SECRETS FOR PERFORMING BETTER UNDER PRESSURE

As it happens, this phenomenon is true among performers too. Sport psychologists have observed that some athletes thrive on stress and pressure because of how they interpret what is happening to their bodies.

When your heart starts pounding, when you feel your energy rising, and the adrenaline is pumping through your system, do you start thinking, “Oh, crap. Here we go again.” with a sense of trepidation and despair?

Or do you think “OK, it’s go time. Let’s do this!” feeling excited and a bit nervous perhaps, but knowing that your body is primed to deliver something spectacular that isn’t possible when you’re in your normal calm state?

Totally calm performances might be more comfortable for you. They might make you feel more at ease, and probably even improve technical accuracy to a degree. But who says performing is all about you and what feels more comfortable?

If you want to have a good time, it may be time to embrace stress as your friend. As your partner in crime. Like that workout buddy who can get on your nerves, but ultimately forces you to bring your classic performance.

Researchers have investigated this in a range of performance settings, from academia to the military. In one study, Harvard undergraduates were given test instructions that implied stress/pressure and anxiety were a bad thing, while others were given the message that feeling anxious was a sign they might perform better on the test.

Students in the pressure/stress-might-be-helpful condition scored 50 points higher on the practice test, and65 points higher on the actual GRE a couple months later.

It helps to have a strategy, and an understanding of how to utilize stress/pressure to our advantage (a pre-performance routine, for instance), but think back to your best performances ever. Didn’t at least one of them occur at a time when you were nervous, but somehow still managed to pull everything together and enjoy one of those transcendent performances that was a great experience for both you and the employer?

SECRETS FOR PERFORMING BETTER UNDER PRESSURE

Working under pressure involves tackling difficult situations which are challenging to resolve. The difficulty of the situation may be the result of time constraints, complex problems, unrealistic expectations, competing demands, limited resources, limited control, or a combination of any of these challenges. To work effectively under pressure you must remain calm and composed within demanding situations and focus on getting the job done to the best of your ability.

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 couldperform.

We may feel more creative when we're under the hot pan, 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.

It is a 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. Here is how to perform your duties under pressure or stress without compromising with the results of your performance.

Maintain Control

The first step in learning how to work under pressure is to maintain control. For some pressure brings up emotions that can cloud decision-making and inhibit your ability to deal with a problem. If you cannot set your emotions aside take those emotions and turn them into the energy needed to deal with the situation then you will have problems with results of your tasks that you accomplish under pressure.

Evaluate the Issue

Before you jump into action you must first evaluate the issue. Be sure you know exactly what the issue is before you try to resolve it. On the surface it may seem like one thing, when in fact there is an underlying cause. By jumping to conclusions and acting on the wrong issue you may in fact make it worse. Ask the important questions who, what, when, where, why to get to the root of the problem. Once you know what the issue is then determine the priority. Is it a high priority that must be dealt with immediately?

Have a Plan

It is important to have a plan or processes for dealing with a crisis already in place. When a crisis arises that puts you under pressure you execute the plan. Each step is outlined and everyone knows what they are supposed to do. There are times when something arises that there is no plan for. In these cases the best way to deal with it is a step-by-step process. Learning how to work under pressure means sometimes you have to work without a net.

• Determine what the issue is and document all the circumstances surrounding it.
• Determine how critical it is. This will determine how quickly it must be dealt with.
• Create a simple to-do list for each step that needs to be done to resolve it.
• Once you know the steps then it is just a matter of doing them or delegating them.

Anytime you deal with something for which you had no plan for after the issue is resolved write down everything while it is still fresh in your mind. You can use these notes later to create a step-by-step plan for dealing with that issue should it arise in the future.

You can relieve the stress of working under pressure by knowing what steps to take to deal with any situation that can arise. Being pro-active by having plans in place for common issues can make sure they are dealt with promptly and relieve the stress of working under pressure.

The more you have to work under pressure, the better you get at it. This builds confidence that you can deal with anything that arises. This confidence can relieve the stress and help reduce the emotions that can come up when working under pressure

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, "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: 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, 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. 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, 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? What if before the interview you develop a running stomach what do you do? What if you don’t finish a given task can lead to a loss of job.

