Performing Under Pressure
As much as I would love to describe my life as being a fairy tale, it isn’t quite the case.
Why not you may ask…?
Because just like everyone else in this world pressures and demands of life make their presence felt.... nothing to be ashamed of, just the hard truth!
And coping with the demands of present-day life isn’t always easy, whether it is for a pupil at school, an assignment for a university student, work deadlines, pressure to perform in your own field, or even pressure to perform at the Winter Olympics!
This can put such a great deal of stress on us and the rest of the family....
Reasons for it?
We all want to be successful in our career!
But this doesn’t mean we need to be so stressed… or does it?
Easier said than done, right?
Have you ever felt that sometimes you would like to stop whatever you are doing for a while and try to make sense of it all?
Lately, I have looked into the amount of pressure and demands that we all go through in life without realising it.
Here are a couple of typical examples:
My 8 years old daughter is into ballet, she rehearses every day, twice a day, to ensure she passes her grades next month; She is determined she will get a distinction mark. She is aware of the pressure she puts on herself, and nothing distracts her, she remains focused just like an eagle targeting its prey.
My 11 years old son practises piano, this has become such an integral part of his life, he runs through each segment individually, with the patience of an angel, one piece after the other, he tries out, reads through and continues over and over, again and again until he has perfected his work of art. Just like his little sister he has also visualised the distinction mark for his coming grade in a couple of weeks.
Children are a lot more resilient than adults. Fact!
Children dare to dream big and nothing can stop them to achieve their goals. Fact!
At times, adults tend to get frustrated easily and feel out of balance, which can put a great deal of stress on themselves and other members of their family. Fact!
It’ s ok to have pressure but it is crucial to learn the strategies to overcome it!
We do not wish for our challenges to be taken away because that builds our resilience which makes us stronger and enables us to withstand the pressure.
Our children teach us the best example of resilience. For them, no matter the price to pay in their mind, perseverance and determination can get us to achieve anything we truly believe in.
What about you, what strategies do you use to overcome pressure?