How to stay calm under pressure

 "Pressure is a privilege." Your favorite team closes in for a victorious win. The crowd holds it breath, and , at the crucial moment the best striker misses the goal. That player just experienced the phenomenon known as "choking," where despite years of practice a person fails right when it matters the most. Choking is common in sports, where performance often occurs under intense pressure and depends on key moments.. And yet performance anxiety also haunts the public speakers, famous musicians etc. Most people blame it on their nerves but why does being nervous undermine expert performance? It is known that choking under pressure boils down to focus. It is distractions, the worries, doubts, or fears that preoccupied the mind instead of focusing its attention on performing tasks at hand. Pressure can cause people to overanalyze the tasks at hand. Here, the logic goes that once a skill becomes automatic, thinking about its precise mechanics interferes with your ability to do it. 

       Choking may not be inevitable for everyone though. Research suggest that some are more susceptible than others, especially those who are self conscious, anxious and afraid of being judged negatively by others. So how can we avoid choking when it really counts? First, it helps to practice under stressful conditions. Secondly, many performers extol the virtues of a pre performance routine, whether it's taking a few deep breaths, repeating a cue words, or doing a rhythmic sequence of movements. And thirdly, it is found that having an external focus on ultimate goal works better  than an internal focus. So, perhaps we can modify that age old saying: practice, under pressure, with focus, with that glorious end goal in sight, makes perfect.