Indian batting great Sachin Tendulkar revealed that he suffered from anxiety and not just for a short span of time, but a long 10-12 years of his playing career. The maestro had sleepless nights before any game and it was only later that he healed after having made peace with the acceptance of his mental state.
"Over a period of time I realised that besides preparing physically for a game, you have to prepare yourself mentally also. In my mind, the match started long before I entered the ground. The anxiety levels were very high," PTI quoted Tendulkar as saying during an online seminar. "I felt the anxiety for 10-12 years, had many sleepless nights before a game,” he added.
To overcome that phase, the 48-year-old said that he came up with things to do when he would not be able to sleep and get the game out of his mind. “Later on, I started accepting that it was part of my preparation. Then I made peace with times I was not able to sleep in the night. I would start doing something to keep my mind comfortable," said Tendulkar, who represented India in a record 200 Test matches.
Some of the tasks he would take up to get his mind off the game included making tea, ironing clothes etc. which eventually helped him prepare for the game. The Mumbai born also revealed how carried on the teachings of his childhood throughout his career. “I would pack my bag the day before the game, my brother taught me all of it and it became a habit. I followed the same drill even in the last match I played for India," he said.
Giving an example of injuries and how it could break a player mentally, the record holder for most runs in international cricket in all formats combined, said that to overcome those mental blocks and lows in life, support of people and acceptability of the situation are most important.
“It is normal for anyone to go through ups and downs and when you hit those lows you need people around. Acceptability is the key here. Not just for the player, for people around him also. Once you have accepted you start looking for solutions," said the man with 34,357 international runs and 100 centuries in his kitty.
Sachin also shared a personal story to exemplify how people can learn from anyone and that learning must never stop. Talking about a room serviceman in a hotel in Chennai, where he was staying for a series, Sahin said, "That person got me dosa in the room and after keeping it on the table, he offered advice.”
“He pointed out that my elbow guard was restricting my bat swing, which was actually the case. He helped me address that issue," the master blaster concluded.