In a pressure moment, there are factors you have control over and factors you don't.
Focus on the factors you can control, not on the "uncontrollables," that could intensify the pressure, increase your anxiety, and ultimately undermine your confidence.

Take control

Most people see "pressure situations" as threatening, and that makes them perform even less well.
But, "when you see the pressure as a challenge, you are stimulated to give the attention and energy needed to make your best effort."
To practice, build "challenge thinking" into your daily life.

High-pressure moments as a (fun) challenge

By listening to music, you're able to literally distract yourself from your anxiety.

Listen to music

When you're in a high-pressure situation, it's natural to speed up your thinking. It can lead you to act before you're ready.
Slow down. Give yourself a second to breathe and formulate a plan. You'll think more flexibly, creatively, attentively, and your work will be all the better for it.

Slow down

Telling someone else about the pressure you're feeling has been proven to reduce anxiety and stress.
Sharing your feelings allows you to examine them, challenge their reality, and view a pressure situation in a realistic manner.

Share the pressure

Remembering your past success __ignites confidence. You did it before, and you can do it again.
Once you're feeling good about yourself, you'll be better able to cut through anxiety and take care of business.

Remember your past success

Belief in a successful outcome can prevent you from worry that can drain and distract your working memory.
Anxiety and fear are stripped from the equation, allowing you to act with confidence.

Be positive

Is this high-pressure situation a good opportunity? Sure. Is it the only opportunity you will ever have for the rest of your life? Probably not.
Before an interview or a big meeting, give yourself a pep talk: "I will have other interviews" (or presentations or sales calls).

One of many opportunities

Instead of worrying about the outcome, worry about the task at hand.
That means developing tunnel vision. When you keep your eye on the task at hand (and only the task at hand), all you can see is the concrete steps necessary to excel.

Focus on the task

When you're under a deadline and the world feels like it's crashing in, you're particularly prone to making careless errors.
To depressurize the situation, focus on the here and now. Tune into your senses. What do you see? What do you hear? How's your breathing?

Get in touch with your senses

"What-if" scenarios can be your friend. By letting yourself play out the worst-case outcomes, you're able to brace yourself for them.
The key here is that you're anticipating the unexpected. Instead of panicking, you'll be able to (better) "maintain your composure and continue your task to the best of your ability."

Plan for the worst

The idea here is to create a (brief) routine that you go through in the minutes before you present or perform, Weisinger and Pawliw-Fry suggest.
A "pre-routine" prevents you from becoming distracted, keeps you focused, and puts you in the "zone" by signaling to your body it's time to perform.

Create a pre-performance routine

Let's get this out of the way right now: Nobody performs well under pressure. A lot of us think we do, but we don't, or, at least, we don't perform as well as we could perform. We may feel more creative when we're under the gun, but it's a feeling, not a reality.

High-pressure moments as a (fun) challenge

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