"Stop, Drop, and Play Calm"- Tips and Tricks on Staying Calm During Intense Games!

     Hello fellow Pokemon players! Evan here, and today I am going to talk about how being nervous can affect how you play, ways to stay calm, and ways to not show your expression.

Nervous? Well, You Just Lost
            
                                           You lost the game...And your nails.

     Being nervous happens in many cases, when the game is close, finals match, need to win the match to make top cut, etc.

     When you're nervous, you don't play right. You make mistakes, bad plays, wrong damage amount done, play more than one supporter in one turn, etc. Your opponent can also tell when you are nervous and take advantage of it.

     So... A short section with reasons on how nervousness happens AND what happens when you're nervous.

Stop, Drop, and Play Calm



                                                           Stop, and think.

     Okay, so here are some tips for staying calm, or bringing down how nervous you are:

Stop

-Use the restroom, if your opponent allows it

-Take your time, as long as you make a play within the next 15-20 seconds you are fine

-Do the hook up for 10 seconds, interlock your arms, cross your legs, put your tongue to the roof of your mouth, close your eyes, and take a deep breath

Drop

-Ask for an ID if you can afford a tie (Only if you are seriously nervous)

-Relax

Play Calm

-Slouch (Just don't tense up), stretch, make sure you've rested well before the tournament

-Have deep breaths without the hook up

-Try to have a short chat with your opponent to calm down (Only if opponent wants to chat, don't press on this that much)

Don't Show You're Nervous
                                               
                                                    This one says it all.

     Here are some good ways to not show your emotion if you ARE nervous:

-Don't admit you are nervous (Source)

-Maintain eye contact (Source)

-Ask a question (Source)

-Fake excitement (Source)

-Stay Still (Source)

Thanks for reading, and until next time, test on!