Holding judgement and composure when the stakes, the scrutiny and the pace are all high. Drawn directly from preparing athletes for Olympic finals and leaders for their hardest quarters.

Once you become more aware of how you are thinking and acting and how it might impact you, you can do something about it – which means employ coping strategies. These coping strategies could be to ask yourself factual and evidence-based questions, to try and support yourself being more rational and less emotional. They might be to reinterpret what you are feeling in your body as a sign that your body is ‘ready’ and willing to take on the challenge that you are facing. To reinforce self-awareness is the key ingredient in becoming more resilient.

Being resilient is mostly pro-active. It’s about having coping strategies in place before you need them. It’s about understanding yourself and knowing what might de-rail you from performing at your best before you’re off the rails. This ability to understand yourself and to know your coping strategies, allows you to feel that you are in control over your own level of performance. The next step is to review yourself so that you can learn. These learning points then feed into your level of awareness and regulation for the next time you perform.

Think of high-pressure moments as a (fun) challenge, not a life-or-death threat.

Most people see “pressure situations” as threatening, and that makes them under perform. When you see pressure as a threat, it may undermine your self-confidence; brings out a fear of failure;

decrease your short-term memory, attention, and judgment; and spur impulsive behaviour. In short, interpreting pressure as threat is generally sub-optimal. Instead, try shifting your thoughts: Instead of seeing a danger situation, see a challenge.

When you see the pressure as a challenge, you focus on trying really hard and performing to your potential. Focus on what you can control, your strengths, generate positive self talk, be your own best friend, remember your hard work in training, have fun and gain perspective – all different coping strategies that might work for you – give them a try!