Guest Episode | Dr. Oliver Leis: Turning Pressure into Power: Stress and Coping in Esports

Hello everyone, and welcome to episode #73 of Gaming Science.

Today's episode is a guest episode written by Dr. Oliver Leis, a post-doctoral research assistant in the Department of Sport Psychology within the Faculty of Sport Science at Leipzig University, Germany. His research centers around stress, coping, and applied sport psychology within performance domains, with a particular emphasis on esports. Beyond that, he is involved in various organizations such as the Esports Research Network and the eSports-Bund Deutschland.

😰 Stress and Coping in Esports: Insights for Players

Hey there, fellow gamers! I’m happy to have been invited to write this blog post on a topic that affects many of us in the esports community—stress and how we manage it. Drawing from my experiences working with players and coaches, I’d like to share some helpful insights to support both your performance and mental well-being.

As esports continues to rise in popularity, attracting millions of fans and players, the pressure to perform at your best has never been greater.

Just like in traditional sports, competitive gaming isn’t just about skill; it’s about how well you handle the stress that comes with it.

In this post, we’ll explore common sources of stress in esports and discuss strategies that may help you cope and stay on top of your game.

💡 Understanding Stress in Esports

The competitive nature esports can significantly impact performance and well-being. In this context, stress arises from the transaction between an individual and their environment, producing psychological and physiological responses to perceived challenges. Over the past years, research has highlighted challenges players face. According to studies, common sources of stress include:

⚖️ Stress Isn’t Always a Bad Thing

It’s easy to think of stress as a negative force, but that’s not always the case. How stress affects players largely depends on how they perceive their environment and the resources they have to manage it. For example, while one player might feel overwhelmed by negative comments from opponents, leading to a drop in focus and performance, another player might use those same comments as motivation to sharpen his/her gameplay and outperform his/her rivals. In this way, your perception of stress can make all the difference. Another example comes from a player who found that the pressure of a large audience actually boosted his performance:

“When I realized so many people were watching, it put pressure on me, but it also motivated me to perform at my best.”

📈 Mindset and Performance

A key factor in managing stress is how we perceive it. This idea is part of something called the Stress-Mindset Theory, which suggests that viewing stress as potentially positive, rather than purely negative, can boost performance and well-being. To explore this idea, Sharpe and colleagues conducted a study with two groups of participants: one group received a random fact sheet about birds, while the other group was given an encouraging message about the positive aspects of stress:

In stressful situations, like esporting competitions, our bodies react in very specific ways. The increase in arousal you may feel during stressful situations is not harmful. In fact, recent research has shown that this response to stress can be beneficial and aid performance in stressful situations. Indeed, this response evolved because it helped our ancestors survive by delivering oxygen to where it was needed in the body to help address stressors. Therefore, before and during the upcoming counter strike task, we encourage you to reinterpret your bodily signals and any increases in arousal as beneficial and remind yourself that they could be helping you perform well.

After receiving these instructions, both groups had to play a high-pressure Counter-Strike time trial, with performance measured by how fast and accurately they completed it. To make it even more stressful, they were told the task was difficult, streamed live on Twitch, and that players who didn’t perform well would have to do post-game interviews.

The results were quite interesting: players who saw their stress as helpful felt less anxious, viewed the situation as a challenge instead of something to fear, improved their accuracy, and gave more effort. Simply changing their mindset about stress helped them perform better under pressure, showing that how we think about stress can make a big difference in how we handle it.

🧘‍♂️ Effective Coping Strategies

So, how can you cope with stress in esports? Generally, efforts to manage stress can be categorized as follows:

• Internal regulation – Focus on managing your emotional reactions. This might mean practicing mindfulness or breathing exercises.
• Mastery coping – Take control of the situation by tackling the stressor head-on. For example, if you’re worried about a specific skill, dedicate time to practice that area.
• Goal withdrawal – Sometimes, it helps to step back from a goal that feels overwhelming. This doesn’t mean giving up; it means reassessing your priorities.

Across all levels of play, communication, maintaining focus, and staying physically active are key strategies players mention.

While there isn’t a one-size-fits-all approach, evidence from traditional sports suggests that directly addressing stressors often works better than just trying to manage emotions alone.

🪞 Reflection and Action

Now that you have some insight into stress and coping, you might wonder, “What can I do about it?” The truth is, there isn’t a simple answer. It all starts with reflection. Take time to think about your own experiences and how you can handle stress better. Here are a few questions to ponder:

• What exactly is causing you stress?
• What opportunities does this stressor offer, either for learning or change?
• What thoughts or behaviors are helping you managing these situations?
• What are some past strategies that helped you manage stress?
• If a friend was dealing with this situation, what advice would you give him?
• What small steps can you take today to begin resolving or improving this situation?
• What are some values or priorities that can help guide you through this stressful period?
• How do you usually recharge after a stressful day or event, and what can you do to make that happen now?

Reflecting on these questions can help you identify what’s bothering you and how to tackle it. You might even try creating a storyline about a competition, listing common sources of stress and brainstorming how you would handle each one. This practice can prepare you for real-world scenarios, equipping you to respond calmly and confidently when they arise. Remember, this isn’t always easy—it takes time, patience, and practice.

Just as honing your skills in esports requires dedication, learning to manage stress is a journey. Those who invest in self-reflection and mental strength likely stand out as the most successful over time.

Don’t hesitate to lean on your support network. Connecting with fellow players, friends, coaches, or even a sports psychologist can make this journey easier. Together, you can share strategies for handling stress, maintaining both performance and well-being.

♻️ A Practical Example

For example, you might notice that a common stressor is the worry of underperforming before a game, which can lead to nervousness or even anxiety. If you find that taking a deep breath or saying something calming to yourself helps, consider making these techniques part of a pre-game routine. A pre-performance routine is a set of actions or habits you do before playing to get into the right physical and mental state. With regular practice, this routine can help shift your focus away from worries, creating a calmer, more prepared state so you can stay focused and confident before each game.

A simple pre-game routine might look like this: close your eyes, take three deep breaths while repeating an individual phrase like “I am prepared”. Then, open your eyes and focus on the game ahead. This short process can help you feel grounded, centered, and ready to perform at your best.

☯️ Finding Balance

Importantly, just like traditional athletes, you are more than just a player. It's essential to “touch grass” every now and then. This phrase encourages you to step away from the screen and spend time outdoors, reconnecting with the real world.

Taking a break from gaming can offer you a fresh perspective, helping you realize that a poor performance isn’t the end of the world. It’s easy to feel overwhelmed if gaming is your main source of identity or fulfillment, but exploring new interests and building diverse support systems can help you bounce back from setbacks and achieve a healthier balance in your life.

And as always, see you guys next week. Cheers,

Christian 🙂