# First contest tip to reduce stress
**URL:** https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/first-contest-tip-to-reduce-stress/424733
**Category:** General Yo-Yo
**Created:** [May 8, 2025, 6:58pm UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/first-contest-tip-to-reduce-stress/424733 "2025-05-08T18:58:10Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@MoxieOpal](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/MoxieOpal)
#### Post date: [May 8, 2025, 6:58pm UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/first-contest-tip-to-reduce-stress/424733/1 "2025-05-08T18:58:10Z")
Does anyone know good Tips to help reduce stressing on stage?
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### Author:  [@SR1](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/SR1)
#### Post date: [May 8, 2025, 7:58pm UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/first-contest-tip-to-reduce-stress/424733/2 "2025-05-08T19:58:06Z")
My suggestion could perhaps be illegal depending on your state :skull:
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### Author:  [@Sergio](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/Sergio)
#### Post date: [May 8, 2025, 8:02pm UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/first-contest-tip-to-reduce-stress/424733/3 "2025-05-08T20:02:39Z")
Drink…liquid
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### Author:  [@Isaac](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/Isaac)
#### Post date: [May 8, 2025, 8:08pm UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/first-contest-tip-to-reduce-stress/424733/4 "2025-05-08T20:08:07Z")
really the only thing that will help is to practice. practice your routine consistently; muscle memory forms over time and as you sleep so it’d be more productive to practice 30 minutes a day consistently vs 3.5 hours once a week for example.
and also practice doing your routine in front of people, like ask your parents or friends to watch you do your routine a few times, or go practice your routine in public like in a park. yo-yoing in front of people, even non-throwers, can help simulate that nervous feeling you get on stage.
then day of the contest there will be a point where there’s downtime and people are allowed on the stage to practice. it might seem silly but take this opportunity to go up on stage and run through your routine or parts of it a few times. the lighting on stage is always going to be different from how it is in the rest of the venue and if you are experiencing that for the first time when you get up on stage to perform it can really throw you off (ask me how i know lol).
some people also like to meditate / do some circle breathing to center themselves before going on stage.
circling back to “practice”, if you have the means go to as many contests as you can and compete at every single one; the best way to get experience on stage is to… compete on stage.
but tbh i don’t think the nerves ever fully go away, even for top players.
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### Author:  [@ayayron808](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/ayayron808)
#### Post date: [May 8, 2025, 8:10pm UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/first-contest-tip-to-reduce-stress/424733/5 "2025-05-08T20:10:50Z")
🍁 and Yoyo truly immaculate combo
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### Author:  [@SlowThrow](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/SlowThrow)
#### Post date: [May 8, 2025, 8:28pm UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/first-contest-tip-to-reduce-stress/424733/6 "2025-05-08T20:28:06Z")
I love my Leaf, CLYW and otherwise lol
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### Author:  [@ayayron808](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/ayayron808)
#### Post date: [May 8, 2025, 8:29pm UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/first-contest-tip-to-reduce-stress/424733/7 "2025-05-08T20:29:36Z")
Bahaha I meant the real kind of leaf, the medical leaf
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### Author:  [@MoxieOpal](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/MoxieOpal)
#### Post date: [May 8, 2025, 8:37pm UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/first-contest-tip-to-reduce-stress/424733/8 "2025-05-08T20:37:06Z")
I got it lol
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### Author:  [@SlowThrow](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/SlowThrow)
#### Post date: [May 8, 2025, 8:37pm UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/first-contest-tip-to-reduce-stress/424733/9 "2025-05-08T20:37:39Z")
Oh, I know :wink:
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### Author:  [@ayayron808](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/ayayron808)
#### Post date: [May 8, 2025, 8:39pm UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/first-contest-tip-to-reduce-stress/424733/10 "2025-05-08T20:39:02Z")
In general, if you don’t or can’t do none of that, just staying hydrated and confident
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### Author:  [@SlowThrow](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/SlowThrow)
#### Post date: [May 8, 2025, 8:46pm UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/first-contest-tip-to-reduce-stress/424733/11 "2025-05-08T20:46:09Z")
I would imagine socializing a bit would help as well.
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### Author:  [@Pox](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/Pox)
#### Post date: [May 8, 2025, 8:58pm UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/first-contest-tip-to-reduce-stress/424733/12 "2025-05-08T20:58:23Z")
Stay cool.
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### Author:  [@GTDropKnot](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/GTDropKnot)
#### Post date: [May 8, 2025, 9:09pm UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/first-contest-tip-to-reduce-stress/424733/13 "2025-05-08T21:09:33Z")
Beforehand just try to get in a good place mentally like chill and relaxed. Feeling really comfortable w your routine goes a long way. Practice recovery when youre practicing your routine ahead of the event so youre not too thrown off if something does go wrong. Once you get up on stage, just focus everything on the tricks and what youre doing. If you find yourself thinking about other stuff like the audience or a trick you messed up earlier or something, just reset and bring your focus back onto the next element. The whole thing will be over in no time like there is almost no time at all to be stressed once you actually start like too busy w the tricks. Dw abt anything yo like it is just yoyo and have fun! Good luck!
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### Author:  [@washyjoshe](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/washyjoshe)
#### Post date: [May 8, 2025, 9:20pm UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/first-contest-tip-to-reduce-stress/424733/14 "2025-05-08T21:20:51Z")
For me, after I had practiced my routine at PNWR and before the Sport 1A, during intermission, I spent 5-10 minutes on stage just yoyoing for fun to get comfortable. I did my routine a few times as well. The idea for me was to get comfortable on stage, so that it wouldn’t feel new/novel for when I got up there.
Edit to add: Remember, you do this for fun! Try and tap into that the best you can.
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### Author:  [@washyjoshe](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/washyjoshe)
#### Post date: [May 8, 2025, 9:22pm UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/first-contest-tip-to-reduce-stress/424733/15 "2025-05-08T21:22:42Z")
This is really good advice.
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### Author:  [@Pox](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/Pox)
#### Post date: [May 8, 2025, 9:26pm UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/first-contest-tip-to-reduce-stress/424733/16 "2025-05-08T21:26:58Z")
In all seriousness, I really, really like this advice and very much second the meditation piece in particular. I have a regular meditation routine that helps me immensely with several things in life, but one major thing is being calm under pressure and typically nerve-wracking situations. Thank you, @Isaac .
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### Author:  [@MoxieOpal](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/MoxieOpal)
#### Post date: [May 9, 2025, 11:09am UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/first-contest-tip-to-reduce-stress/424733/17 "2025-05-09T11:09:16Z")
Chose the best song for my routine “Under dog”
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### Author:  [@MoxieOpal](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/MoxieOpal)
#### Post date: [May 9, 2025, 11:12am UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/first-contest-tip-to-reduce-stress/424733/18 "2025-05-09T11:12:50Z")
At a solid 100bpm
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### Author:  [@Captrogers](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/Captrogers)
#### Post date: [May 9, 2025, 11:31am UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/first-contest-tip-to-reduce-stress/424733/19 "2025-05-09T11:31:23Z")
Compare you to you, do this for fun first, practice in public and post videos even with mistakes or go live and post the vod.
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### Author:  [@ZZ8](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/ZZ8)
#### Post date: [May 9, 2025, 11:33am UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/first-contest-tip-to-reduce-stress/424733/20 "2025-05-09T11:33:48Z")
What helped me when i got on stage the first time is to learn how to breath.
Even if you mess up, take a deep breath and continue your routine.
If you get stressed and your breath starts to get flat you will probably loose more of your focus.
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