5 Simple Strategies to Help You Perform Under Pressure

The Zone

Setting a strong foundation – Repetition, repetition, repetition

One of the most effective ways to increase your performance in anything is simply by turning up and practicing! This may sound extremely obvious but it can be discounted far too often. Some people want all the glory but are not willing to put in the time to achieve it. So repetition, repetition, repetition cannot be overlooked as its the cornerstone to executing the task in hand.

 

Moving practice to performance

With a strong foundation in practice our next task is to convert that to the match, or the performance. A classic example is in the musician. They practice for many years in their bedroom to then hopefully one day play to hundreds or thousands of people. Their next step is to then move that playing to the stage.

 

The paradox of performance

Lets just quickly address one area that can cause many people to trip over when trying to perform at their best. The constant need to wanting to perform at 100 % perfection can cause problems if its not addressed and managed. We want to create a environment in which we push for our best performances, aim for a high level/standard but we have a heavy level of perspective whilst doing it. So if we have a bad day at work or at the session we can quickly turn ourselves back around and get back to it.

 

Sometimes the need for perfection eventually catches up and with some people, the reality is we are never perfect all the time, so being kind to yourself is key. Therefore we always aim to do our best and focus our attention on the process. This was a game changer for me personally, it’s simply a change of mindset, with dedication held with a equal amount of perspective.

 

Taking off the pressure

Of the most effective ways to take the pressure off yourself is to simmer the amount of focus on yourself. This is a little paradoxical but the best way to do this is to focus on your main mission. Some performers instead of focusing so much on themselves and switch their focus to entertain the crowd, give them a great evening or offer a product or perfromance that can impact their lives. This can be especially helpful for entrepreneurs, when they focus on their overall mission it can help keep them on track when the challenges come. It helps to alleviate the pressure THEY PUT ON THEMSELVES!

 

 

So lets take a look at 10 techniques that you can apply in any pressure situation

 

• Visulisation – visualization plays a huge part for many athletes and performers. Simply put it’s the ability to visualize the desired outcome you would like by mentally running through your performance visually bit by bit. This is a great technique for many golfers, basketball players, musicians etc they clearly visualize the outcome they would like. A study made by Edmund Jacobson proved how effective visualization truly is with a set of basketball players. Check it out! http://www.llewellyn.com/encyclopedia/article/244
• Emotional EQ + Visualization – Another great way to use visualization is by applying some emotional intelligence along with it. Emotional intelligence is exactly what it says on the tin, the ability to manage and express your emotions in a clear concise way without getting wrapped up in them. So if we use a positive emotion such as joy, or confidence with the visualization this greatly improves our ability to access that emotion when we step into the performance. If you know exactly how confidence feels you can clearly express this in your visualization exercise. A great way to do this is to have 2 parts to the visualization. You can use a previous situation where you had confidence and go back to that situation and hold the emotion. Then you can use that emotion with the new scenario you are working on. The idea here is to really feel the emotion and get familiar with it.
• Movement – Your physical body (The way you position your body) resetting your posture under pressure can massively effect your performance. Take Cristiano Ronaldo’s body positioning when he steps up to take a free kick. With Ronaldo being a J shape kicker (direction of the kick) he access greater power into the ball in the direction of the kick. His upright posture gives him a ‘power’ stance that can also add huge mental benefits. Social psychologist Amy Cuddy has done some phenominal work on body language, how it effects our testortone and cortisol levels in the brain! Fascinating! http://www.ted.com/talks/amy_cuddy_your_body_language_shapes_who_you_are
• Meditation – in any pressure situation being able to regulate your thoughts and emotions is huge. Meditation can be a great tool to keep your emotions and impulses at bay in performance. Restful alertness is the key here, with training we become more and more aware of our thoughts and emotions. Therefore we can respond more effectively in high performance.
• Slow down your response – this can be a fantastic way to not overthink the situation your performing in. Develop times to slow down yourself down, so you can make for better decisions, so you you’re not making decisions impulsively.
• Language – reframing the situation – a healthy way to increase your performance is the way you shape the situation. Many performers have still feel the nerves before the performance, but its how they manage and use it to their advantage which is the key. Mike Tyson before many of his boxing fights would be extremely nervous, but his coach …. Would say: “The hero and the coward both feel the same thing, but the hero uses his fear, projects it onto his opponent, while the coward runs. It’s the same thing, fear, but it’s what you do with it that matters”.
• Boxing the inner critic – This can be a very helpful technique when any doubt arises before the performance. Our inner critic may point us to what ‘may’ go wrong why you can’t do it. One way around this is to box the inner critic by reinforcing 4 other powerful reinforcements. Powerful words (affirmations), Powerful Physiology (emotional intelligence and power posing), Strong focus (process driven) and Visualization (you have visualized the desired utcome over and over. With these four areas the inner critic simmers and we can perform at our best
• Being in the now – staying present during your performance can be a extremely helpful way to keep you in the zone. With a strong foundation in mindfulness (the ability to let thoughts come and go without getting lost in them) you can stay in the now and focus on the performance in hand.
• Be friend the moment – simply changing your relationship to perceived pressure can really impact your performance, To see the performance as a challenge and as fun (enjoyable and exciting) (a game). This can help take the seriousness out of the performance so we don’t choke, many times its not a do or die situation.
• ‘There are many opportunities’ – when you know there are more opportunities to get it right. Think about how many times you have to get it right. The band Coldplay got turned down by over 20 record companies, they kept going. You will have other opportunities if you put yourself out there and keep on being proactive. The irony is you feel less pressure knowing there will be other opportunities.

