Strategies for To Perform Under Pressure

I see many stressed-out and worried high striving people. Alongside helping them manage stress, I teach them strategies to help them keep going at work. One of the key things they need help with is how to optimize performance under pressure.

Here are two of the strategies I help people put in place:

Positive Affirmations

1) Affirmations that are meaningful and specific to your performance. The statements need to be personalized to you. You would then record these as a script and listen to them every day. After a couple of weeks, you will start to see a difference. It is important it is in your own voice because it is harder for your brain to argue with it.

These affirmations focus on what you are trying to achieve.

For example, if you are a on the trading floor and want to reduce anxiety and double-guessing yourself. You might say to yourself "I am calm and relaxed after trading".

Pair your affirmation with a relaxing physical task your brain and body will start to sync. This could be taking a deep breath or, scrunching up your fists and then releasing them.

Imagery

2) Imagery. This means mentally rehearsing a great day of performing under pressure. Here we want to engage all our senses. Close your eyes and visualize waking up in the morning. Imagine your day. How will it start? What you are wearing? How the room smells? What you can hear? What is going to happen that will make you feel under pressure?

Picture yourself succeeding. Talking through and describing, how you want to feel, and what you want to happen. You can write this in the present tense and it should be a 5-10 minute exercise. You record this in your own voice and practice it 4x a week.

I encourage you to start employing these strategies today. It can be helpful to have a professional help you draft these to make sure you are approaching them the right way.

Further, working in such a high-stress job means you need to be active about looking after your brain and body.

Working with a psychologist will benefit you for years to come. To contact me for an appointment click here.