Psyched Up

1. Reframe Anxiety as Excitement

So instead of aiming for calm, the smarter strategy is to force yourself to make the more subtle, achievable mental shift from nervousness to excitement.

Anxiety is arousal. The physiological response to anxiety (racing heart, sweating) is very similar to excitement. Trying to force yourself to "calm down" is difficult because it requires a large emotional leap from a highly aroused state to a low-arousal state. Research shows that people told to calm down before a performance often do worse.

Shift your interpretation. Instead of fighting the physical sensations of nervousness, reinterpret them as signs of excitement and readiness. This mental shift, known as reappraisal, is a smaller, more manageable step from one high-arousal state (anxiety) to another (excitement). Studies show that people who tell themselves they are excited before tasks like singing or taking math tests perform significantly better.

Centering offers control. While reappraisal is a mental trick, techniques like centering provide a systematic, multi-step process to manage physiological arousal. Developed by sports psychologists, centering involves focusing on breathing, releasing tension, and finding a physical "center" to gain control over energy and focus in seconds. This provides a concrete method for performers to adjust their internal state.

2. Develop Pre-Performance Rituals

There seems to be something about rituals that in this context reduces anxiety and helps you do a little bit better.

Routines provide structure. Pre-performance routines are systematic sequences of task-related thoughts and actions that athletes and other high performers use consistently. Research across various sports shows that using a well-defined routine generally leads to better performance, likely by helping focus attention and trigger practiced movements. Atul Gawande's work on surgical checklists highlights the power of systematic routines in high-stakes environments.

Rituals add comfort. Beyond task-related routines, many performers engage in rituals—actions done the same way every time, often without a clear logical purpose. Examples include Stephen Colbert's backstage habits or Wade Boggs's baseball superstitions. These rituals are thought to provide comfort, reduce anxiety, and create a sense of control in uncertain situations, even if the mechanism isn't fully understood.

Superstition's surprising effect. Superstitions are rituals given special, often irrational, significance, like wearing "lucky" shoes or using a "lucky" pen. Research suggests that activating superstitions, even through simple actions like crossing fingers or using an object believed to be lucky, can boost confidence and improve performance on motor tasks and even academic tests. The belief that it works can, in itself, make it work.

3. Deliver Effective Pep Talks

Speaking from the heart is great, but conveying actual information and strategy is important, too.

Beyond Hollywood hype. The classic emotional, win-one-for-the-Gipper pep talk is often portrayed in movies, but real-world leaders, from coaches like Bill Belichick to military generals like Stanley McChrystal, often rely on more strategic communication. While emotion can energize, especially for younger or less experienced groups, seasoned professionals often need clear information and a reminder of the plan. Coach Bill Campbell emphasized the importance of a leader's authentic "heartbeat" over scripted rhetoric.

Information empowers. Research on motivating language suggests effective pep talks combine different elements. Direction-giving language provides crucial information on what to do and how to do it, reducing uncertainty. Meaning-making language explains why the task is important, connecting it to larger goals or values.

Empathy builds connection. Empathetic language shows concern and appreciation for individuals, fostering trust and camaraderie. While some studies suggest angry or unpleasant talks can sometimes boost performance (especially if unexpected), consistency and a mix of information and empathy are generally more effective. Yelp sales leader Erica Galos Alioto combines thanks, performance highlights, strategic insights, and one-on-one encouragement.

4. Curate Your Performance Playlist

In a sense, music can be thought of as a type of legal performance-enhancing drug.

Music's physiological impact. Music is a ubiquitous tool for psyching up, particularly for athletes. Scientific research shows music can affect heart rate, muscle tension, and perceived exertion. It can also improve mood, assist with arousal control, and create dissociation from discomfort during physical activity.

