Stay calm
🏷️ Tào lao
A: What is choking?
B: Choking is a phenomenon, where despite months and even years of practice, a person fails right when it matters most
A: Does everyone experience choking?
B: Yes, it does. Choking is common in sports, where performance often occurs under intense pressure and depends on key moments. Performance anxiety also haunts public speakers, contestants in spelling bees, and even world-famous musicians
A: What is the cause of choking?
B: There are two sets of theories, which both say that primarily, choking under pressure boils down to focus.
A: What are those sets of theories?
B: The first theory is Distraction. It suggests that performance suffers when the mind is preoccupied with worries, doubts, or fears. Instead of focusing its attention on performing the task at hand. When relevant and irrelevant thoughts compete for the same attention, something has to give. The brain can only process at once. Tasks that challenge working memory, the mental “scratch pad” we use to temporarily store phone numbers and grocery lists are especially vulnerable to pressure
A: What about the remaining theory?
B: It is Explicit Monitoring. It is concerned with how pressure can cause people to overanalyze the task at hand. The logic goes that, once a skill becomes automatic, thinking about its precise mechanics interferes with your ability to do it. Tasks we do unconsciously seem to be most vulnerable to this kind of choking
A: Is choking inevitable for everyone?
B: Well, it is not really inevitable. Some are more susceptible than others, especially those who are self-conscious, anxious, and afraid of being judged negatively by others
A: How can we avoid choking?
B: It helps to practice under stressful conditions. It helps you accustom to pressure. You can also do some virtues of a pre-performance routine, whether it is taking a few deep breaths, repeating a cue word, or doing a rhythmic sequence of movements. Lastly, you should focus externally on the ultimate goal. It is better than internal focus, where you are tuned into the mechanics of what you are doing.