Fortune
Feb. 9, 2024
It's not your imagination, watching the Super Bowl is extremely stressful. 4 tips to combat game-day anxiety
It's normal to be stressed during a championship game, but there's something about the Super Bowl that creates extra anxiety for fans – compared to other sporting events. "If you really dive into football, the ball is only in play for roughly 11 or 12 minutes a game,” said University of Arizona assistant athletic director for sport psychology and wellness Rachel Webb, adding the limited amount of actionable time makes those few minutes extra crucial – and extra stressful. "When your favorite team gets to the Super Bowl, you see that you committed so much time and energy to the team as a fan, sometimes even planning your life around watching the game, for years or decades. We feel like we have something on the line, too."