Studies show that when people are told, “You’re the kind of person whose performance improves under pressure,” their actual performance improves by 33%. It doesn’t matter whether the feedback is completely random. What matters is that the message changes the meaning of those first signs of anxiety. Instead of signaling “you’re about to blow it,” the nerves are proof that you’re getting ready to excel. Telling people who are nervous that they need to calm down can convince them that they don’t have what it takes.
Kelly McGonigal, The Upside of Stress
This is the lesson I taught to my kids this week. A few days after we had this discussion, one of the older ones was screaming about something and my 6-year-old very knowingly said, “She’s upset because she forgot to think, ‘I’m the type of person whose performance improves under pressure.'” After which she conspiratorially added, “Right Mom?” I love when these lessons sink in and become a part of their framing of the world.
Mindset interventions don’t just stick; they also snowball. Every time these students perform well despite—or perhaps because of—their nerves, they learn to trust themselves under pressure.
Kelly McGonigal, The Upside of Stress
Seeing your nervousness or anxiety as excitement or a challenge instead of a threat can help channel your energy.
Rethinking the physical signs of anxiety—feel the same sensations, but tell yourself, “This is good. This is my body trying to help me perform.”
Kelly McGonigal, The Upside of Stress
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