Believe it or not, the ability to keep calm, collected, and fearless under pressure is not a personality trait or inherited characteristic. It is a skill that can be learned and mastered. When we are under pressure or feeling particularly stressed, it is very easy to consider all of the negative outcomes while taking on a doomed mindset.
How often do you get to the other side of a situation in which you feel immense pressure, and you realize – oh, this wasn’t so bad?
The key to remaining fearless under pressure is to learn how you can take back control of the situation. This, after all, is where most of the fear stems from – not having control of the problem. Here are a few things that you can start doing right now to learn to be fearless in the face of pressure.
Understand the situation
Most fear stems from not knowing what is on the other side of a task, problem, or challenging situation. When we don’t know what to expect, our mind tends to fill in those gaps, and for some, that means nightmarish and pessimistic outcomes. One of the primary ways you can combat this thought process is by taking the initiative to understand the situation.
Rather than looking at it from a place of confusion and fear, try determining what you can learn about the situation at hand. This will help you slowly regain control of the situation, which will give you the confidence you need to face it.
Every bad day will be gone; look at the positive side
When you are in the thick of a situation that makes you feel a lot of pressure, it can be incredibly challenging to see past the challenges you are facing in the present. However, the great thing about bad days is that they are just a day – not a year, not a decade, not a lifetime.
You can reframe the situation by telling yourself, “Today will be tough; tomorrow will be better.” This will help you gain perspective and realize that you don’t have to waste your energy or fears in a temporary situation.
You can do it, have faith in yourself
Often, we don’t believe that we are strong enough to be fearless or because we don’t have a naturally bold personality, it is not something that can be learned. That’s simply not the truth. You may not have the power to control every situation that you face, but you do have the ability to choose how you respond to it.
You can choose to respond to an immense amount of pressure with a fearless attitude and willingness to take the initiative and start doing what you need to do to get out of the weeds. You just have to believe that you are capable of overcoming that challenge.
Imagine a calmer picture
If you feel incredibly stressed or feel as though you have an insurmountable amount of pressure weighing on you, why not try to take a couple of moments to escape. Have a seat, close your eyes, and imagine you are elsewhere.
You can float on top of the waves in a calm and crystal clear tropical ocean or breath in the fresh and invigorating air of a silent, snow-covered mountain top.
Once you can slow down your heart rate and calm your body down, you will be able to regain control and respond to the situation effectively.
Have your backup plan
It never hurts to have plan B through Z hanging in your back pocket. Preparing for a situation and planning for how you can respond if something goes wrong gives you a sense of control and empowers you to approach stressful situations.
You know that if anything goes wrong, you are already prepared to handle it; this will immediately boost your confidence.
By having a back-up plan, you are also acknowledging that your world isn’t going to end if something doesn’t work out. You have a future beyond the task at hand because you have already planned for it!
