What is the Origin of Performance Anxiety Reduction?

This concept is rooted in behavioral psychology and psychoneuroendocrinology, recognizing the detrimental role of acute and anticipatory stress on cognitive resources and fine motor skills. The clinical focus on performance anxiety reduction grew with the understanding that hormonal imbalances, particularly cortisol dysregulation, exacerbate the body's susceptibility to this debilitating state.

What is the Mechanism of Performance Anxiety Reduction?

Reduction is achieved by modulating the central nervous system's fear and stress response pathways, often involving the amygdala and prefrontal cortex. Therapeutic strategies may target the balance of inhibitory neurotransmitters like GABA and excitatory ones like glutamate, alongside optimizing the diurnal cortisol rhythm. The mechanism works by dampening the hyper-arousal state, allowing the executive control center to maintain cognitive clarity and procedural memory access.

Performance Anxiety Reduction

Meaning

The clinical process of mitigating the physiological and psychological symptoms of excessive stress response that interfere with optimal execution of complex tasks, encompassing cognitive, social, or physical domains. This reduction involves normalizing the over-activation of the sympathetic nervous system and the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis. Successful intervention restores focused attention and motor control under pressure.