Book summary of Performing Under Pressure

 Performing Under Pressure by Hendrie Weisinger, JP Pawliw-Fry 

 The science of doing your best when it matters most

 In Two Words:

In this book, we will learn why it is not easy to perform well in the midst of high flames of pressure and some of the techniques that can help us overcome this stress of pressure.

Who is this book for? 

•  People who are not able to work well under pressure. 
•  Scientists and students who are stressed due to performance-related things.
•  Student, sportsperson, or anyone who is preparing for a high-pressure competition.

 About the Author, 

Henry Wissinger is a psychologist and author, as well as the father of the field of pressure management. J. Paulie Fry is a performance coach who primarily advises Olympic athletes and business executives. He is also the head of the "Institute for Health and Human Potential", a global research and education company that teaches companies and their employees how to do better under pressure.

Why should you read this book?

 Are you also one of those people who leave their today's work for tomorrow. Do you also feel that you are able to work better when you get less time? If "yes" then you are probably living in a misunderstanding. 

Scientific evidence shows that even if pressure prevents us from procrastinating, it almost always delays our creativity and sends us to the most traditional solutions. Pressure can also badly affect our thinking power. It is known that the most successful people are those who have learned to perform well in front of a crowd of thousands of people under tremendous pressure. 

But how can you master the techniques needed to do so?

1.  The lessons in this book will try to help you cope with pressure and be productive. 
2.  What your ability to handle pressure says about your love life How saying "I want a car" can ruin your health 
3. How a "covert coat" can help you deal with pressure

Ch 1: To get rid of stress, focus on the "present" and look for success to control the pressure. 

 Think about an important exam. how do you feel fear or excitement? Do your palms get wet from sweat at this moment or do your nerves get twitched? The sensations you feel in this moment are mostly seen in high-pressure situations.

 Unfortunately, pressure and stress can hamper our performance when it comes to what matters most to us to be successful. Moments of stress can affect our performance in everything from our daily job to our relationships, everything! Research on creativity in the office by Harvard Business School spokeswoman Teresa Amabile found that pressure negatively affects both artistry and creativity. Although some workers felt that they were more creative under pressure; the point was that he was doing his work but his creativity in his work was at a very low level. Pressure harms us in many things other than office work. 

The secret of a successful relationship is not hidden in the chemistry of two people but in the decisions and conversations of that couple under pressure situations. For example, couples who criticize each other saying "you're selfish"; Put too much pressure on your relationship. As a result of which the relationship becomes weak because then both the persons start getting dissatisfied with each other. On the other hand, tension occurs in different scenes.

It is common to have pressure in situations in which success is necessary, such as in the entrance examination of a college. But when we have more demands and resources are less available to meet them, then stress arises, such as having many consecutive meetings on the same day in the office. But what is the relationship between pressure and stress? Like pressure, stress also negatively affects our creativity. But stress is a different phenomenon than pressure, so it calls for a different solution.

 Reducing the number of things that matter in your life is a great way to reduce stress. For example, focusing only on what you are doing now will give you the strength to fight stress. But the way of controlling the pressure is a little different. In this, you have to focus on the "fruits you get" in the end, whether it's landing a helicopter safely or winning a game. This means, in a stressful situation, you have to focus your attention on the success that comes after facing the pressure and keep on changing your behavior.

Ch 2: exactly the way you think it is.  

Have you started a presentation thinking that every word of what you are going to say in it will be correct?  Of course, we all put pressure on ourselves to do this work.  But it is the enemy of productivity.  but why?  Because doing so leads us to a special kind of failure, which we call "choking".  

Let us know how this process called "choking" works after all.  Pressure infiltrates your performance system, such as physical arousal, thoughts, and behavior.  If any one of these is affected, the whole system gets affected.  For example, you may feel the pressure building up when you give a speech: your heart beats faster, your mind goes blank, and you can barely read the words written in front of you.  In this way your breath becomes short and you start panicking.  Pressure can also affect your brain capacity.  For example, in times of stress, you tend to judge your own performance, which drains your brain resources a lot. 

