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

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 BetterMore from The Bulletproof MusicianGet the free weekly newsletter, for more nerdy details and bonus subscriber-only content.Pressure Proof: A free 7-day performance practice crash course that will help you shrink the gap between the practice room and the stage.Learning Lab: A continuing education community where musicians and learners are putting research into practice.Live and self-paced courses