Create space to think.
OVERVIEW
When presented with a challenge, whether it’s a complex work environment, a difficult conversation at home, or you’re competing to win a trophy…it is natural to feel tense as your threat system starts to fire up.
Yet when you’re feeling calm and relaxed, you think more clearly, make more rational decisions and perform at your best.
THE DETAILS
You may wish to have a look back at the Emotional Regulation Model to remind yourself how systems that promote feelings of threat, drive and safety, are all in competition for our attention. Someone with good mental fitness can achieve balance between these systems consistently and use each of their strengths to achieve more positive outcomes when challenged.
The threat system is amazing when we really are in peril and is designed to help us fight, freeze or run away as fast as we can - very important during our evolution. But these behaviours aren't normally linked to optimum performance when facing important decisions or complex problems in the modern world.
Practise this technique to help bring your body out of threat mode; back to a state of calm and more able to perform at your Peak State.
Exercise
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CHECK: If you find yourself in an emotionally charged situation or you can predict one in the near future; check in with yourself.
Are you aware of any of your red-flag indicators?
Red flags might include:
Short and quick breathing
Feeling hot
Tensing up
Only being able to see negatives in the situation
Being unable to view multiple courses of action or outcomes
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CHALLENGE: Here’s the point to challenge yourself: don’t wait until you become more emotionally charged.
If you can, remove yourself physically from the situation, even if it’s just for one minute. If you can’t physically remove yourself, take ten deep breaths, making sure your out breaths are longer than your in breaths.
Try to make an objective appraisal of the situation and attempt to list even just a few positives in your current situation. Even just looking for a positive will help break a negative cycle.
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CHANGE: In the space you’ve created by taking time out and by breaking a potentially negative cycle by listing positives, you can now choose how you are going to act.
LISTEN TO THE TOOL