Mastering Stress and High-Pressure Situations
Mastering Stress and High-Pressure Situations
Learn about Psychological Preparation and Strategies to Thrive Under Pressure and Get Results
What if stress and high stakes pressure could actually bring out the best in you?
When people feel pressure they default to thinking negatively which produces stress. Pressure is the event, stress is the perspective by which we view the event. Change how you view pressure and you will change how you move through it.
What differentiates successful people from the rest is how they prepare for stress and then how they respond to the stressors. These techniques will give you the skill to turn stress into an asset rather than a liability.
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Here are three ways to prepare to stay cool, calm and collected when things go off the rails:
Increase your competency.
Is your knowledge base deep enough to get you through tough times? You should be completely prepared and have mastered your domain. Constantly look for ways to improve, read case studies and connect with people and learn from them, study and keep learning always.
Learn from experience.
We’ve all done hard things and come out stronger on the other side. Don’t forget about your successes, it adds to the mental muscle memory making your psychological capabilities for handling stress stronger.
Stay in the present moment.
It’s easy to begin to think about what “might” happen in the future, or amplify the current situation to be much bigger in your head. This takes valuable resources away from you. Stay in the present moment, ask yourself: What is true right now? What is actually happening right now? What is my next best step in this moment?
Take stock of your resources.
Do you know someone who can provide a different skill set or perspective? Do you have time, energy, money, or information that can help in the middle of high pressure situations? Seeing what resources are available increases our feeling of being supported and helps us be more psychologically resilient.
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Managing stress in real life
A few months ago, we started an ambitious project with a tight deadline, a perfect combination for stress to creep in and either provide the motivation to succeed or not. Spoiler alert, the project recently launched with enormous success, but the road to get there was not easy.
One developer in particular, consistently had a calm yet urgent energy, much like the energy of an ER doctor, who moves fast, but with accuracy and clarity. He explained to me that he has an internal system in his mind that he uses to prepare and plan before coding, envisioning possible pitfalls as well as the successfully completed feature.
These problem-solving skills help him when he's feeling overwhelmed.
He takes a step back and looks at it from a distance.
He breaks the problem into smaller parts and figures out which part he can work on first, like untangling a thread.
He starts with the part that has the least dependencies. This way, he makes progress, gains confidence, and has a starting point for the rest. His motivation is in the challenge.
Many of us would go to great lengths to dodge stress. Unfortunately our collective experience has shown us that stress is a constant companion. So, rather than avoid, resource yourself to move through it. It's in your best interest to figure out how to navigate it effectively and make the best of it and yourself.
Time to Reflect
What is one stressful situation you are currently facing?
Which one of these tips can you implement today to resource yourself through the stress?
If you found this helpful, please share with a friend who is looking to level up in their career.