Separate yourself from your thoughts

To perform well under pressure, distance yourself from destructive thoughts and self-talk. Remind yourself that your thoughts are often emotionally driven thoughts, not facts. 'I'm useless at presenting, this will be embarrassing.'

To help you distance yourself from your thoughts:

• Notice the unhelpful thoughts without dwelling on them.
• Repeat them in an amusing voice to pull the negativity and power from the thought.
• Try distanced self-talk. Instead of thinking, 'I always begin my presentations poorly', add distance with "I'm thinking that I begin my presentations poorly.'