Does your mind go blank every time the boss calls your name in a big meeting? Ever bombed a test you spent weeks studying for, or botched a simple play that cost your team the game? If so, University of Chicago psychologist Sian Beilock, author of the new book Choke, feels your pain.
Don’t Choke: 5 Tips for Performing Under Pressure
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It's easy to sit in front of the TV in your underwear imagining your speech to the boss explaining why you deserve a raise, but that technique is not very useful. Instead, get dressed, meet a friend for coffee, and practice your speech on her. "Even practicing under mild levels of stress can prevent you from choking when high levels of stress come around," notes Beilock. To illustrate her point, Beilock explains how Southern Utah University's men's basketball team earned a first-place ranking (up from 217th) in successful free throw shots after head coach Roger Reid began making players run a lap around the court each time they missed a single free throw during practice. The squad's 80% success rate is now higher than the NBA average of just 75%.
