Finding Your Optimal Anxiety Level: Why Calm Isn’t Always Better

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Apr 4, 2025

Explore the intriguing relationship between anxiety and performance. Discover how a certain level of nerves can actually enhance your musical abilities. Dive into practices like mock auditions that help harness anxiety effectively. Uncover the importance of finding your unique optimal anxiety level instead of merely seeking calmness. Plus, learn about an upcoming online class aimed at building resilience and improving practice techniques for musicians, ensuring performances come alive with energy.

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INSIGHT

Individual Optimal Anxiety Zones

Every athlete has a unique optimal anxiety zone for their best performance.
Calm is not always better; some perform best under high anxiety.

INSIGHT

Optimal Anxiety in Musicians

Musicians also have unique optimal anxiety zones influencing performance.
Playing within this zone correlates to higher performance ratings in juries.

INSIGHT

Nerves Can Enhance Performance

It's okay and sometimes essential to feel nervous before performing.
Replicating your unique optimal anxiety mix is a better goal than aiming for calmness.

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Even from a young age, I was always confused by the relationship between nerves and performance. There were times, for instance, when I’d be nervous and sound pretty terrible. But then there were other times when I’d be nervous and play better than ever. And then there were times when I’d be calm and sound very uninspired and mediocre.

It all felt like a crapshoot, and none of it ever made sense. Like, why were nerves sometimes helpful and sometimes not helpful? Should I be trying harder to calm down? And even if I could, given some of my subpar calm performances, was that even the answer?

If you’ve ever had questions like this, today’s article has some answers!

Get all the nerdy details and learn where the optimal anxiety level might be:

Finding Your Optimal Anxiety Level: Why Calm Isn’t Always Better

* * *
Have you been feeling a little stuck or stagnant in the practice room? Or has performance anxiety and the gap between practice and performance been a nagging issue that hasn’t changed, no matter how well you've prepared for performances, auditions - and even lessons?

If you’ve been wanting to experience more joy in the practice room and play more like yourself on stage, but haven’t been quite sure how to make that happen, starting July 22, 2025, I’ll be teaching a live, online, accelerated 2-week class on the most essential mental skills and practice strategies that can make a difference in your practicing and performing.

We’ll meet twice a week via Zoom and work on a series of exercises and techniques in four essential skill areas (effective practice, managing anxiety, focus, and confidence), together as a group. And to make sure the concepts become consistent habits, I'll show you how to gently integrate these new skills into your (or your students’) daily practice through bite-sized practice challenges alongside a supportive group of practice buddies from around the world.

Over 2000 musicians, educators, and students and learners of all ages have participated in the course to date. You can find out what alumni are saying, and sign up to join Cohort 24 at:

bulletproofmusician.com/essentials