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 "uncontrollable," you end up intensifying the pressure, increasing your anxiety, and ultimately undermining your confidence. 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, "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 tasks and this will lead you to succeed on your tasks hence success under pressure.

Be positive before and during high-pressure moments.

In what comes as a surprise to no one, cultivating a positive attitude goes a long way. "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." This will work out. You will be great. You're going to succeed. It all grounds on being optimistic with whatever situation you are facing.

Learn from close calls.

Say something goes wrong; your client doesn't notice, but you realize it was a close call that could have ruined the presentation. Don't just walk away relieved. Think through what you could have done--and add the solution to your mental shelf. Close calls are like gifts, because they let you learn painlessly.

Get in touch with your senses.

When you're under deadline and the world feels like it's crashing in, you're particularly prone to making careless errors — slips you never would have made if you'd felt on top of the situation. To depressurize the situation, focus on the here and now. Tune into your senses, they say. What do you see? What do you hear? How's your breathing? What are you doing? Why are you doing it? These questions once they run in your mind and you provide the right answers mentally you get to free yourself of stress.

Visualize.

Athletes mentally rehearse; they imagine themselves performing an action. It works for them--and can work for you.There's no need to make your product fail on cue so you can practice what to do. Just rehearse it in your mind. There's no need to get a few friends to role play hijacking your meeting so you can rehearse how you'll respond. Just picture it happening, and picture what you'll do.Not only is visualization effective, it also has a calming effect: Picturing yourself succeeding is a great way to build confidence and self-assurance.

Listen to music — or make some.

"What makes this pressure solution so effective is that it reduces the culprit behind choking — increased anxiety. By listening to music, you're able to literally distract yourself from your anxiety. And conveniently, this trick is extremely easy to put into practice: The next time you're facing a high-pressure situation — a big presentation, for example — spend the few minutes before listening to your pump-up tunes right up until it's time to take the stage. You can listen to music of your choice, but none destructive and do it carefully not waste valuable time. Others prefer going for gospel music.

Create solution shelves.

Responding quickly is a skill that can be developed; that's why the military, police, and emergency workers train relentlessly. There's no need to think on your feet if you've already done the thinking. Stick your solutions on mental shelves, and when you're faced with a tough situation, reach for the solution. Go back to your "What If" scenarios. If a key employee doesn't show, what's the solution? Stick the answer on your shelf. What if price is an issue before you even get a chance to start? Stick the answer on your shelf. What if the room you're shown into isn't appropriate for the demo? Stick the answer on your shelf. The more answers you prepare and shelve, the more you can rehearse and visualize. Instead of having to think on your feet, it's stimulus-response. Stimulus-response is easy

Slow down.

When you're in a high-pressure situation, it's natural to speed up your thinking. In most cases you want quick results or want to accomplish a task stressing you quickly/fast. Don't do it! Moving too fast often leads you to act before you're ready. You don't think as clearly as you normally would.  You jump to conclusions. You miss key information. The solution? Slow down. Give yourself a second to breathe and formulate a plan. You'll think more flexibly, creatively, and attentively, they promise, and your work will be all the better for it. 

Practice the "What if?"

Once your presentation is in good shape it's time to prepare for things that could cause you to freeze. What if your software locks up? Figure out what you'll do. What if your client is delayed and you only get 10 minutes instead of 30? Decide how to shorten your presentation so you still hit key points. What if you get questions you aren't able to answer? Decide how you will respond. Go ahead; go crazy. Think of some outlandish scenarios and decide how you'll handle them. It's actually kind of fun.

Squeeze a ball (really).

Yes, "stress balls" are an office cliché — but according to Weisinger and Pawliw-Fry there's a good reason for that: They work.

One of the reasons you clam up in high-pressure situations is that there's a constant, unhelpful thought loop running through your head. "How am I doing?" you keep wondering, even though you're doing fine — or you would be, if you could shut your brain up.

That's where the stress ball comes in. When you squeeze a ball with your left hand, you're able to activate the parts of your brain that control unconscious responses, while simultaneously suppressing the parts of your brain that oversees self-conscious thinking. You will be squeezing the stress out of you.

Then rework the basics.

