Mindset Made Simple Tip #221
Those darn Yankees! They knocked out our beloved Guards this weekend to move on to the MLB World Series. Now it’s a matchup of big cities and big payrolls! But regardless of money or talent, playoff pressure changes performance.
If you tuned in to the ALCS, you may have noticed some uncharacteristic miscues as the pressure of the playoffs mounted (mainly from our team).
We’ve all been there! Whether it’s stepping up to the plate late in the game or a critical business deal, when the pressure starts to build – POOF – out the window goes everything you’ve planned and practiced!
Instead, we fall back on old habits or lose track of what we can (or want) to do. I remember my dad asking why we didn’t practice relays and cutoffs more after a freshman picked up the ball at the fence and instinctually turned and chucked it. We never practiced those, Dad! Yeah…right!
I was reminded of this tendency to fall back on the familiar when Steven Kwan was tagged out at first when he tried to get back to first after the batter was forced out. That is legal, and I am pretty sure he would have been out anyway, but I was surprised he made that choice with the ball being right behind him. But if you think about it, in most tight situations, we go to the closest bag. It’s just what base runners do. It’s the closest place to be safe. It’s the easiest. It’s what we do at the other bases…so why not this in a bang-bang, pressured-decision play?
So, when you make a silly mistake or your performance plummets due to pressure, remember that it happens to the best, too.
As I looked ahead to the next day’s work with my 2nd dance studio in two days, I thought “We’ve got to address this tendency tomorrow” and thought about ways I could help the performers (and everyone involved) keep pressure in its place.
Some fascinating science explains why we succumb to pressure AND it provides insights on how we can manage it!
Old habits die hard. But new ones can win out if we have a plan!
Let’s start our plan by looking at how habits work…and why many disappear when we need them most! Charles Duhigg, author of The Power of Habit, explains that once a habit is formed, our brain turns the actions into a loop. This loop works in our favor most of the time, saving us time, energy, and attention for the important stuff.
But that frustrating brain of ours likes to play games with us, and when we feel pressure, it isn’t always looking for the best action plan. It is looking for the easiest, quickest and most familiar moves…and those are usually the things we have done the longest…not our newest and more advanced moves!
Although this seems counterintuitive to survival, when we are under pressure this is what survival mode looks like. The basal ganglia, the part of the brain that controls routine behaviors, takes over and overrides the decision-making, self-controlling prefrontal cortex.
The shift doesn’t stop there. Dr. Sian Beilock, President of Dartmouth and author of Choke: What the Secrets of the Brain Reveal About Getting It Right When You Have To, says our working memory gets overloaded, the part of our brain that helps us process stuff in real-time and we overthink things we normally do with ease.
This is where all our thoughts, worries, and doubts swirl around. So, instead of relying on automatic processes like muscle memory or rehearsed skills, we try to consciously control every little move or decision.
We’re darned if we do! Sometimes we get tripped up because routine behaviors override good decisions and sometimes, we override our muscle memory with too many thoughts. Geez!
The result? We do what we used to do, even though we know better!
How do we get our brains back on track? One of the things I decided to emphasize with Sunday’s group was the importance of pre-performance routines! They are game-changers for athletes, coaches, business leaders and parents, too!
Why do they work? It’s all about triggering your brain to focus on the process instead of the outcome. A simple, consistent routine can help you focus on what you can control and keep your mind in the game.
A routine gives your mind something familiar to hold onto, which prevents it from spiraling into worries. You’re creating a mental signal that tells your brain, “Hey, it’s time to perform!” When this happens, you’re less likely to choke because your mind is grounded in something you've done over and over again.
They serve as powerful tools to prepare the mind and body for what is to come, especially in high-pressure situations! These routines keep us grounded in the present moment and keep our hijacked brains from spiraling into over-analysis, they create mental and physical consistency, calm our nerves and give us a sense of control!
They provide certainty in an experience wrought with tons of uncertainty!
The value of these routines lies in their ability to "prime" our minds, helping us shift from a state of anxiety or distraction into a state of focus. When we use them consistently, we have installed a mental trigger that signals to the brain that it's time to perform.
Steve Magnus, author of Do Hard Things would say we are employing the theory of compensatory control. He says “We try to establish order in the outside world in an effort to gain control in the internal.”
That’s why Rafael Nadal, the king of routine and so many other champions use them! Watch Rafa's HERE!
What do they entail? Simple stuff! Here are a few guidelines I share with clients looking to create their pressure-proof routines.
Use productive language. Tell yourself what you want to happen next.
Be sure what you are thinking, saying and doing is relevant to the skill you are about to perform.
Keep whatever you do short and simple.
It comes down to finding that simple action or sequence you can repeat before any high-pressure moment. It could be a quick breathing exercise, quick mind movie or mental rehearsal or even adjusting your watch or tie before a big meeting. Maybe it’s a certain stretch or movement.
Or follow Dan Coyle’s idea of simply closing your eyes. He says in The Little Book of Talent, “Closing your eyes is a swift way to nudge you to the edges of your ability, to get you into your sweet spot. It sweeps away distraction and engages your other senses to provide new feedback.”
Whatever it is, this routine will become your mental cue that it’s time to focus and get to work!
For our dancers, we decided on a simple sequence of watching our highlight reel, watching and mimicking past video footage of routines, using a breathing technique and then talking out loud! What a sequence!!
Now, instead of thinking about winning or losing, you’re thinking about executing the next step of your routine…and you’re ready for the next step after that!
But again, if we want this to work, we must practice it before we run into pressure! The more we practice our routine, the more our brain will associate it with our ability to manage our performance. We’re creating a reliable “anchor” that keeps you on track and from overthinking when it matters most.
Manage the moments and manage pressure in the meantime!
Julie
P.S. Let’s get tools to those you lead. Contact me to find out how! Send me a text at 234-206-0946 or an email at juliej@ssbperformance.com and schedule a call to see how we can enhance your program’s mental approach!
Julie Jones
Mental Performance Coach
SSB Performance
juliej@ssbperformance.com • 234-206-0946
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