Pressure often leads to negative emotions. Relabel those negative feelings to switch your mindset and feel more confident in tackling your situation head-on.
Photo by anna gutermuth
No matter what situation is giving you pressure, the first step is to identify how you’re feeling. Take a deep breath and really think about what’s going on around you. How do you feel? Now, Geoffrey James at Inc. suggests adjusting your perspective on the emotions you’re feeling:
Go through the list of emotions that you identified… and assign them labels that are positive rather than negative. For example:
- Fear=>Anticipation
- Frustration=>Desire
- Worry=>Concern
- Dread=>Caution
- Flustered=>Excited
- Alarmed=>Curious
- Pressured=>Courted
You’re not changing how you feel, but you’re changing what your emotion means. Instead of being afraid of your presentation, you’re anticipating it. Instead of being frustrated with your work, you desire doing a good job. This adjustment switches your brain from panicky, fight or flight instinct to being aware and in control.
Comments