Important Meeting? Focus on Mental Preparation!
4 September 2012
Read by 1551 persons
Top athletes and actors know it: performance largely depends on mental preparation. What if you drew inspiration from their techniques to be at your best before a key meeting or crucial negotiation?
Relaxation, mental rehearsal, visualization, or working on negative thoughts—several techniques help banish disruptive tension, allowing you to be calm, focused, motivated, and more self-assured. These tips are well-known to professionals in the performing arts and sports. Their secret? Mastering breathing to relax or energize, mentally rehearsing, and using mental visualization to better remember the action on the day. Before an important professional deadline, try the method that suits you best.
Anticipate the Worst
This was a tactic used by tennis player Andre Agassi. His trick? Mentally listing all the factors that could prevent him from winning the match. You can use this technique before a key meeting. The day before, visualize your audience with your eyes closed. Then imagine your interlocutors asking you tricky questions. By rehearsing this scenario, you'll surely be calmer and more confident the next day!
Evacuate Negative Tension
Another mental preparation technique involves clearing your head...with your legs! Sometimes, nothing beats a good morning jog to banish stress and recharge your neurons. If you feel flat before the big day, avoid relaxation that could completely knock you out! Instead, opt for a strong method: let out a war cry or practice explosive breathing, very effective for boosting energy!
Another technique: total isolation. Like Formula 1 drivers before a race, impose a strict discipline: no outings the night before, no unnecessary appointments at the office a few hours before the important deadline, no useless chatter at the coffee machine. Maximum concentration!
Program a Positive State
Before a dreaded professional meeting, we tend to dwell on negative thoughts. To remedy this, try the "deactivation of anchoring" technique, inspired by Pavlov's famous reflex. Start by identifying what makes you anxious (the place, your boss, the audience...). Then imagine the desired positive state and associate it with a simple gesture, breathing deeply and lengthening the exhalation. To neutralize the bad mental state and install a state of well-being, repeat this gesture several times.
Etre-bien-au-travail.fr
Posted online September 4, 2012.
Relaxation, mental rehearsal, visualization, or working on negative thoughts—several techniques help banish disruptive tension, allowing you to be calm, focused, motivated, and more self-assured. These tips are well-known to professionals in the performing arts and sports. Their secret? Mastering breathing to relax or energize, mentally rehearsing, and using mental visualization to better remember the action on the day. Before an important professional deadline, try the method that suits you best.
Anticipate the Worst
This was a tactic used by tennis player Andre Agassi. His trick? Mentally listing all the factors that could prevent him from winning the match. You can use this technique before a key meeting. The day before, visualize your audience with your eyes closed. Then imagine your interlocutors asking you tricky questions. By rehearsing this scenario, you'll surely be calmer and more confident the next day!
Evacuate Negative Tension
Another mental preparation technique involves clearing your head...with your legs! Sometimes, nothing beats a good morning jog to banish stress and recharge your neurons. If you feel flat before the big day, avoid relaxation that could completely knock you out! Instead, opt for a strong method: let out a war cry or practice explosive breathing, very effective for boosting energy!
Another technique: total isolation. Like Formula 1 drivers before a race, impose a strict discipline: no outings the night before, no unnecessary appointments at the office a few hours before the important deadline, no useless chatter at the coffee machine. Maximum concentration!
Program a Positive State
Before a dreaded professional meeting, we tend to dwell on negative thoughts. To remedy this, try the "deactivation of anchoring" technique, inspired by Pavlov's famous reflex. Start by identifying what makes you anxious (the place, your boss, the audience...). Then imagine the desired positive state and associate it with a simple gesture, breathing deeply and lengthening the exhalation. To neutralize the bad mental state and install a state of well-being, repeat this gesture several times.
Etre-bien-au-travail.fr
Posted online September 4, 2012.
