This Science-Backed Mantra Will Help You Shine Under Pressure When All Eyes Are On You (for Highly Sensitive People)
My love for the game of golf goes beyond the cute shoes.
Nothing beats the feeling of smashing a ball.
But my nerves made me choke when I was first learning.
I had to ask Adam to look away while I hit the ball because the pressure of being watched made me fall apart.
Then there was that one time they paired us with a couple we didn’t know. I couldn’t hit the ball to save my life. It was a disaster and we told the couple to go ahead without us.
As HSPs, we want to share our talents and thoughts with the world.
But performing under pressure for an audience mutes how we show up.
But that doesn’t mean we can’t learn to perform well when all eyes are on us.
But the question is, how?
The mindset makes the difference
Let’s look at some general research on performing under pressure.
Alison Wood Brooks of Harvard Business School set out to see if people perform better under pressure if they try to calm down or if they allow themselves to embrace their anxiety.
Research participants were told they needed to give a speech and that they should try to relax by repeating the mantra, “I am calm.”
Another group was told to embrace the anxiety and repeat to themselves, “I am excited.”
The result?
Both groups were still anxious, but the group who embraced the feeling of excitement felt more confident and handled the pressure better.
The audience saw that group as more persuasive, competent and confident.
If you think about it, anxiety and excitement are very similar.
With both, your heart beats a little faster.
You’ve got increased energy, focus and alertness.
Both create sensations in your gut or solar plexus, the spot just below your sternum.
Here’s the difference. Anxiety comes with wariness, a tightening of the gut, and a desire to withdraw.
Excitement brings anticipation and is expansive.
But if you can change the story you tell yourself about that feeling of wariness, it changes how you perform.
Let’s look at another study.
A psychologist administered a practice GRE to research participants.
One group was told not to worry if they felt anxious, because that anxiety would help them do well. The other group received no message.
The group who received the message scored higher on the test. Through just a simple shift in mindset, they viewed their stress as helpful and used it to fuel their performance.
The research is clear. If you view your anxiety as similar to excitement and a source of energy, focus and alertness that will help you excel, you will perform better.
It works even better if you have an anxiety disorder
You may wonder if this will help you if you’ve got an anxiety disorder.
And the answer is yes. Even more so. Here’s why.
People with anxiety disorders think their hearts are racing out of control and their adrenaline levels are off the charts as compared to less anxious people.
But research shows their physiological responses are just the same.
Everyone has the same level of spike to heart rate and adrenaline. But people with anxiety disorders interpret their physiological reactions as being more significant.
If you think you’ve got a ton of anxiety, you’re even more likely to be helped by changing your mindset.
Oh, and if you’re doubting that this could work for you because your anxiety is so severe, that’s a sign you could benefit from this kind of intervention even more.
A resource and a recommendation
If you want to read more about using stress to your advantage, pick up Kelly McGonigal’s, The Upside of Stress. All of this research is summarized in her book.
Or watch her TED talk on the subject.
Either way, the next time you feel dread in your gut, embrace it.
Pat yourself on the back that your body is poised and ready to respond to the pressure. And tell yourself, “I am excited”.
You have all the brilliance of the world inside of you.
Now it’s time to go share it with the world.