Calm under pressure
Three Ways to Keep Your Cool Under Pressure
Feeling nervous before a big event is often inevitable. But that doesn't mean you're destined to forget the words to your speech, or embarrass yourself in front of a date. Explore these three ways to keep your cool:
- Learn to be with discomfort. If you know you have a high-stakes event coming up, one of the best things you lean into difficulty instead of pulling away from it. One way you can do this is by becoming familiar with feeling pressure, and learning to work through it. Need to give a presentation to coworkers? Rather than practicing on your own, try out your speech on a couple of friends. Do you have to write a qualifying examination in under an hour? Instead of studying cue cards, time yourself answering questions.
- Establish a pre-performance routine. Whether it's taking a few deep breaths, doing some light stretching, or having a quick phone call with someone you trust, spending your last few minutes doing something active before a big event will prevent you from spiralling into worry, so you can perform confidently.
- Use mindfulness to focus your attention. To avoid over-analyzing your situation, try shifting your attention away from your worries and towards the task at hand. Mindfulness can help you regain a sense of calm and focus your attention, so you can avoid being caught off guard by your anxiety. You can see it for what it is, and choose to direct your attention elsewhere. Explore this nine-minute meditation to focus a busy mind in times of stress or overwhelm.
To read more about this article go to mindful.org