 

 

These are 10 of many strategies you can begin to develop in your arena. Start with one and see how it can help with your develpement and training.

 

Step into your greatness today!

The same old story

 

Picture this

It’s a hot, sunny day; you’re driving your car into work listening to your favourite album. You pull up to a junction when an oncoming car cuts in front of you, slams his horn, gives you the birdy and drives off… How do you react?

It’s a classic story that we have all experienced, whether as a driver or passenger. We end up angry, frustrated, annoyed, upset and completely baffled as to why a complete stranger would cut you up and give you the birdy, or beep their horn.

Holding onto the situation

What can happen here is we hold onto what just happened and repeat the story for the next few hours, the rest of the day or even longer. The reality is that the situation has happened, but at times our mind may have a completely different agenda and storyline/set of questions to add to it. It’s almost as if we have to create an added story to the situation: we may become defensive, upset and frustrated.

What if there was a way we could be ‘cut off’ from the situation; see the guy give the birdy, simply note how we feel and let it go? How would it feel to simply let it go there and then, and continue your day just as you intended before the incident?

There is a way to be more content, happier and at peace in life, even when the external situation may come with a whole host of challenges. Your freedom lies within awareness.

 

A schoolboy’s dream

A number of years ago I was completely fixated on wanting to be happy, just searching and searching for this happy state of being that would fulfil me forever. Where is it? And how can I attain it?

For as long as I can remember, I fantasised about arriving at the perfect place one day. Once I attained all that I wanted, I would get the ‘happiness civilian’ card and that would be it, like some sort of film. I’d become a professional musician, get a house, a car, have a family and poof, happiness would appear and stay.

As I came to learn, this didn’t turned out to be the case. This is what I call living in ‘tomorrow land’: you’re forever wanting and searching for happiness.

As we all know, life isn’t as black and white as my young schoolboy dreams made out. It’s a ride that features many ups and downs, where emotions, thoughts, feelings and circumstances constantly change. In fact, everything is constantly changing, something we all resist from time to time.

 

Stuck in a loop

So what do you do if you are feeling a little bit lost in all this? Maybe you’re unhappy, depressed, stressed or overworked?

Happiness can seem completely elusive if you’re struggling with any of the above – it’s the last thing on your mind when you feel overwhelmed by negative emotions. In society, most of us are rushing around trying to fill the void, trying to find happiness, but actually find that it vanishes under our feet just when we think we have found it. Many of us want happiness, whether we are aware of it or not. The irony is, it’s the wanting to be happy all the time that can cause unhappiness.

 

The honeymoon period

Everything in life has a honeymoon period. Whether it’s a new car, house, place, relationship, business etc. They all give us that burst of excitement and intensity. It’s beautiful and should be enjoyed.