All your initial practice will result in a set of logical steps: 1, 2, 3... To really know your stuff, change it up. Start with step 5. Start at the end and work backwards. Skip a couple of steps. Rehearsing a different order helps reinforce your knowledge of your material and also prepares you for those inevitable moments when the client says, "That sounds good so far... but what I really want to know is this."When that happens you won't need to say, "We'll get to that later," and frustrate your client because you're fully prepared to get to it now.

Share the pressure.

Telling someone else about the pressure you're feeling has been proven to reduce anxiety and stress. But there's another bonus: Sharing your feelings allows you to "examine them, challenge their reality, and view a pressure situation in a realistic manner." And it's likely the person you're sharing your feelings with will have some feedback, too — feedback you might never have gotten had you kept it to yourself. Keep this in mind: You may not be the only one feeling the heat. If you're under pressure about a work project, there's a good chance raising the issue will make everyone feel less alone.

Rinse and repeat everywhere.

You can apply this approach to almost any situation, whether business or personal: Giving feedback, pitching investors, disciplining employees, dealing with confrontation, playing a sport, starting and building relationships... it doesn't matter. You don't need to be brave. Just take a systematic approach to developing skills and gaining confidence. Do the work and bravery, composure, and coolness under fire are unnecessary. They’re automatic.

Practice the basics.

Run through your demo a number of times. Smooth out the kinks. Make sure you know it cold.Make sure you can perform it on autopilot--in a good way--so that some of your focus can be applied to reading the room instead of wondering, "Okay, what do I do next?"

Then think about the most likely questions or interruptions. Rehearse what you'll do if the client wants to see a certain function again. Rehearse what you'll do if the client wants to know how a certain function applies to their processes. From the customer's point of view, the best demos are interactive and informal--make sure you're ready to present the demo as a conversation rather than a presentation

Working Under Pressure is about demonstrating:

Control - Remain calm in difficult situations. Don’t let emotions cloud your judgment or your focus on the situation.

Evaluation - Take time to assess the situation and rationally identify the key factors and potential solutions available.

Planning - Develop a logical and realistic plan, broken down into manageable tasks.

Stress management - Recognise when you are feeling stressed and take effective actions to ease pressure on yourself. Excessive stress will impact negatively on your performance and health, so learn to identify and manage it properly.

How to improve/demonstrate your ability to Work Under Pressure:

Take time to assess the situation and don’t allow yourself to rush into making rash emotionally-driven decisions.

Learn to manage your time and resources effectively. Make an effort to be well organised in order to reduce pressure on yourself.

Think positively. Negative thinking closes down your options, generates anxiety and leads to poor performance. Learn to look for positive aspects and opportunities in a situation.

Delegate. Where possible and suitable, delegate responsibility to others to reduce pressure on yourself in difficult situations.

Focus on the tasks and responsibility over which you have control. Don’t waste time and energy worrying about other people’s responsibilities when you can only take action in relation to your own commitments.

Learn to manage stress:

Recognize signs that you are experiencing stress; for example, feeling hot and tense. Use stress management strategies which work for you; for example, take a quick walk, use humour, or have a chat with someone to clarify your options.

Learn to balance your time between work and social activities. Overworking can be a false economy and can generate stress and career burn out.

Take regular exercise each week and eat a healthy diet – avoid over indulgence in alcohol.

Don’t over burden yourself with an excessive workload.

In the working world working under pressure is a daily event. Knowing the steps to take when faced with an issue can lessen the stress of working under pressure.

Deadlines, project changes, unforeseen obstacles, critical outages are only a few of the stressful issues that can arise in the working world. We face these circumstances often and can feel a great deal of pressure to get them taken care of.

“Pressure – The stress or urgency of matters demanding attention, The burden of physical or mental distress, The constraint of circumstances.”

Working under pressure involves dealing with circumstances that can be constrained by time, resources, the difficultly of the task, all of these and more. It involves the stress that comes from dealing with a matter that must be taken care of on time. This pressure can lead to physical or mental distress.

The intensive pace of the modern working environment often places substantial demands and stress on people. To succeed in this environment graduates need to learn to manage these demands and cope with potentially stressful situations while maintaining professionalism and effective performance