A brain wired for survival is useful for finding food and shelter. But in the workplace, that kind of wiring won’t get you far.
Fighting for survival can have two effects: high adrenaline or undesired passivity. Ultimately, both can lead to burnout and stress.
So what’s the solution?
Striving to thrive — not necessarily survive — is ideal, but only if you’re well-equipped to withstand the pressure associated with it.
High-pressure situations often cause people to choke or miss out on valuable opportunities. Worse, people can lose serious professional momentum.
To prevent failure, it’s important to understand what happens in our brains when we choke.
What Causes Our Self-Sabotage?
There are three main reasons we choke under pressure:
We’re distracted from the big picture. When we’re overly focused on short-term problems and concerns, we lose sight of our long-term excellence. This is called “distraction theory” — our short-term memory is taken over by immediate concerns. As a result, we are consumed by our fear of failure, become overly impulsive, and lose control of our performance and priorities.
We turn off our autopilot. While on cruise control, our brains optimize our performance, allowing us to zip through tasks to hit home runs. But when we get nervous, we start making conscious, step-by-step efforts rather than automatic ones — our brains don’t work as efficiently. This is called “explicit monitoring,” and it can be disastrous.
We become overly stimulated. In the face of pressure, overstimulation can lead to overcompensation and, ultimately, choking. This is a phenomenon that affects everyone from experienced basketball players to people with high-stakes jobs. A 2009 study revealed people performed better in low-reward situations; high-reward situations caused test subjects’ brains to overcompensate and make mistakes.
That means it’s crucial to recognize the warning signs before they, well, choke you up.
Get Out of Your Own Way
It’s easy to recognize when you’re beginning to choke under pressure — you’re overwhelmed, your quality of work is declining, and you feel more distracted, anxious, and exhausted than usual.
These are the first symptoms of an upcoming choke, and you’ll need to quickly take action. Here are five ways to nip a choke in the bud:
Remind yourself of the long term. If you’re feeling burned by the here and now, consider your long-term success. This will provide an important perspective to your current problems, give you confidence, and relieve some pressure from the situation.
Embrace and trust your autopilot. Too much conscious thinking and brain micromanagement will make you choke. Allow your instincts to complete low-risk tasks every once in a while. Learn to love and trust your autopilot.
Write out your concerns. Expressing your fears before major high-stress events will train your brain to manage these types of situations. Evict the fears from your head and force them to live on paper. One study showed students received better test grades when they took the time to write out their biggest worries beforehand.
Reappraise the situation. Adopt a different perspective, and reinterpret your situation’s meaning — and worst-case scenario. Ask yourself, “What’s the worst that can happen? Who is directly impacted by my situation?” Reappraisal can help you avoid overstimulation and maintain a positive outlook.
Understand your body’s reactions. The human body works in mysterious ways. Sweaty palms and racing hearts tend to make us even more anxious. Truly understanding why our bodies react can be tremendously helpful. In one study, simply explaining to students that they could learn from their bodies led to improved performance. It doesn’t matter whether it’s blood, sweat, or tears — your body’s changing reactions can always be positively leveraged.
Choking happens; that’s life. But these tools will help you perform more confidently and thrive in your office — not merely survive it.
Dr. Srini Pillay, founder and CEO of NeuroBusiness Group, is a pioneer in brain-based executive coaching. He also serves as assistant clinical professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School and teaches in the Executive Education Programs at Harvard Business School and Duke Corporate Education.
