Take it play by play and do the best you can. Stay in the moment and don't dwell on either the past or the future.

Good advice for excitable Steelers? Sure, but Aimee Kimball, director of mental training at the UPMC Center for Sports Medicine, says it applies just as well to the frenzied armchair quarterbacks of Steeler Nation.

A player's mindset obviously could have a bearing on the outcome of Sunday's Super Bowl, but for the fan who identifies deeply with the team, experts say a little mental prep work can both enhance enjoyment of the game and preserve a bit of sanity.

Hundreds of fans got pumped up yesterday when they crowded onto Forbes Avenue for a midday pep rally. The kind of mental preparation suggested by Dr. Kimball and her colleagues, however, has more to do with keeping a grip.

Stick with routines to help you control your emotions and approach the Super Bowl like it's any other football game, she recommended. Find the energy level, from Joey Porter's mouthy, aggressive zeal to Troy Polamalu's near-silent intensity, that helps you focus on the task at hand.

Players actually have some advantages over fans because they can focus on their jobs out on the field, Dr. Kimball said. They're just going out and playing ball, something most of them have done since childhood.

Though Steelers fans also have plenty of game-day experience -- some started waving Terrible Towels in their terrible twos -- they may get more anxious because they have no control over what's happening during the game.

That's where rituals and superstitions can help the fanatic stay relatively sane, said Paul Friday, director of clinical psychology at UPMC Shadyside.

"You're protecting your head," he said, sagely. "I call it brain chatter. It gives the brain something to do because we can't move Sunday quicker."

In the cerebral cortex, a minute is always a minute. But to the temporal lobe, a more primitive part of the brain, the perception of time distorts and "each hour is a week," Dr. Friday said. That creates anxiety, so to fend off an impending fight-or-flight response, the brain tries to calm things down.

"What we end up with are superstitions," he said. "We end up doing mojos and rituals."

Arranging the bobbleheads and other distractions give fans what Dr. Friday calls the neurotic delusion of control, or NDC. "If I have NDC, I enjoy football games and work and everything else," he said. "If I don't have it, I go crazy."

Curious fans can get a glimpse of what's going on upstairs by going to www.fridayslaws.com and taking a couple of minutes to do the balanced brain test.

"Superstitions and rituals are very healthy for the human psyche because they help the brain stay balanced," Dr. Friday said.

But, if you really believe that towel placement will influence the field goal, he added, "you probably should call me."

Cheering for the local team "gives you a chance to really feel like you're part of something incredible," said Dr. Kurt Ackerman, a UPMC psychiatrist. "Everybody in your office is going crazy and wearing black and gold. It helps people to feel connected to their community."

In evaluating patients, Dr. Ackerman usually checks to see if they are oriented by asking them to identify the season.

"A fair number will give me this look and say, 'Do you mean football season?' " Dr. Ackerman said. For some, sports events are mileposts for the year and can be a bright spot when things aren't going well.

The frenzied buildup of pep rallies, shopping for fanwear and party planning is a way of "getting yourself psyched up in a positive way," he noted. "Part of this is getting mentally prepared."

Proper planning also can help minimize the butterflies that otherwise rule the stomach.

Leslie Bonci, nutrition consultant for the Steelers, said keeping the fat content and quantity of snacks to a minimum during the game can reduce the risk of acid indigestion. Spicy food, like buffalo wings, might create problems, and baked is better than fried.

People will eat carrots and celery, preferably with a yogurt-based dip, if they are available, she said. And they will be more aware of their eating if they have to get up and walk to a food bowl.

Chewing gum is a low-calorie way of coping with stress during the game.

"If worse comes to worst, you can stuff that Terrible Towel in your mouth and just chew on that," Ms. Bonci said. "That might be the best solution all the way around!"

What else can the fan do during the game's tense moments? Some cover their eyes, leave the room, or spontaneously invent a curse-lifting spell.

"I have a stress ball, so when I get a little stressed and anxious watching, I have some way to control my emotions rather than yelling and screaming at the television," said Dr. Kimball, the mental trainer.

Players must regain focus, get back in the moment and not dwell on what's gone wrong. They must trust their preparation and training, and have confidence that the next down will be the best play of the game, she said.

Overwhelmed fans should take a deep breath, count to five, and then resume supporting their team, Dr. Kimball said.

It may be unthinkable, but it's possible nonetheless that Steeler Nation might not get the outcome it seeks.

Diehard fans will probably be blue for 48 to 72 hours after a loss, Dr. Friday said.

"I already have lined up three or four radio interviews for Monday morning if they lose," he said, laughing. "They will talk to anybody if they win. They just want to talk to the shrink if they lose."

As much as any other diehard Steeler fan, he's hoping his advice won't be needed.

Fortunately, "people remember the good things a whole lot longer than they remember the bad things when it comes to sports," Dr. Ackerman noted.