[quote][b]Posted by:[/b] xChRiStEnSoNx27 [quote][b]Posted by:[/b] WileSire Hey Shadow, had a question/request for ya. You hear alot of people tell you to not let your emotions control you, especially when playing. Any tips on this at all? I find it extremely hard to stay focused on bad days, and i have noticed it getting in the way of my performance. Any ideas on how to relax in situations like this?[/quote] Well, just for your info, if you do get stressed or emotional during a game, which I sometimes do, I usually find it helpful to just take a 15 minute break, watching TV or reading a book. Then when I get back on, I sometimes find myself accutally better at the game than before.[/quote] Yes, this is a common problem, and Christenson has some good advice. Your emotions do effect how you play, because let's face it: we all play better with a clear mind. First, I like to clear away anything that might be bothering me, or might be on my mind. For instance, this might be the fact that you need to do some cleaning, or do some homework, etc. Also, playing while you have a good amount of time to dedicate will help. I always play bad when I know I've got to head to work in a little bit, because the time is always on my mind, and I'm constantly checking the clock and stressing about being on time. Probably the biggest emotional block that gets in the way is anger. Usually, you'll get upset and say things that'll kind of make you feel better, but actually just get you more pissed. You'll say things like "How did he know I was there?!?" or "Oh, Ok, [i]THAT[/i] makes sense". Or other things that you'll say when you die. Just think about all the times when you get ridiculous kills, or kills from random grenades thrown. It happens. Trust me, the game isn't broken. The game is all code. If something happens, there's an outcome. Nothing completely random and unexplainable happens. In this instance, you can do one of two things, either take a break (remember how I said I like to play guitar or paint a little?), or if you have friends that you play with, make a pact that you'll jump on eachother whenever one complains. Say things like "Quit your complaining." or whatever. Nothing will make you shut up like coming to the understanding that no one cares or wants to hear your complaining. I usually say "where was he? where was he? where was he?" over and over while my teammate complains, and then say that the time he spent complaining could've been spent calling out the enemy. Or I'll just remind my teammates that we need to keep the COM clear for callouts, and we shouldn't have any unimportant chatter. To add onto that, use this time as a chance to improve callouts. My saying with my team was "If I hear bullets, I should hear callouts." Use this in unison with your pact of keeping eachother from complaining, and you'll find your communication go up, as well as your emotional state calm.