Motivational components. A song's ability to motivate depends on intrinsic qualities like rhythm, tempo, and musicality, as well as extrinsic factors like cultural impact and personal association (e.g., the Rocky theme). Different types of music are effective in different contexts:

• Up-tempo music for warm-ups or high-intensity exercise.
• Music with a strong beat for synchronizing movement (running, cycling).
• Calmer music for cooldown or focus.

Personalization is key. While some songs have broad motivational appeal, the most effective performance playlists are highly personal, tailored to individual preferences and the specific demands of the task. Listening to music during practice can also help condition the mind and body to perform under similar conditions during competition, though some sports restrict music use during events. TJ Connelly, the DJ for the Red Sox and Patriots, tailors music to players and game situations to amplify energy.

5. Systematically Build Confidence

research shows a direct link between confidence and performance, which is why so many star athletes come across as cocky.

Confidence is trainable. While some performers appear naturally confident, sports psychology teaches that confidence is a skill that can be systematically developed. Techniques aim to instill a belief in one's ability to succeed, which directly impacts performance outcomes. Early pioneers like Coleman Griffith attempted to apply psychological principles to athletic performance.

Tools for self-assurance. Key techniques include positive self-talk, where individuals replace negative internal dialogue with affirming statements. Mental rehearsal and visualization involve vividly imagining successful performance using all senses, preparing the mind for execution. These methods help performers focus on strengths and past successes, building a robust sense of self-efficacy.

Practice makes autopilot. Confidence also grows from mastery achieved through practice, allowing performers to shift from conscious, effortful thinking (System 2) to automatic, intuitive execution (System 1). For highly proceduralized tasks like putting in golf or giving a well-rehearsed speech opening, being able to perform on "autopilot" reduces the chance of overthinking and choking under pressure. Jonathan Jenkins uses a standardized autobiographical intro to start speeches on autopilot.

6. Utilize Subconscious Boosts

This is the first paper to show that specific abilities can transfer through contagion and impact actual performance by changing performance expectations and confidence.

Priming influences behavior. Priming is the subconscious activation of mental representations that can influence perceptions, evaluations, and behavior without conscious awareness. Studies show that subtle cues in the environment, like words or images, can predispose people to act in certain ways, such as walking slower after being primed with words related to the elderly or performing better after seeing photos of successful outcomes. Gary Latham's research in call centers showed photos could boost fundraising.

Contagion and lucky objects. The concept of "positive contagion" suggests that a person's essence can "rub off" on objects they've touched, and using such objects (like a pen used by a high performer) can boost confidence and performance. Lauren Block's research on "lucky" study guides supports this, showing that believing an object was used by someone successful can enhance one's own performance expectations and results. This taps into intuitive, faith-based processing.

Power posing's potential. Amy Cuddy's controversial research on "power posing" suggests that adopting expansive, high-power body postures for just two minutes can alter hormone levels (increase testosterone, decrease cortisol) and make people feel more powerful and willing to take risks. While the physiological findings are debated, the idea that physical posture can influence mental state and confidence remains compelling and is used by many before high-stakes situations.

7. Harness the Power of Rivalry

we try harder when we’re competing directly against another competitor.

Competition as a driver. Norman Triplett's early experiments with bicyclists and schoolchildren showed that people perform better when competing directly against others compared to performing alone against the clock. This "dynamogenic" effect suggests the presence of a competitor arouses a competitive instinct that liberates latent energy and inspires greater effort. This principle is widely applied in sales leaderboards and gamification.

Rivalry intensifies effort. Rivalry is a special form of competition against specific opponents with whom we feel an enhanced sense of competition, often driven by similarity, frequency of interaction, and closeness in ability. Research by Gavin Kilduff shows that competing against rivals can boost motivation and lead to measurably better performance, such as basketball teams playing more efficient defense or runners running faster. Rivalry can feature hostility, but doesn't always.

Creating an enemy. Leaders can strategically create or highlight rivalries to motivate their teams, even in non-sports contexts. T-Mobile CEO John Legere relentlessly targets competitors like AT&T and Verizon, using trash talk and public challenges to energize his workforce and position T-Mobile as an underdog fighting for consumers. This strategy leverages the inherent appeal of underdog narratives and the desire to "stick it to the man," boosting employee morale and customer engagement.

