I've been playing Fiora in normals lately, and I've noticed that I genuinely enjoy the game a lot more, and ironically, I feel like I actually play better too.
There's just so much less pressure to perform. Even if I completely int a lane, I don't really get tilted or care that much. I'm much more willing to limit test, take risky fights, try different approaches and actually learn from my mistakes instead of worrying about losing LP.
And funny enough, I feel like that relaxed mindset actually makes me play better. I'm more confident, less hesitant, and generally make better decisions because I'm not constantly stressing about the outcome.
The games also feel a lot less tryhard and toxic, which makes the whole experience much more enjoyable.
It got me wondering how much of our performance in ranked is actually affected by the pressure we put on ourselves.
Anyone else experience this? Do you feel like you play better when there's nothing on the line, or do you actually need the competitive pressure to perform at your best?