The idea of “pressure” is an interesting construct to examine for sports psychology professionals (Mind of Steel) when it comes to sports performance — for some athletes, typical “pressure situations” are quickly appraised as challenges, while others view the same situations as terribly frightening and overwhelming. Pressure, therefore, is a self-imposed mind state, meaning that how an individual appraises situations will make all the difference in the world whether he has the mental toughness to want the ball at the end of a game, or hopes he doesn’t have to perform well in the clutch.
, you might ask, what exactly is pressure? Of course, pressure is not unique to any one sport, or even sports for that matter, as all human beings will from time-to-time be faced with feelings of uncertainty, loss of confidence, and in worst-case scenarios paralyzing fear that prohibits natural abilities and talents from taking over. Pressure is the cause for all of this, and mastering how to control and deal with pressure is often the variable needed to go from average to good, and good to great.
The following is a short offering of pressure, followed by a few pointers on how to minimize pressure (and maximize results):
• “Pressure” is a self-imposed construct, meaning it only exists if you let it. Nobody can make you feel pressure, and similarly, nobody can ease the pressure you feel in meaningful situations (other than you).
• The trigger for pressure is human perception. What this means is that two athletes can prepare for the same game, with one perceiving the game to be a challenge while the other sees it as a fearful threat. Can you see how these two athletes, who might be nearly equal in talent, will perform in very different ways?
• Although pressure is a mental experience (meaning you first deal with it while thinking about the upcoming event and conditions), it almost always results in physiological symptoms like rapid breathing, increased heart rate, and tighter muscles. Obviously, these conditions are more likely to make athletes fail, not succeed.
• One individual’s pressure can, and often does, impact other members on a team. This is especially true of a team leader “chokes” and other team members begin to doubt their own abilities after seeing this occur. When this happens, upsets usually follow.
• Finally, dealing with pressure (or being unable to) will make or break an athlete and his or her athletic success. Athletes who learn ways to deal with pressure develop more self-confidence and “play to win,” while athletes who succumb to self-induced pressure play hesitantly and “play to avoid losing”
The following is a quick list of tips you can use to help more effectively deal with pressure:
• Keep in mind how you perceive situations dramatically impacts how your body responds to them. If you look at important situations in life as challenges rather than threats, the experience you will have will be completely different – and better!
• Since our minds work faster than our bodies do, try learning an arousal-reducing technique for those times our brains have already decided we should be very nervous. For example, the next time you start feeling those nerves getting out of control (even though you don’t want them to), take 2-3 very deep breaths into your stomach, while at the same time using positive self talk (i.e. “stay cool and level-headed”) and maybe even add a little imagery (like thinking of a positive life experience). All of this can be done in just a few seconds, and will lead to dramatic positive results.
• Practice pressure situations. Rather than practice in comfortable, controlled conditions, try “in-vivo” experiences where you create game-like situations and try to make the experience as real as possible. This is a great way to minimize pressure as you will be developing muscle-memory skills needed for when the real game situations occur later.
• If you regularly get overly-nervous to the point where you literally “freeze” or play far below your ability, you may want to consider professional assistance. Sure, there may still be a stigma when it comes to athletes using mental health services, but ask yourself what would you rather do, get immediate help for your condition or continue to deal with the same negative anxiety over and over again?
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