How to Stay Calm Under Pressure!

In the high-stakes world of sports, your favorite athlete is on the brink of a triumphant victory. The atmosphere is electric as the crowd collectively holds its breath, eagerly awaiting the decisive moment. However, when that crucial moment arrives, she falters, missing the shot. What just unfolded is a phenomenon known as "choking," a situation where, despite countless months or even years of dedicated practice, an individual fails when it matters most. This isn't limited to sports alone; it also plagues public speakers, spelling bee contestants, and even renowned musicians. Many people instinctively attribute these mishaps to nervousness, but what is it about nervousness that sabotages expert performance?

Two sets of theories shed light on why individuals choke under pressure, and they both center around the concept of focus. First, there are the distraction theories, which propose that performance suffers when the mind is consumed by worries, doubts, or fears rather than concentrating on the task at hand. When relevant and irrelevant thoughts vie for the same mental space, something inevitably suffers. The human brain can only process a limited amount of information at once. Tasks that challenge our working memory, which acts as a mental "scratch pad" for temporarily storing information like phone numbers and grocery lists, are particularly vulnerable to pressure. A 2004 study illustrated this phenomenon when university students were asked to solve math problems, some simple and others more complex and memory-intensive. While everyone excelled at the easy problems, those under stress performed poorly on the intricate, memory-intensive tasks.

The second group of explanations for choking under pressure is referred to as explicit monitoring theories. These theories focus on how pressure can lead individuals to overanalyze the task at hand. The underlying idea is that once a skill becomes automatic, dwelling on its precise mechanics interferes with one's ability to perform it effectively. Tasks that we typically execute unconsciously are especially susceptible to this form of choking. A study involving competitive golfers compared their performance when they were instructed to concentrate solely on achieving accurate putts versus when they were made acutely aware of the mechanics of their putting stroke. Golfers usually putt subconsciously, so those who suddenly fixated on the precise details of their own movements also experienced a decline in their accuracy.

Not everyone is equally susceptible to choking, according to research. Certain individuals, especially those who are self-conscious, anxious, and fear negative judgment from others, tend to be more vulnerable. So, how can we avoid choking when it truly counts? Firstly, practicing under stressful conditions has been shown to be beneficial. A study on expert dart players revealed that those who had practiced under pressure performed better when anxious compared to those who had not experienced similar pressure during practice.

Secondly, many performers swear by pre-performance routines, whether it's taking a few deep breaths, repeating a cue word, or engaging in a rhythmic sequence of movements. Studies in sports like golf, bowling, and water polo have demonstrated that these brief rituals can lead to more consistent and accurate performance when under pressure.

Lastly, research has demonstrated that maintaining an external focus on the ultimate goal is more effective than an internal focus on the mechanics of the task. For instance, a study involving experienced golfers showed that those who concentrated on the flight of the ball while hitting chip shots performed significantly better than those who focused on the motion of their arms. In conclusion, perhaps we can modify the age-old saying: "Practice, under pressure, with focus, and with the glorious end goal in sight, makes perfect."