Self-consciousness can be a silent killer in your game, taking away your freedom to perform and express yourself on the pitch. When you become overly concerned with how you appear to your manager, teammates, or fans, you lose your natural instinct and creativity. Instead of playing the game with confidence and flow, you start processing yourself as a social object, constantly worrying about how others - whether it is the manager on the touchline, teammates in training, or fans in the stands - are perceiving you. This habit can seriously affect not just your performance, but your overall well-being, and it’s something you can unlearn.
Self-consciousness is an unnecessary habit that you have likely developed over time. It stems from constantly internalising your own thoughts and feelings, convincing yourself that the world is revolving around your actions and mistakes. This inward focus can become so overwhelming that it detracts from what really matters - engaging with the game and the people around you. On the pitch, this might mean overthinking every touch, pass, or decision, driven by a fear of how the manager or your teammates might judge you. The more self-conscious you become, the further you are removed from the present moment and a state of flow, where top performances happen.
To undo this, you need to train yourself to shift your awareness from internalisation to externalisation. This means preventing the tendency to always look inward and instead focus on the game and those around you. A simple but powerful way to do this is to start noticing the actions of others - whether it is understanding your manager’s tactical adjustments, observing the movements of your teammates, or reading the atmosphere among the fans - without getting caught up in what they might be thinking about you. Instead of worrying about how you look to them, start paying attention to how they appear to you.
This is not just about ignoring judgment; it is about realising that most of what you fear in terms of judgment is either exaggerated or completely imagined. By focusing outwards, you take the burden of self-consciousness off your shoulders, freeing yourself to engage fully with the game. This shift in focus allows you to connect more with what is happening on the pitch—reading the play, anticipating movements, and reacting to the game itself—rather than getting stuck in a cycle of self-criticism or overthinking because of how you think the manager or your teammates are viewing you.
When you internalise too much, you end up trapped in your own head, which can prevent you from seeing the game clearly. By externalising your focus, you are able to see the game as it really is, without the unnecessary weight of perceived judgment. This shift will have a massive effect on your performance. When you concentrate on what is happening around you—reading the game, picking up cues from your manager, reacting to your teammates—you will be more engaged, more aware and more effective on the pitch. The best players do not let themselves get bogged down by worrying about how they look to others; they are fully locked in on what is happening around them, which allows them to act without hesitation and bounce back from mistakes instantly.
Training this skill takes time and practice, just like any other part of your game. One good way to start is through mindfulness exercises, like deep breathing or body scanning. These practices can help you become more attuned to the present moment, allowing you to step out of your head and into the game. Over time, this helps you build the habit of focusing outward, so when you are on the pitch, you are fully immersed in the game instead of caught up in self-analysis.
Another technique is to consciously redirect your thoughts when you feel self-consciousness creeping in. If you start worrying about how you are being judged after a mistake, take a moment to shift your focus outward. Pay attention to your surroundings - the sounds of the crowd, the positioning of your teammates, and the flow of the game. Let go of the idea that your manager, teammates, or fans are scrutinising your every move and instead watch the game itself. Read, see and hear the game on high volume, while subduing or muting the other noise.
This is not about ignoring constructive feedback or growth, but rather about breaking free from the paralysing effect of self-consciousness. By externalising your awareness, you relieve yourself from the pressure of constantly worrying about how you are perceived and regain the freedom to play without the weight of judgment hanging over you.
Once you have begun to break free from self-consciousness by shifting your focus outward, the next step is to lead others by putting your energy into helping them overcome the same issue. This is a powerful form of externalisation, where you not only improve your own performance and mindset but also create a positive impact on those around you - your teammates who are often dealing with the same struggles of self-doubt and self-consciousness.
Leadership on the pitch is about more than just setting the example through your own actions. It is about actively noticing when your teammates are caught up in their own heads, overthinking, hesitant, or visibly anxious. One of the most effective ways to lead in this context is through encouragement. When you see a teammate dwelling on a mistake, instead of letting them spiral further into self-consciousness, you can offer a word of reassurance. Then, look to get them refocused on something external, perhaps a specific game-related cue such as watch for the run of player X.
Another powerful method of leading others is by being vocal generally on the pitch. Communication is a critical tool in redirecting focus. By constantly communicating roles and responsibilities, you help your teammates stay present and connected to the game. This takes the pressure off them feeling like they are being judged or scrutinised over mistakes as they are busy thinking about the team’s movement, the game’s flow and how they can contribute to the collective effort.
Leading through externalisation also means showing your teammates that mistakes are just part of the game, and they do not define you as a player. When you make a mistake, instead of retreating into self-consciousness, show your teammates that you bounce back quickly. This sets a powerful example. When they see you shake off a bad pass or missed opportunity and immediately look to get on the ball again, they will be more inclined to do the same. Your calmness and outward focus will inspire them to adopt the same mindset, gradually reducing the self-consciousness that might be holding them back.
In the end, learning to undo self-consciousness will transform how you play and how you approach life off the pitch too. When you shift from focusing inward to outward, you will realise that the world does not revolve around your perceived mistakes and inabilities. Instead, you will start to engage more with the game, enjoy it for what it is and interact with your manager, teammates, and fans without the constant burden of self-doubt. This shift in mindset will allow you to play with more freedom, more confidence and ultimately, will create more success.
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