How To Deal With Anxiety In Competitive Splatoon

The following write-up lists some ways that you can better deal with anxiety in competitive Splatoon. This is mostly speaking from experience & tactics I’ve gained from many others in the competitive Splatoon scene, so credits to those who I’ve gained this knowledge from.

Section 1: Dietary Supplements

This section lists some dietary supplements that you can use to better deal with anxiety & keep you relaxed during comms.

• Ashwagandha Gummies. These you can find at your local grocery stores or other pharmaceutical stores. They help to better deal with stress & lower overall stress. I recommend taking 2 of these before you get into comms.
• Anti-stress tea. This one I use a variety of different kinds of tea to relax myself before starting comms as well as during comms. You can either blend these separately or blend them altogether. I personally recommend blending it altogether & drinking it as-is, but if it tastes bitter to you, try adding a bit of honey to it & maybe a small amount of sugar if it’s still bitter. I personally drink it as-is because whilst it’s bitter in the moment, its effectiveness has proven to work for me during comms. The ones I linked below also come in a variety of different flavors & benefits, like ones that support mindfulness & keep you level-headed.

Section 2: Change Your Mentality

This is fairly straightforward, but I’ll explain what I mean by this. Whilst it’s fine to want to win your matches, tourneys; etc., bear in mind that you need to accept that it’s ok to lose. You are not the main character of the universe, & you also have 3 other team mates by your side backing you up at all times. Listen to them & trust in them, even if you think their plans are not what you’d like to do in that moment. In other words, make the wrong choice fast, meaning it’s best that you make a play in the moment that is potentially detrimental rather than be stubborn & not make that play, causing you to lose in the long run. Something else that you should bear in mind is that you’ll eventually have to be sacrificed by the enemy team at points so that your other team mates have their moments. It’s not always going to be about your moments; let your other 3 team mates have theirs as well.

Section 3: Keep Comms Positive

In the face of adversity where you might be facing one of the hardest opponents of your life, making sure you keep your comms positive even when you lose your matches is vital to keeping your anxiety low & team morale high. Telling your team mates things like, “Nice kill!” or, “You’re so good at the game!” not only is a morale boost to them, but is a small step in keeping the entire team confident. Who knows? Because of things like that, you might have even sent the opposing team to the losing screen, which is huge in the long run & shows your growth as a team. Also, do things like make a mockery of yourself when you die or make a stupid play. Laugh those things off & move on. Just make sure not to do that all the time else your comms will end up not being serious at all & will distract the team in the long run.

Section 4: Don’t Focus On Who You Fight

Have you ever been playing a match & you end up seeing someone you know on the enemy team? Maybe even someone with a high level X Rank Badge, like a Top 500/Top 10 Badge? Whether it’s a friend, a rival of yours, or someone who hates you with a burning passion, we’ve all had those moments where merely seeing the name/the badges causes anxiety & paranoia. The best tactic I’ve been using to help me consistently focus on playing to the best of my ability rather than worrying about names is simply just looking away from the screen on the match opening. … … Fairly straightforward; I know. But it’s proven to be effective for me so I can get back to playing the game. You might not win all the time, but I assure you that doing that will help to bring out the best in you if that’s something that bothers you.

Section 5: Always Focus On The “Now”

I get it; you might have done something during a match that cost your team the game. That said, regardless of whether or not you made a mistake then or even during a match, dwelling on that won’t make things any better for you. You should always be focusing on what you should be doing RIGHT NOW instead of BACK THEN. Apologizing in comms during a match isn’t gonna make things any better, let alone even after a match. The last thing you want to do is clutter comms with apologies & feeling like you let your team down. Clear your head of those thoughts, & just simply play the game to play. If you lose, that’s ok; winning all the time just isn’t fun in the long run. The best thing you should be doing during matches is expecting the worst & hoping for the best. If you just simply play the game, play your weapon to the best of your ability, & play with your team to the best of your ability, the results will speak for themselves. If things happen, then they happen. Lock in now & just play the game. If you end up winning because of it, think of that as a bonus.

Closing Thoughts

Those are just some of the tactics that I’ve used to lower anxiety in comms. If I think of any more, I’ll definitely add them to this document, so keep an eye out for changes in the future.