Understanding performance anxiety
A contemporary affliction
Increasingly present in public discourse, performance anxiety is considered a contemporary affliction. It is estimated that a third of young people, from primary school age through adulthood, experience it at a fairly high level.
While it appears widespread, it is important to understand performance anxiety as a whole. Simply put, it manifests as a fear related to evaluation and performance situations. A fear of failure. In itself, performance anxiety is not a diagnosis. However, it can be associated with other conditions such as generalized anxiety disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, certain personality disorders (narcissistic, dependent, avoidant), etc.
The difference between simple stress or stage fright and performance anxiety lies in the following four types of symptoms:
- Physiological symptoms: muscle tension, gastrointestinal problems, pressure on the chest, headaches, a knot in the stomach, etc.
- Emotional symptoms: fear, apprehension, shame, humiliation in the face of the possibility of failure
- Psychological symptoms: intrusive thoughts, cognitive distortions, the feeling of never being good enough, attractive, competent, or successful, or a sense of incapacity or failure. Inability to perform in a performance situation.
- Behavioral symptoms: compulsive behaviors or extreme avoidance.
An environment that influences
The increase in cases of performance anxiety in recent years is not due to chance. Several factors can explain this contemporary affliction.
Social media
Heavy use of social media can indeed have a significant impact on performance anxiety. Users are exposed to content that presents vibrant lives, full of friendships, activities, travel, material possessions, perfect bodies. These life scenes become synonymous with success and happiness. And even if people know that this content does not represent real life, it can create a feeling of inadequacy and failure, thereby reinforcing the performance anxiety that some may experience.
Marketing and advertising
Like social media, marketing and advertising communicate a form of ideal in mass media, but also all around us. Focused on the perfection of bodies, careers, or lives in general, advertisements can therefore become another source of performance anxiety.
School
Among young people, performance anxiety is mainly felt in connection with school. Exams, grades, comparison to other classmates, but also the pressure felt to please their parents by performing well academically. In general, it feels as though a generational change has occurred among parents regarding children's academic performance, it now being greater. Specialized programs and admission tests at private schools are just some examples that children today face as part of their educational path.
Due to their personality, some people are more prone to performance anxiety than others. However, it is essential to remember that anyone can suffer from it at one time or several times in their life and that resources exist to help them get through it. If you think that you, your child, or a member of your circle is struggling with a performance anxiety disorder,contact us. We will be able to support you in your journey.
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