4 Hacks to Staying Cool Under Pressure to Win Admiration

We all get nervous in high pressure situations. Whether you’re a sport champ throwing a pass with one minute left on the clock, an executive giving bad news to the board or a someone interviewing for his or her would be dream job, the high wire gets to you.

The difference between Olympic champs and the rest of us is “they’ve learned how to stay cool and focused when the pressure is on.” They don’t panic when they get nervous – they use specific strategies to keep their nerves under control – according to motivational coaches who works with Olympic athletes. “Many of them use their anxiety to push themselves to even greater heights.”

4 Tips to prevent panic and stay cool under pressure:

 Expect Nervousness –

“The secret to dealing with nervousness is to expect it. Recognize that its normal to get nervous in competition or when you’re being evaluated”. Being nervous can help you concentrate more sharply and it can make you react faster because you’ve been preparing for it, therefore you can be ready and have the energy when you need it. “It’s all in how you react.”

 Interviewers of Olympic champions are always asking questions like “how do you stay calm before a meet?” and often their responses are similar. They often say things like “I’m nervous, sure. But that’s exactly what I want to feel” Successful athletes accept nervousness as a natural part of the competitive process – and you should too.”

 Preventing Panic –

Sometimes though, even the most experienced competitors lose their cool. During a performance you don’t have a lot of time to respond to the challenges that are thrown at you. In a sales presentation, a customer suddenly asks you a difficult question for which you are completely unprepared or how about during an interview for a job; you are asked a scenario that you’ve never encountered before. In these situations its natural and common that people make mistakes”. This is the moment when you need to respond most effectively. 

 Stay Focused: The simplest way is to focus on performance. When you are fully focused and paying attention to your performance – then you’re in the flow and fully engaged. You can react automatically. Stop worrying about others or how you may appear. You’re thinking will be clearer and responses will be automatic. It’s impossible to focus if your mind is racing. If you are thinking about other things, like you’re next appointment or meeting, you are not focused.

 Performance Cues: Creating performance cues is all about preparation. Think of them ahead of time. Break them into short phrases. Rehearse them often – don’t wing it. Remember, a performance cue can be a visual image as well as a verbal reminder. The essence of an effective cue is that it directs attention to something that enhances the chances of your success.

“Olympic Athletes master the art of staying cool under pressure and win international admiration, learn to stay cool and you can win admiration of your communities too.”

#Productivity, #PositivePsychology, #Mindfulness, #Selfhelp, #Nervousness, #Focus #RisingMiddleClass

Vinay Singh is a subject matter expert in the HR/talent acquisition business transformation field with expertise in both professional services and corporate environments. He has helped hundreds of companies deploy all manners of talent and hiring strategies and represented thousands of job seekers over the past two decades.