 

But what happens when that begins to die off? This is when the work begins. At times, we can get sucked into a whole host of honeymoon periods, feeling like more and more things will boost our happiness.

 

This can last for a while, but eventually it catches us all up. It’s a bit like eating too many sweets; your stomach starts to feel off and your teeth begin to fall out. This is also true for success: it lasts for a very short period of time, so it’s very important to celebrate any successful venture. It’s also equally important not too hold onto it too much either.

Success and awareness – bringing it all together

For me, both perspectives have to be brought together. If we can bring awareness into all areas of our life, we can benefit when we are successful, or when we fail and need to learn. Remember, failure is an event, not who you are. If we can learn to love what is, stress begins to fall and we can then take greater action.

How to begin to step out of the loop – mastering the art of awareness and finding true happiness

Now, this doesn’t mean we can’t enjoy external treats and trips. They are all there to be enjoyed. But if we can find the underlying happiness within, we then have a far better foundation to manage negative thoughts and emotions when they arise.

Mastering the art of self-awareness in the following areas is is absolutely key here:

1. Mental
2. Physical
3. Emotional
4. Spiritual

If we can hold awareness in these four areas, we open the gates to where happiness truly lies.

To start, a meditation practice – slowing down the traffic

Meditation is the cornerstone for developing awareness; the Tibetan definition is to know thy self.

Meditation can help you develop full mental, physical, and emotional awareness. By simply spending time observing your thoughts, you can learn a lot about how your mind is working during your day. You can then begin to observe feelings and sensations in your body, let them rise and pass.

Creating space between it all – stepping into a practice that works for you

Stepping into a meditation practice can be a little bit daunting at first. How do I start? What can I do? How do I even do it? .

How to note – noting with meditation and being mindful

The best way to start is simply noticing what comes in. If you keep your awareness very light, this will also help the process.

Begin to start noticing, ‘Ah, there’s a thought’ or ‘Aha, there’s a feeling’. This is a great way to start as it allows you to note the thinking or feeling without judgement. Just simply note it, see it and let is pass.

The best way to do this is within your meditation practice. As always, your mind may wander off, but you can note the feeling or the thinking as it comes and goes.

The breath and the inner body are two fantastic anchors for the present moment; as the mind begins to wander, you can use these two anchors once you note each sensation.

At first you may be shocked to see how much your mind wanders, but simply note it as a thought then come back to being present. By doing this on a regular basis, you begin to create space between yourself and the thoughts. Once you get the hang of this in your meditation, you can then move it to your day-to-day routine and notice when your mind wanders while you’re driving, washing up, shopping or at work.

 

Five tips to get started

• Once you are in meditation, begin to note what takes your mind away from the moment. Simply note it as ‘thinking, feeling’ etc but keep it really light, almost as if you are brushing a small feather against a glass
• Once you get comfortable with that, you can then get more specific about your labelling. ‘Ah, joy,’ ‘sadness’; just simply note it and come back to your breath or inner body
• If a feeling arises but feels stuck, expand your awareness and fully accept it, by simply stating ‘accept and let go’. Remember, some days you won’t have to move to this step as it will quickly pass – this is only if it feels slightly stuck
• Have a 15 second rule on the feeling. If you become very aware of the feeling, it will change – it may start as sadness and slowly move to anxiety, or even joy, then to excitement or love. One thing’s for sure, if you pay really close attention, it will change. This is a beautiful insight and can be one of the main windows to internal freedom
• Keep it light; thinking of it as a game of awareness can really keep the heaviness from the exercise

 

 

Try these first five tips and step into your greatness today!

 

 

 

What is flow? Discovering the secret to high performance and happiness

 

“People ask me how I make music. I tell them I just step into it. It’s like stepping into a river and joining the flow. Every moment in the river has its song.”

― Michael Jackson

 

Just play. Have fun. Enjoy the game.

Michael Jordan

 

 

Have you ever felt the feeling of being fully present and in the moment, where everything just connected? That moment where the mind subsided and the activity felt pure and simply immense?

