As with anything in life, you can only perform at your best when you’re adequately prepared. There is another game that every CS player must learn to triumph over before they ever set foot in a server. One that no one else can help you with. A game that even the professionals struggle with, after years of competing in world-class Counter-Strike.

For this particular match your mind is the battleground, and your opponents can be anything.

Bad day at work? Stressed about something? Perhaps you’re hungry, or tired? Even small mental burdens can become a competitor, shutting you down before you begin, or simply ensuring that you aren’t able to offer your very best.

This might sound a bit melodramatic, but it’s a fundamental principle of life. The professionals and experts within any field have learned to confront and mitigate the negative influences on their performance, and if you want to improve, so will you.

Some players jump straight into pick up games, entrusting their warm up to random teammates and any number of variables. Sometimes it works—but after you reach a certain level of play, it becomes imperative that you spend some time refining the particulars. Here are some popular ways to help set yourself up for victory:

Create your own private match, clear out the bots, and spend some time practicing grenade placement or rotations. Maybe you’ll discover something special, and earn that competitive edge.

Once you’re feeling it, step up to Deathmatch or Gun Game servers. This can give you the chance to wake your senses, and get your mind working. Crosshair placement, wrist and arm movement—this is where you can exercise some of the techniques you’ll need on point when you hit it proper. Aim maps are also an excellent way to work on your accuracy and headshots under pressure.

Depending on which rank you’re worried about more, you can spend some time working the other matchmaking system to cap off your warm-up. Want to improve your ADR in ESEA? Finish your warm up in Valve’s Matchmaking and then transition over to ESEA Pugs. Vice versa if you have some work to do in making your rank reflect your skill level.

There are no rules with your warm-up. It’s all about getting your head in the game, and preparing yourself to win. If it gets you pumped, do it. Build a playlist. Watch professional players stream. Watch Youtube tutorials. Whatever it takes.

But no matter what, take each match in stride. Discouragement is the biggest enemy that you must learn to conquer. You can be as warm as possible, and still find yourself in a losing streak if you let yourself slip into a defeated mindset. Consistency will come with time, and it can’t be forced.

Come back next Friday for another article on tweaks and lifehacks for Counter-Strike

Articles posted every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday

Until next time, keep fragging!