Can you give techniques to improve handling pressure?

Question

Kate Edwards, PT, DPT, OCS · Answer

Hi, everybody. Kate Edwards here. And the question that I'm answering is, can you give techniques to improve handling pressure? And I'm assuming that this question is handling mental pressure, from yourself or others and one of the things that I think is really important is getting into a good meditation routine. So I know most people don't really love meditation, and they might think it's boring or they can't do it because there's always this list in their head, but really you're winning. If You are meditating or at least sitting to meditate for at least, a minute or two a day. Getting in that routine will help break that cycle in your brain. So meditation is a really good tool to help with pressure. Another thing is breathing techniques, there's a million breathing techniques out there. One of the breathing techniques that I like to teach to my patients and athletes is just making sure we inhale to say a count of four and then do a longer exhalation to account of 6 and practice this for a minute or Two in a quiet space and this will help again decrease your nervous system. So what happens when we're in a lot of pressures, we get really hyped up and so you go into that sympathetic nervous system, their fight or flight. So breathing actually helps you drop into that parasympathetic nervous system and that will help you kind of break the cycle. And anytime we can break the cycle, whether it's through meditation or breathing exercises that can really help us to refocus and reframe our mindset. The other things are reframing, our mindset thinking about how we talk to ourselves. So, looking at different mantras or writing a sticky note, and telling yourself, some things that you need to hear in the morning that are positive, self-talk. Not negative self-talk so hopefully those three techniques. So, positive self-talk using a sticky note in the mirror breathing techniques, inhalation longer than exhalation and a daily meditation. Even if it's just for a minute or two help, Help.

Seth Pepper · Answer

Great question. Can you give some techniques to improve handling pressure? Okay, well I'm working with all these people from different walks of life whether it's athletics or different other areas, right? And so what I'm actually looking for is an acceptance of pressure. I know that pressure is, you know, you go talk to someone. It could be something, a conversation that you care. Maybe you're asking someone out on a date. Maybe you're talking to a professor. Maybe you're talking to, you know, one of your favorite athletes or someone you look up to, right? You're gonna feel pressure in that moment. So first we want to embrace pressure. We want to know that it's necessary because the more we push it away, the more it increases. So it's really, really important that you have what I like to say an intimate relationship with pressure and say, okay, I need this. And also you need to accept it unconditionally and say it's never gonna feel comfortable. Now the goats in every sport may say, oh I love pressure. I do better under pressure. The more pressure the better. All those sort of things. They are not saying that pressure feels good, right? Or nice. They're reframing it and saying it's necessary. So if it's necessary, then I want to go into it. I want to say, okay, I need that. I need to accept that and what comes next. And from there I think it opens up a lot of doorways where it gets very very interesting when you're the person running into the building.

Swimming

Strength

Triathlon

Photography

Track & Field

Nutrition

Physical Therapy

Running

Pets

Cycling

Podcasting

HealthCare

Musculoskeletal

Hockey

First Responders

Integrative Medicine

Chiropractic

Cross Country Skiing

Adaptive Sports

Climbing

Mental Health

Surfing

Tennis

Military

Mind Body

Scholars

Criminal Justice

Liquor

CrossFit

Golf

Soccer

Pickleball

Hunting

Public Speaking

Venture Capital

"Can you give techniques to improve handling pressure?"