JAVS Spring 2020

by the working memory. Over time, through practice, the complexity of the task becomes automatic and the memory of this operation is transferred to the procedural memory. Slowing down your performance and focusing on the mechanics of a well-rehearsed skill actually works against you; slowing down your performance in a task that requires judgment, decision, and deliberate problem solving, however, helps you. In order to prevent these systems from malfunctioning during a pressure moment two skills are key: 1. Preventing worries or concerns generated by fear and anxiety from entering your working memory. 2. Preventing yourself from getting in your own way or mentally intruding when your procedural memory is working. Understanding cognitive appraisal, the mental process that defines what is happening to us or around us, further aids us in the endeavor to stop self-sabotage. The manner in which we interpret situations stems from the building blocks of our personalities: family background, role models, psychological traits and health, systems of belief, fears, hopes, self-esteem, pride, and entitlement. These facets strain under pressure and often alter thought and distort how we interpret situations. Pressure distortions misrepresent the reality of a situation and can pop up before, during, and after the pressure moment. These distortions cause feelings of anxiety, helplessness, and depression—often prompting misdirected anger directed towards those we love. Pressure distortions needlessly intensify the experience of pressure. One significant pressure distortion is “chance of a lifetime thinking.” “Chance of a lifetime thinking” falsely communicates the singularity of an event, promoting feelings of risk and loss that often have powerful, harmful neurochemical effects. Phrases such as: “the most important” of your career, life, etc., enters into our thinking when we become too attached to the outcome. Shifting our thinking to an engaging mindset instead of a proving mindset frees us up to perform to keep the audience (or panel) engaged. It is the meaning that we ascribe to pressure situations that dictates our response. Changing the way pressure and anxiety are viewed changes their negative impact on performance. Fortunately, how we interpret events is not static and we can learn to view pressure situations as challenges, not crises. We can evaluate our efforts through

a ranking mindset or an excellence mindset. In contrast to ranking mindset, excellence mindset is characterized less by a focus on ranking and competition and more by a focus on developing yourself to your utmost potential.

Strategies

There are a number of short-term and long-term strategies that we can practice to better handle pressure situations. After reviewing cases ranging from the scientific fields to the experiences of those in high pressure fields, Pawliw-Fry and Weisinger extrapolated “22 Proximate Pressure Solutions” that allow you to regulate, redirect, or release pressure:

1. Befriend the Moment 2. Multiple Opportunities 3. Downsize the Importance 4. Focus on the Mission

5. Anticipate, Anticipate, Anticipate 6. Recognize That You Are Worthy 7. Recall You at Your Best 8. Use Your Positive GPS System-Positive Before and During High Pressure Moments 9. Here and Now 10. Focus on What You Can Control 11. Listen to or Sing a Favorite Song 12. Use a Holistic Word or Image Cue to Guide Performance 13. Practice Experiencing Pressure 14. Squeeze a Ball in Left Hand to Activate Right Hemisphere 15. Write Out Your Concerns about the High Pressure Situation 16. Perform in Front of Others/Record Yourself Practicing Performance 17. Meditate 18. Create and Practice a Pre-Routine 19. Slow Down Your Response in Working Memory Situations 20. Regulate Your Breathing 21. Go First if Possible 22. Communicate Your Feelings of Being Under Pressure Several of these tactics are found across the literature. Performance Coach Donna Soto-Morettini advocates developing your mental game by treating nerves as energy, centering, deep breathing, meditation,

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Journal of the American Viola Society / Vol. 36, No. 1, Spring 2020