8. Navigate Performance-Enhancing Drugs

Beta-blockers that’s become the go-to medicine for people who suffer from performance anxiety.

Common enhancers. Many professionals use legal substances like caffeine (for alertness and focus) and alcohol (as a social lubricant or for "liquid courage") to enhance performance or manage stress. Historically, armies have supplied soldiers with stimulants and downers to boost stamina and cope with combat trauma. These substances are deeply embedded in daily routines and professional life.

Prescription aids. Beta-blockers, originally for heart conditions, are widely used off-label to treat performance anxiety by blocking the physical symptoms of adrenaline (tremors, rapid heart rate). Stimulants like Ritalin and Adderall, prescribed for ADHD, are also used non-medically as cognitive enhancers to improve focus and productivity, though their prevalence and risks are debated. Modafinil, for sleep disorders, is seen by some as a safer "nootropic" for enhancing alertness and focus during long work sessions.

Ethical considerations. The use of prescription drugs by healthy individuals for performance enhancement raises ethical questions about fairness, safety, and societal pressure to medicate for success. While some argue it's a logical extension of leveraging technology, others worry about creating an "arms race" or normalizing drug use for academic/professional gain. The line between treating a problem and enhancing normal function, and between pharmaceutical and non-pharmaceutical aids (vitamins, supplements), remains blurry and debated.

9. Focus on the Crucial Final Moments

Practice is vital to any high performer, of course, but eventually you run out of rehearsal time.

The countdown begins. While deliberate practice is fundamental to achieving high performance, there comes a point just before a crucial event—a presentation, negotiation, audition, or surgery—when practice time runs out. Success in these "thin slice" moments, which increasingly define professional outcomes in the "Shark Tank economy," depends on how effectively one prepares the mind and emotions in the final minutes or hours.

Quick-hit tactics. Psyching up is about utilizing quick, actionable techniques in this limited window to optimize one's state. These are not substitutes for years of preparation but tools to ensure that preparation translates into peak performance when it counts. The goal is to manage the flood of adrenaline, increase focus, boost confidence, and regulate emotions right before taking the stage.

Beyond intuition. Much of what people do to prepare is based on intuition learned from sports or personal experience, but research shows that intuition can be wrong (e.g., trying to "calm down"). Understanding the science behind techniques like reappraisal, rituals, music, and targeted self-talk allows performers to build more effective pre-performance routines tailored to their individual needs and the specific demands of the task.

10. Find Your Individual Optimal Zone

Getting psyched up isn’t really an on-off switch, but more of a volume knob; the ideal level of arousal falls somewhere on a continuum, and skilled performers twist the volume up or down depending on the context of their performance, in an attempt to find the sweet spot.

Arousal is a spectrum. Performance is not simply better with more or less arousal; there is an optimal level that varies depending on the task and the individual. The Yerkes-Dodson Law suggests performance is best at a moderate level of arousal, declining if too low (lack of energy) or too high (anxiety, distraction). A quarterback needs high arousal, while a surgeon needs focused calm, but neither benefits from extremes.

Individualized zones. The Individualized Zones of Optimal Functioning (IZOF) model recognizes that athletes experience a variety of emotions (not just anxiety) before competing, and the optimal level for each emotion varies dramatically from person to person and situation to situation. This model views psyching up as fine-tuning a mix of emotions, like adjusting a mixing board, to find a personal "sweet spot."

Tailor your approach. Effective pre-performance preparation involves understanding your own typical emotional responses and identifying the state that leads to your best performance for a given task. The techniques discussed—reappraisal, centering, music, self-talk, rituals—are tools to help you consciously adjust your emotional and physiological state to enter that optimal zone. It requires self-awareness and experimentation to discover what works best for you.

Last updated: May 14, 2025