What can elite sport teach us about managing our emotions at this time?
As leaders, and those in senior positions, the current situation will no doubt be adding a layer, if not multiple layers, of pressure on you.
Sport is a great vehicle for delivering high pressure situations, and at a high level, huge amounts of time and resource is devoted to helping players (and coaches) deal with pressure, and the related emotions, in the best way possible.
The most important take-away is that it is possible to actually use the pressure to drive performance. To see it as a positive. And to leverage it.
In this piece we will take a brief look at the concepts behind this, and some of the tools and techniques that you can use to perform like an elite athlete.
Mindset
Sports psychologists talk about adopting a ‘challenge’ mindset to situations of pressure, as opposed to a ‘threat’ mindset. The aim is to override the amygdala ‘hijack’ that occurs when we perceive something as a threat, in order to avoid our flight or fight response. By seeing something as a challenge, as opposed to a threat, it enables us to move our neural activity away from the amygdala to the pre-frontal cortex, which is responsible for executive planning and control.
(To understand how this plays out in elite sport, have you ever watched a match of your favourite sport where players look reluctant to get stuck in, to shout for the ball, to get involved? This is where the threat response has taken over….)
The All Blacks articulate this in their own way, using a distinction between a Red and a Blue Head. ‘Red’ head is where we are tight, inhibited, results-oriented, anxious, aggressive, over-compensating and desperate. ‘Blue’ head is where we are loose, expressive, in the moment, calm, clear, accurate and on task.
The challenge is that our emotional brain reacts more quickly than our rational brain, and so can take over.
So how do we avoid the Red and stay in the Blue?
There is a huge amount of science behind this, but from a practical point of view, the following can help:
Acknowledge the pressure
This helps in the move of neural activity from the amygdala to the pre-frontal cortex. Acknowledge what you’re feeling, and why, and label it.
Own the stress
We tend to stress about the things we care about. So by owning it, we connect to the positive motivation of personal value behind our stress.
Use these tools
Some of these are for situations where you need immediate assistance to stay in the ‘Blue’, others for longer term effectiveness. Some of these you will already be aware of, others you can try and adapt to make them work in the best way possible for YOU.
Questions. Rather than worrying about fear of failure, or what might go wrong, ask yourself questions such as: “what do I need to do to be successful?” “what should I be focusing on?” “What do I need to help me?”
Mantras. Pilots use the mantra of Aviate, Navigate, Communicate; in emergency situations, this teaches pilots to fly the airplane first, then navigate, and then, once the situation is under control, communicate. Ski-patrollers use Assess, Adjust, Act. Identify what situations tend to put you under pressure and make you feel stressed, what events/circumstances tend to move you into a Red head, and then decide on a mantra that works for you. Then practice, practice, practice.
Anchors. Put yourself in a resourceful state: calm, positive and clear. Then ‘anchor’ that state through a specific, replicable, physical action. Something out of the ordinary, like scrunching your feet, or staring into the distance (think Jonny Wilkinson about to kick a penalty…) Repeat, repeat, repeat until it’s automatic. Then, when you recognise the symptoms of pressure, use the anchor to reboot and return to your resourceful state.
Breathe. Focus on your breathing, in a calm and deliberate pattern.
Take a break. Can you give yourself a few minutes to step away, gain perspective, calm down, and let that rational brain catch up with your emotional brain?
Perspective. Rather than seeing things as personal, permanent and pervasive, remember that they are most often objective, temporary and situational.
Don’t beat yourself up if you do feel stress: it is natural when facing unknown and difficult situations. But do remember that you can use it in a positive way, and using some or all of these tools can drive your success in doing so.
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