 But what happens when you do this?  By doing this, the procedural memory, which helps you to do many complex tasks easily without even thinking, gets blocked.  Imagine that a friend of yours has been practicing piano for the past several weeks.  But when that friend of yours reaches the stage, he starts paying close attention to his every move and because of this he suddenly forgets all his habitual tunes.

In other words, your friend panics. But how does all this happen? One small thing, like your attitude in that situation, is enough to put you under pressure. And it can even make you a victim of deep stress. Let's see how it works The cognitive assessments you make, which determine how you see the world, are affected by your pressures. This pressure leads you to a condition we call "cognitive distortion". This distortion is so dangerous that it is enough to cause you anxiety and stress. 

For example, thinking that you need something, such as a new car or whatever, puts you under pressure and increases your risk of becoming mentally ill. To control a bad reality it is essential that you control your words. So it's better to think "I want a car" than to think "I need a car". In this way, the pressure of both the sentence and the situation is automatically reduced.

Ch 3: Trust and optimism are the first requirements of both handling and defeating pressure.  

To deliver your best performance when it is most needed, you have to develop certain qualities that will help you succeed in stressful situations.  Consider these qualities as your coat of armor - confidence, optimism, tenacity, passion.  Confidence is the key that keeps you moving forward while it is difficult to move one step at a time.  As your confidence increases, your anxiety decreases and thus it becomes easier to perform well under pressure. 

 Even research has proven that highly-confident people perform better, work harder, live longer, and find themselves smarter and more attractive than their peers.  You can easily boost your confidence with a high-powered pose.  Begin this mudra physically with your body.  Raise your hands up, keep your waist straight and push your shoulders back.  Stay in this posture for a few minutes.  This self-confident posture is enough to lower your stress hormones and increase your testosterone hormone, which boosts confidence. Like confidence, optimism will help you thrive under pressure.

If you look at things with a positive attitude and you have good expectations about the future, then you will be more confident in doing those things which are difficult in the present but you will benefit from them in the future, such as - taking risks and living - To work hard Debra is a young woman who, after a horrific car accident, suffered multiple fractures and went through a months-long arduous recovery process. Even after all this had happened, Debra was grateful that she was still alive. Her positive attitude was so powerful that it gave her the strength to keep working and finally she was able to get back on her feet. 

How can you also develop a positive attitude in yourself? Start your day by praising the little things around you. Things like your comfortable bed, fresh air, and your lovely family. Finding positivity in the little things will allow you to look at each situation from a positive perspective. By now we know confidence and optimism. 

Ch 4: Complete your coat with perseverance and enthusiasm. 

 Confidence and optimism are good to keep you going when things get tough.  But you will also need the perseverance to keep moving forward under heavy pressure.  Persistence is needed when you have a goal for which you have a lot of passion.  Because when you are working for something that you want to achieve then you have to bear the challenges and fears which you cannot bear at all under normal circumstances. 

 For example, you are afraid to speak in front of people but you want to make your classmates aware of animal rights.  Perhaps you would like to move beyond your fear and give a speech in front of your colleagues to stop eating all meaty burgers.  Perseverance will give you the courage to do things you don't usually feel capable of doing, but passion will help you stay passionate and creative under pressure.  Josh keeps giving you the energy to keep working and giving your best. 

 It is like a virus that spreads quickly and affects the people around you in a positive way.  Even in situations where pressure almost kills your creativity, passion helps bring it back.  For example, when we are under any pressure to draw conclusions, it is common to narrow our eyes and look for a situation.  But if you are passionate about the work that you are doing, then maybe you can expand your mind and find something new and unique.

So the next time you're under a lot of pressure, like giving a speech in front of a board of directors, try to act with enthusiasm so that the passion strikes you. If you want to boost your spirits, laugh, remember a positive memory, or listen to positive songs.

Overall, pressure affects the human mind, can change the way we think, and make it very useless. To improve your performance under pressure, it is important to learn and adopt the right strategies to be confident, optimistic, determined, and passionate so that you can ultimately be successful. Concentrate on something to keep your attention in the present. Paying attention to the present moment is a special way to overcome high-pressure situations. You can increase the general presence of your mind by focusing on one thing and choosing a point in it as well. As you meditate, pay attention to your breathing. Feel how it feels when you breathe in and out.