 

Flow is simply a state of heightened focus and immersion in activities such as art, play or work. It’s a state of being in which we become fully present, alert, focused, fully charged and ready to perform; those moments where it all simply comes together; that bit of inspiration where all our worries disappear and we become completely immersed in what we are doing.

 

We have all experienced flow in areas of our life. It can be as simple as playing with your kids, training in a sport, or performing a task at work. It’s an optimal state of consciousness; a peak state where we perform at our highest and feel at our best.

 

We see flow regularly performed by elite athletes. It’s that bit of magic that took your breath away, whether it was a Michael Jordan three pointer, a Tiger Woods hole in one, a Murray backhand, a Conor McGregor knockout or that David Beckham free kick.

 

Flow enhances the energy in the performer; an encompassing energy that can be picked up by the audience, your teammates or your family. It brings connection, not only through skill and performance, but a connection through spirit, dedication and application.

 

Rules and triggers

 

Having a clear framework will really help you build flow into your daily life. If we can begin to create more automation in our life, we can then begin to actively add flow into points in our day. Let’s start with some key factors that help increase flow. Once you nail the basics we can look at adding it to your day-to-day routines.

 

Psychology

• You have a clear set of goals
• The challenge needs to be ‘in the gap’ of boredom and anxiety, therefore the task is not so hard that your fear levels go through the roof, but also is not too dull: as attention falls, your engagement deteriorates
• You are fully focused on what you doing, completely present
• You can get some direct feedback, whether through a teacher/coach or the environment
• You enjoy a sense of control
• You experience deep involvement in what you are doing: the everyday stress of life seems to vanish
• Your sense of self disappears, but paradoxically your sense of self emerges stronger
• Your sense of time disappears
• Time flies – during the activity, time seems to move quickly as you are enjoying the process

 

 

Environmental triggers

• Engaging environment: an environment that is rich with novelty, complexity and unpredictability can increase flow. You are forced to use your tools and skills in that moment, e.g asking someone on a date, finding the right environment to meet new people etc
• Relationships: relationships are so important to any successful endeavour so here are a few key points to optimise flow within them
• You are the average of the five people you associate with the most, so choose your relationships wisely
• Listening: a huge skill to cultivate in any team. Creating a flowing culture and having top communication can massively impact confidence and decision making. Seek first to understand others, delegate and build a proactive team/culture
• Familiarity: keeping everyone on the same page once the goals are set and keeping members engaged and fulfilled is the key to success
• Equal contribution (skill level): when everyone is on the same page and contributing equally, we create a gateway to flow
• Group flow: there is no group flow without the risk of failure. Simply changing the group’s relation to risk and fear can increase flow. We can always have a contingency plan in place, but by simply addressing the fact that there is no creativity without failure,. Creativity, innovation, failure and risk go hand-in-hand.
• High risk/consequence: if the environment has high risk consequences, flow can be triggered very quickly, as it’s a do-or-die situation. This is at the extreme end of performance, and includes activities like sky diving, surfing, motocross etc. This type of environment will drive your focus levels through the roof: there is little time to think and you are forced to focus, as diverting your attention away from the activity could end in injury.

 

 

4) Creativity: we are all creative. Simply put, we all have the ability to unleash our creative endeavours. If we combine both pattern recognition (the ability to link and learn new ideas) and our level of risk, we raise our level of flow.

 

Taking action and stepping into flow

 

These rules can be used as a guide to help you get started. Can you apply any of these to a sport you are currently training in, a work role, your workout routine, writing or another daily ritual? Start with one area of your life, then you can begin to add it to other areas.

 

Remember, always start small. Begin by adding one rule/trigger at a time. This could be simply starting something brand new like learning a language, instrument or martial art; something that allows you to use these rules and triggers.

 

You could start with a dream you have, a routine, your diary, anything! Take the first step and always remember, it’s taking actionable steps into it which will propel you forward.

 

4 extra tips to help you get started today

• Choose one area of your life where you would like more flow, something you really enjoy
• Set some clear goals within that activity (remember, it needs to be goals that are going to push you just past your limit)
• Find a environment that will enhance this: a gym, a new class, somewhere that you can begin to develop existing and new relationships
• Get feedback – whether this is finding a new coach or talking to a member of staff

 

Step into your greatness by find more flow in your life today!