three things: take a few slow breaths, crack a smile, and focus on the action you're about to take.

There exists a crucial difference between fear and danger.

Danger is real.

Fear is created.

Because we create many of our own fears, the good news is that we can learn to manage them.

The bad news is that our brain is not good at distinguishing between these two concepts.

For example, I was recently at the Grand Canyon, standing on an overlook thousands of feet above the Colorado River. As I approached the edge, my stomach dropped. I felt nervous, as a mere stumble could've sent me to an untimely death. My brain sensed that something around me was different and potentially dangerous, so it set off my internal alarm bells. That's totally normal, and such built-in alarm systems help us stay safe.