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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Once you've mastered a skill or perfected your presentation, it's best not to over think it. Brain scans of skilled rifle shooters, for example, show that their neural activity is actually much lower than that of beginners as they take aim. Because the expert marksmen have practiced so much ahead of time, their mind and body practically work on autopilot just before pulling the trigger. "Attention can be counterproductive when it alters performance. Under pressure, people start worrying, which leads them to try to control their performance," notes Beilock, who advises focusing on the outcome instead of the process, for all but novices, who actually do better when they consciously think about every move as they make it.
