CAN PRESSURE BE HELPFUL FOR YOUR PERFORMANCE?
You are performing on a new stage that is bigger than you’re used to, there are more people in the crowd, there are sponsors or scouts watching, it is the final of a competition, and you’re competing against an opponent that has beaten you before. How are you feeling? Are you nervous? Are you starting to get butterflies in your stomach and sweaty palms just thinking about it?
As athletes, we have probably been in this situation before. Can you remember how you performed?
Some of you may have crumbled, whereas others may have thrived. The reality is, we all experience pressure, however, this pressure comes from different sources and when some of us may be drowning under it, overs are riding that wave. Therefore, we can conclude that we each experience pressure differently and that it is on a scale.
As you can see in the diagram above, we can measure where we fall on this scale and which athlete we identify as.
How much pressure do you need to feel in order to perform in your zone?
Athlete A – They need very little to no pressure, in order to perform in their zone.
Athlete B – They need a moderate amount of pressure, as they would be complacent with too little (playing a friendly game), however, they need to be careful to not overfill their glass, as they will crumble.
Athlete C – They need an incredible amount of pressure in order to perform in their zone. They are likely the people to take the deciding penalty kick in a shootout. Anything less and they lack motivation.
Therefore, first, identify what athlete you are so that we can shift your perception from performing under pressure to performing with pressure, as it is important for our performance in person-specific, manageable doses.
WHAT IS YOUR PRESSURE PROFILE?
Have you ever experienced a performance where you were in a state of flow? Performing in the zone, executing things on autopilot with a quiet and confident mind. What if I told you that there was a way to approach this zone each time you perform? And this can be done by creating and understanding your pressure profile.
Performing in the zone is the peak of our sporting performance, where everything is going right, and it feels like a limitless performance. If you have not experienced this, then I would like you to imagine a performance without limits and write down how that would feel. What are your emotions? What are you thinking? How are you moving?
Reflecting on these performances is incredibly powerful, as we acknowledge that it is possible to perform this way because we have done it before. Now, we need to fully dissect this performance to decode the recipe for your personal flow state. We can begin this by writing down three emotions, and three physiological states that we experience, accompanied by their intensity out of 10.
Continue to reflect on and rank these components during your training and competitions that follow over the next month. After this, you will understand what you need to feel to perform in the zone. If we know how we need to feel, then this will in turn influence how we think and behave during our performance.
3 WAYS TO PERFORM WITH PRESSURE
Now that we understand how much pressure is optimal and how we need to feel to perform with pressure, we need to learn strategies to help us manage these levels.
How to reduce our levels of arousal
If we are athlete A or athlete B, and our glass is starting to spill over we need some techniques to bring our levels of arousal back down. Some of these include:
Box breathing – breathing to a count of 4-4-4-4 (inhale-hold-exhale-hold). This slows down our breathing and distracts our brains.
Progressive Muscle Relaxation – sequentially tense and relax your muscles (do with box breathing).
Listen to slow-tempo music – music stimulates feelings and emotions. Use music with slow beats to induce this state.
How to increase our levels of arousal
If we are athlete B or athlete C, and we are feeling complacent and lacking the motivation to perform, we need some techniques to raise our levels of arousal. Some of these include:
Bellows breath – breathing through your nose and using your diaphragm, inhale, and exhale sharply at a rate of 1 breath per second, whilst only your belly moves in and out.
Move! – get up and jump or run on the spot. This will increase your heart rate and the physiological symptoms of pressure.
The power of media – for the reasons outlined above, listening to music that is upbeat or has a powerful personal message can induce this state. This could also be a video clip from an inspiring film or a previous performance that you can watch back.
How to manage our levels of arousal
You need to learn how to control your pressure, otherwise, it will control you. If you can identify the sources that induce the most pressure, then you can be proactive and create an action plan to manage these. For example:
I am athlete A and thus need a low level of pressure.
One emotion I need to feel is CALM with an intensity of 9/10.
Therefore:
I will get to the venue with plenty of time by leaving early.
I will set an alarm to wake up in the morning.
I won’t be fatigued, as I will get to bed early and wind down properly.
I will research the venue beforehand and ask peers that have been there, so I am familiar with it.
I will pack my bag the night before, ensuring I bring spare equipment.
I will break down the timings of the day and plan when I need to warm up.
If you struggle with performance anxiety and repeatably crumble under pressure at competitions. Then I hope this blog has helped you to challenge your relationship with pressure and identify how you can begin to perform at your best with it! I would love to hear stories of you performing in the zone, so please feel free to share in the comments! If you would like help developing a pressure profile and managing your performance with pressure, then please get in contact with me at robin@autonomypsychology.com
Best Wishes
Robin Hughes
Mental Performance Coach and Sports Counsellor located near Chelmsford, Essex, UK supporting athletes, exercisers, and coaches worldwide with Online Sports Psychology Services. Specialising in working within the fitness industry.
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