How I beat my nerves
 

Zhang Yining knew it was really important for her to beat her stress.

MANY people thought that 23-year-old table tennis player Zhang Yining had no chance at the 2004 Athens Olympics. But she went on to win the singles (单打) gold, surprising them all.

Zhang didn't play very well in the early matches. The young woman from Beijing was lucky. Her rivals (对手) in these doubles and singles matches were not a big problem.

Wang Nan was Zhang's partner. People said she was playing calmly and skillfully. Zhang, on the other hand, was suffering from nerves and not playing well.

She had been waiting for the Olympic Games all her life. But when she got to Athens she found she wanted to win so badly that she was stressed out.

Zhang didn't really improve in the next games. Her coach Li Sun was very disappointed (失望的). He said that if she went on playing like this she was sure to lose at some point. It was just a matter of when.

Li's words were a blow (打击) to Zhang. She started to think how she could play better. She decided that she was thinking too hard about winning. So she said to herself: "Forget the result. Just think about playing."

It didn't get any easier. Zhang found herself the only Chinese player in the finals. She was her country's last hope for gold. Zhang knew it was really important for her to beat (打败) her stress.

Zhang won't forget August 22, 2004. On that day she took the gold.

"I knew I would win when I touched (触摸) my rival's sweaty hands before the game started," said Zhang. "I could tell how stressed she was."

What is stress? What can you do about it?

You feel stress (压力) when you face a difficult situation. A stressed person may make unusual mistakes. But stress can be helpful. To deal with a situation, a person must make full use of his or her energy. Stress is only negative if someone doesn't know how to deal with a situation or feels too anxious.

If you're overstressed, try thinking about the following:

Have a sense of humor: do you know how to take a step back and laugh at yourself?
Your friends: Find a friend who will listen to you and make suggestions.
Self-confidence: Think about the things you do well.
Control your negative (负面的) thoughts: Try to think positively.