Here’s a secret for seeking to handle the stress of performance—stop thinking and worrying about it.
I know, hard to believe. Take a good read of this article to see how the writers of Men’s Health put it. The summary comes in these four steps to accuracy and relaxed precision:
Step 1: Do your homework. For sports, that means a ton of practice; for something more mental, such as a speech, it means research. Either way, the goal is to know your moves or your topic inside and out. “Your mind loves to compartmentalize,” says Herbert Benson, M.D., a mind/body researcher at Harvard medical school, “so once it knows that you’re equipped for the task, it will shift from ‘Needs Urgent Attention’ to ‘Automatic.’”
Step 2: Turn over the controls. You can’t shift to autopilot if your hands are still on the stick. Distract your conscious mind by creating a silent mantra or some ritualized action. For example, bounce the basketball exactly three times before every foul shot. Still can’t let go? Focus on a sensation, such as the taste of your last sip of coffee or the sound of the air conditioner.
Step 3: Stay detached. Once you sense that your performance is peaking, resist the temptation to gloat — even mentally. “When you know you’re in the zone, you’re out of it,” says Dr. Benson. “Back off and ignore the highs and lows of the moment. You’re just doing your thing.”
Step 4: Believe in yourself. After the applause has died down, watch what you tell yourself about the feat. Specifically, do not think, I was lucky or I played over my head. Instead, prepare yourself for next time by reinforcing the belief that you can hit your peak whenever you want, which, of course, you can.