RACHEL SUGAR
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. It's true that you might be more productive, but the products you create are usually worse.
In their new book, "Performing Under Pressure: The Science of Doing Your Best When It Matters Most," Hendrie Weisinger and J.P. Pawliw-Fry deliver the sad truth: The difference between regular people and ultra-successful people is not that the latter group thrives under pressure. It's that they're better able to mitigate its negative effects.
Or maybe that's good news, because, as they lay out in the book, handling pressure is a skill, and you can learn it. In the book, they offer 22 tactics for doing your best when the heat is on. We took a deep breath and picked out 13 of our favorites.
Think of high-pressure moments as a (fun) challenge, not a life-or-death threat.
Most people see "pressure situations" as threatening, and that makes them perform even less well. "Seeing pressure as a threat undermines your self-confidence; elicits fear of failure; impairs your short-term memory, attention, and judgment; and spurs impulsive behavior," Weisinger and Pawliw-Fry write. "It also saps your energy."
In short, interpreting pressure as threat is generally very bad. Instead, try shifting your thoughts: Instead of seeing a danger situation, see a challenge.
"When you see the pressure as a challenge, you are stimulated to give the attention and energy needed to make your best effort," they write. To practice, build "challenge thinking" into your daily life: It's not just a project; it's an opportunity to see if you can make it your best project ever.
Remind yourself that this is just one of many opportunities.
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.
"The fact is, it is realistic to think that additional opportunities will come your way," Weisinger and Pawliw-Fry write, who encourage you to consider how many people needed multiple chances to ultimately succeed. (We have a few examples here.)
Before an interview or a big meeting, give yourself a pep talk, they advise: "I will have other interviews" (or presentations or sales calls).
Focus on the task, not the outcome.
This might be the easiest tactic of all, according to Weisinger and Pawliw-Fry: Instead of worrying about the outcome, worry about the task at hand.
That means developing tunnel vision, they explain. 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.
For a student writing a paper, that means concentrating on doing stellar research — not obsessing about the ultimate grade, what will happen if you don't get it, and whether you should have majored in economics after all.
Let yourself plan for the worst.
"What-if" scenarios can be your friend. By letting yourself play out the worst-case outcomes, Weisinger and Pawliw-Fry say, you're able to brace yourself for them.
What if you're giving a presentation and you lose all your slides? What if you find out at the last minute you only have half the time you thought you did? What if, three minutes before you're supposed to begin, you spill coffee all over your shirt?
The key here is that you're anticipating the unexpected. "It can protect you from a pressure surge by allowing you to prepare for and thus be less startled by the unexpected." Instead of panicking, you'll be able to (better) "maintain your composure and continue your task to the best of your ability."
Take control.
In a pressure moment, there are factors you have control over and factors you don't.
But when you focus on those "uncontrollables," you end up intensifying the pressure, increasing your anxiety, and ultimately undermining your confidence, write Weisinger and Pawliw-Fry. What you want to do is focus on the factors you can control.
In the case of an interview, for example, don't let yourself think about who else might have applied for the job, ways the manager could be biased against you, or whether the interviewer will like your outfit. The only thing that matters? Preparing to show them you're right for the role.
Flash back to your past successes.
"Remembering your past success ignites confidence," Weisinger and Pawliw-Fry write. "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.
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