Wake Up To The Power Of One

The Pressure Principle

We’re back to dive into Gary Mack’s book, Mind Gym, yet again, this week focusing on “the Pressure Principle.” This is an incredibly crucial concept for elite athletes in a competitive setting. We’re under pressure every day. Pressure to perform, pressure to win, pressure to make the right decisions at critical moments… It’s a lot. So, if you’re heading out to compete, you can’t miss this. Hell, you don’t even have to be an athlete. We feel pressure every day of our lives. P.S. Wondering about last month’s chapter? Check out Mind Games here.

“Under pressure, you can perform fifteen percent better or worse.” —Scott Hamilton

dryworld blog img (1200 x 1000 px).png__PID:4887d812-6de5-4572-82e6-81a5dd6dc3f7

This is: The Pressure Principle

After hearing the above quote from Scott Hamilton, an Olympic gold medal figure skater, Mack dedicated time to understanding “why, under pressure, some athletes break through while others break down.”

It comes as no surprise that thriving or crumbling under pressure comes down to what’s going on in your head. And here’s another secret: Most pressure you experience is what you put on yourself.

More than mental, however, the body also reacts physically to pressure and stress. You can see it in your heartbeat, blood pressure, and respiration. As Mack points out, no one is immune to it.

Sometimes, those physical markers cause an athlete to freeze, otherwise known as choking. But here’s the catch: We also need pressure to perform. Without it, you won’t put in the energy or passion it takes to excel.

Mack’s take was that pressure can be a positive force or a negative one. The key is being able to get into the zone and letting go of the outcome. In a study that looked at the experience of athletes during their “greatest moments,” psychologist Ken Ravizza found that more than 80% of the athletes said they felt no fear of failure. For figure skater Scott Hamilton, he knew he’d put in the hard work. For the finals, he simply let himself enjoy the skate and the performance. You have to forego the fear of failure and immerse yourself in the action.

Does that mean there’s no pressure? Not at all. It just means they were able to use that energy and channel it into letting go and being in the moment. Mack’s advice is to view pressure as a challenge to meet rather than a threat of defeat.

So, how do you get there?

Mack’s suggestion is to return to your mental studio—Yep, visualization.

Try this:

Enter your mind gym and get comfortable. Recall a time when you had a major break through or exceptional performance. A time where pressure worked FOR you and not against you. Take time to notice everything you were doing, feeling, and saying to yourself. Notice if you were anxious or nervous, relaxed or tense. Were you afraid of failing or desiring a win? Were you fully present in the process or focused on the outcome?

dryworld blog img (1200 x 1000 px) (1).png__PID:36b74887-d812-4de5-9572-42e681a5dd6d

Our Take On Visualization

At DRYWORLD, we’re huge believers in the power of visualization and mindfulness in becoming the best athletic version of yourself. In fact, it’s one of the laws we abide by. While building a mind gym is a great way to set the tone for visualization, there are plenty of things you can try to incorporate these powerful techniques into your everyday regime. Try out a few different things and see what works best for you.

“Pressure is in the brain of the beholder.” —Gary Mack