Three Steps For Staying Cool Under Pressure
It’s easy to be cool when everything is going smoothly. It’s quite another story when the demands of the job – let’s call it “the pressures” – rise to what could be considered a boiling point. What is a leader to do – when the pressure is getting to you? Here are three steps that we believe will offer opportunities to regulate your emotions and keep the lid from flying off.
- Label your emotion. This simple act has a calming impact on your emotions. By naming the emotion, you slow down the “fight or flight” response. When we connect words with the emotional state, we tend to revert the stress response. This does not mean talking on and on about how you are feeling. Rather just describe how you are feeling in a few words and then move on. Giving the emotion a name and figuratively setting it aside helps you to be able to move on.
- Slow down your breathing. Take some deep breaths to bring more oxygen into your lungs and your bloodstream, which is the opposite effect of what is happening during a “flight or fight” response. Breathe in to the count of four and out to the count of eight and repeat multiple times. This offers the opportunity for you to regain mindfulness around what you really want.
- Reappraise your emotions. This is where you look at the situation from a different perspective and reinterpret or reassess what is happening, giving your emotions a different label and a different impact. The intent is to move away from the negative emotion and toward a more productive emotion, while not downplaying how you originally felt. It’s ok to feel angry. However, how do you best want to move away from the anger and toward a resolution that represents you at your best as you deal with challenging situations?
Here are a few examples of ways that you can move from a negative emotion and turn it around to a more positive and productive frame of mind.
| From Negative Emotion | Toward a More Productive Emotion |
| Feeling anxious about the upcoming meeting. | Focusing on the possibilities that can come as a result of the group working together on the goal of the meeting. |
| Feeling disappointed over the comments of a parent. | Looking beyond what the parent said and thinking about what the parent really wants on behalf of her child. |
| Feeling pressured over the demands of the work. | Intentionally looking for small successes and reminding yourself that small steps lead to big accomplishments. |
Want to know more about staying cool under pressure and other important leadership skills? Join us for one of our upcoming public seminars or contact us to find out how to bring us directly to your district, organization or business.
