One of the biggest fears for athletes and high-performers alike is freezing up in high-stress & high-pressure situations.
At some point in our life, we've all experienced a sudden shift from no stress to high stress—otherwise known as pressure.
This sudden shift of perception is often perceived as intense fear.
But fear can be good... if you have the mental tools to harness it.
Working with surgeons on the mental game, here's a framework to take from some of the best.
The 5 P's:
How to thrive—not just survive—under pressure.
1. Pause - Take a few seconds to bring yourself back into the moment.
• Breathwork
• Anchoring
• Visualization
This crucial pause creates the mental space required to tame your fear and rise to the challenge.
2. Perspective - Use the space you've created with your pause to assess the problem & put your situation into perspective.
Take the emotion away from the event.
This step helps focus your attention—and intention—and produces a state of calm when utilized effectively.
3. Plan - Before you enter the gym or walk on the field, have a plan in place for what you'd do when 💩 hits the fan.
This is part of your resilience routine.
Handling adversity is about your response. Plan it ahead of time so you're left with no surprises.
Then execute.
4. Poise - Once you've paused, put the situation into perspective, and have your plan, intentionally focus on your self-talk.
Identify your Gremlins (negative self-talk) ahead of time so you're able to focus on your circle of control and remain poised.
This is a powerful step.
5. Prepare - Remember all you've done to get yourself to this moment. The countless hours you've practiced.
You will never be more ready than you are in the moment. View pressure as a gift. You've worked hard to be the person who others can count on. Trust your stuff.
These are the 5 P's of pressure. Implement this routine into your game to become a clutch performer.
And one last thing I'll leave you with:
Hard work is important.
Practice and preparation are important.
Your physical and mental skills are important.
But there's something that matters even more. . .
Believing in yourself!
If you feel like aspects of your current mindset are holding you back from unlocking optimal performance, consider taking a few minutes to explore our 1-on-1 mental performance training or our team mental performance training.
If you are ready to get started with 1-on-1 training, you can apply right here.
Transformation Begins Here!