Pressure: Thriving vs. Surviving
In any of my experience working with, for, and as a performer, the topic of being able to perform well in the “big” moments is going to come up. If I were to ask you to think of your idea of who the best in the game may be, whether it be in sport, business, education, or truly any other performance realm, typically the ability to perform in critical situations is a hugely influential factor to the best being able to champion their performance arena. We know this as performing under pressure; it’s something we have all experienced. The question is do you typically thrive under pressure or struggle to survive in it? Pressure may have a negative connotation for those of us who can recall the times pressure broke us, but the good news is there are ways to get better at performing under pressure – we can learn to allow the pressure to elevate performance rather than deflate it. The key is not to eliminate it, but to learn how to harness it in a way that propels you towards success. As Tiger Woods said, “Under pressure, you can win with your mind.” That’s where the difference lies.
WHAT IS PRESSURE?
Logically, I think the first step is developing a better understanding of what pressure really is and where it comes from. Pressure is usually a product of the expectations we place on ourselves. Whether those expectations originated from us or from those around us, pressure is a direct result of our perception. We tend to experience feelings of pressure when the importance of performing well is magnified and the certainty of achieving success becomes uncertain (Otten, 2009). What I understand this to mean is that pressure presents itself when there is a significant challenge placed in front of us and we have the choice to run from it or harness it. I find that individuals tend to crumble under pressure and fear those situations when they feel as though they don’t have control over what is happening. This obviously means that the goal is to try to find ways to gain a little more of the control back and disengage from the aspects we do not have control over. To state it simply, we’re looking for ways to remain composed by focusing more on the process and the aspects of our performance that we can control (Bali, 2015).
WHEN DOES IT SHOW UP?
Gaining control and getting closer to composure begins with identifying and understanding when it is that YOU feel pressure. We can’t change what we don’t know, so it starts with becoming aware of when you start to experience feelings of pressure. Feelings of pressure tend to activate both physiological and psychological responses. The physiological responses may include things like elevated heart rate, quickened breath rate, butterflies in the stomach, shakiness, and more perspiration than normal. Psychological responses typically revolve around conflicted focus - struggling to stay present, battling thoughts of fear, and managing the inner critic in your head going through every “What if…” scenario. So how do we gain control?
HOW DO WE THRIVE?
Breathing is the mecca of composure. Diaphragmatic breathing is a skill that is simple to learn, but difficult to master – although, when practiced and used regularly, can have as significant impact on the mental game and overall performance because it is one of the few things that is always within our control. Breathing holds so much influence over performance because of the way it directly impacts our physiological and psychological responses in any situation (Bali, 2015); it is one of the clearest and most effective ways to initiate the mind-body connection in a productive manner. The breath can be used to help manage the symptoms of pressure that take us out of our ideal performance zone by directly slowing our breath rate, thus lowering our heart rate, easing of shakiness and nerves, while also bringing us back into the present moment because that’s the only place we can actively take a breath – in the present. The most important mechanics being to keep your exhale slow and you guessed it, controlled. Through controlling our breath, we begin to take control of our physiological responses as we experience pressure, while also allowing us more opportunity to gain back some control of our psychological responses as well. That’s not to say that some thoughts related to fear or the critic in your head will be completely eliminated, but by bringing yourself into the present, you allow yourself the space to focus on and CHOOSE what you can do despite the unhelpful thoughts your brain may be creating for you.
Pressure can be a challenging aspect of any performance, but it can also be the greatest thing. Look at some of the biggest sport stories in history and some of the best to play the game – your “Tiger Woods” type comebacks, your Miracle stories, your back-to-back Women’s World Cup champions, your “Nick Foles” underdog victories – they all hold the notoriety they do because these athletes and teams learned how to harness the pressure and THRIVE in spite of it. They learned how to capitalize on what they could control and soften their grip on the aspects that they couldn’t change.
Learn to control YOU. Start to pay attention to when you feel pressure. Identify how you respond to it. Start by gaining control of what you can – the breath is a great tool to control your physical and mental responses to pressure. Build the habit of responding with the breath. The fundamentals are key.
“Pressure can burst a pipe or make a diamond. What’s it going to be?”
References:
1. Bali, A. (2015). Psychological factors affecting sports performance. International Journal of Physical Education, Sports and Health, 1(6), 92-95.
2. Otten, M. (2009). Choking vs. clutch performance: A study of sport performance under pressure. Journal of sport and exercise psychology, 31(5), 583-601.