What is a pre-performance routine?

A pre-performance routine can be used prior to an event as a way to control the environment, provide stability in a highly unstable environment, trigger concentration, help decrease anxiety, and provide positive focus to someone who normally engages in negative self talk. Many athletes develop their own routine prior to an event, unconsciously emerging from superstitious beliefs that have developed over the years about what may have caused an excellent performance. Examples of things that may be contained in a pre-performance routine include: eating the same food before an event, putting clothes on in a certain order, wearing specific clothes, warming up in a certain way, taking some deep breaths, listening to a certain kind of music, and using the same positive key words.