Handling Pressure

Do you ever feel like your heart is beating too fast, and it's hard to breathe? Your brain feels like it's not working, and you feel overwhelmed by the weight of the world. You sink to your knees, but even then, the feeling doesn't go away. The hard tile floor seems to melt into putty, sticking around you as you try to escape its unrelenting clasp.

We’ve all felt this way at some point. Be it through exams or assignments – we tend to feel overwhelmed by the weight of pressure. Although you can't get rid of it, there are ways to handle it and take control.

Proactive and reactive are the two types of thinking, and we tend to use the latter. Reactive thinking works well short term. You are the subject of your surroundings with no control, and you react to events to offset the prospect of failure. This avoidance mentality only works for a while since you are motivated by fear and are running away. When the threat is far away, you stop running and fail to reach your goal. NOT wanting something to happen is limiting and keeps you from reaching your full potential. You also feel pressured by procrastination because you fear the consequences but still avoid the task. The more you put off something, the more pressurised you’ll feel.

Proactive thinking is working actively towards a goal and eventually achieving it. You think of the task at hand. Instead of thinking about losing, you think of either winning or not winning. You are now concerned with the fulfilment of the task rather than the worst possible outcome. Think about how much you want to get a good mark on your exam instead of worrying about failing it. Since you are thinking of something positive, you feel less pressured and do better in the exam. Another way to take off pressure is to think of your task as something you could never fail at to feel confident in your abilities.

"It's not a case of getting rid of butterfly’s it’s a question of getting them to fly in formation."

— The Pressure Principle

Because of your subconscious mind, pressure is visible on your body. Your jaw clenched, your hands sweaty, and your pulse quick. Your body’s reaction makes your mind feel even more pressured. If you pay attention to yourself randomly, you’ll notice how stressed you seem without realising it. Proper body language and posture can affect your mind positively. So the next time you hunch over textbooks and flashcards, take a minute to unclench your jaw and sit straighter.

Don’t let pressure prevent you from performing when you need to — learning to control and work under pressure is crucial. The floor has now spit you back out, and your shoulders feel lighter. Even your brain’s cogs are slowly turning again.