How Not to Choke Under Pressure (and Why People Often Do)
by www.Sedona.com
It is your natural state to be calm, cool and collected. This may sound hard to believe, particularly if you face high-pressure situations (being questioned by your boss, backed into a corner by your mother-in-law, or sitting in bumper-to-bumper traffic on your way home from work) on a regular basis.
Still, you are meant to be in control, smooth and, dare we say it – serene.
Why is it, then, that when you’re under pressure, your heart rate quickens, you break out into a sweat, that big vein in your neck begins to throb, and perhaps worst of all, mentally you feel like your brain has turned into a giant mound of ice cream and no matter how hard you try to think quick and act confident, your thoughts get stuck.
The reason is disarmingly simple: doubts. Doubts from your own head.
Though you may not realize it yet, your thoughts are extremely powerful, and they manifest into reality. So if you worry yourself into a tizzy, there’s little chance that your actions will display anything other than fear, anxiety, uncertainty and reluctance.
“Your emotions are keyed to what was and what might be, rarely what actually is here now. So when you feel pressured in any situation it does not matter whether or not there is actually any reason to feel that way in this moment. Your emotions can choke you up based on what you remember about the past that you did not like and because of what you are projecting into the future that you want to prevent,” says Hale Dwoskin, CEO and director of training of Sedona Training Associates.
Yet, even as your emotions are running wild imagining all of those “what if” occasions, your natural ability to feel peaceful and calm is completely unfazed.
“Your ability to be at peace is completely non-dependent on circumstances -- no matter how stressful they may seem,” says Dwoskin.
To tap into your calm inner self, all you need to do is get rid of the racing thoughts, mind chatter, and negative emotions that are clouding your way.
“Your negative emotions can be released and you will find that you perform even better without the feeling of pressure,” Dwoskin says. “The best way to do this is to embrace however you feel in this moment and then let it go as best you can. As you release you will find that the inner pressure subsides and may even disappear. You will also find that any feeling of being choked up or unable to perform at your best will disappear as you let go.”
If you’re not yet sure how to release, The Sedona Method is a highly recommended tool. The Method will show you how to release negative emotions so that you will always be in control, and not vice versa.
As you let go of your negativity, you will naturally stop expecting the worst (another thing that tends to lead to more trauma than the event itself) and stop “preparing” yourself mentally for a problem, when often none exists.
It’s hard to put a price on the ability to stay calm and cool, but the following benefits will give you some idea of its value:
- Increased confidence and focus (no one will be able to push your buttons)
- More free time (no more fretting over the small stuff, or the large stuff)
- Improved productivity (all of your efforts will be in a positive direction)
- Greater self-esteem and well-being (YOU are in control of how you feel)
- No more emotional energy wasted, no more negativity clouding your success
So before you waste another second letting life dictate your state of mind, let go of your negative emotions and become free to feel confident and at the top of your game no matter what situation comes your way.
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