The pressure and anticipation of a stressful situation can sometimes be worse than being in that high-pressure situation itself. When you're in a moment where every second counts, and you need to focus on the task at hand, it becomes all about your reactions and ensuring that you're responding to everything in time.
While it's easy to think of extreme scenarios where this might occur, it's also something that you might experience just with a stressful game or a competitive sport. Understanding how to put your anxiety on the backburner so that you can focus on your reactions might be a great boost to your performance.
Live Sport
The appeal of live sport is the liveness. While supporters of any given individual or team want that side to win, there would be no thrill at all if such a win were guaranteed from the outset. That means that an enormously large part of the game becomes about the player's skill and those moments where this skill is put to use under pressure – creating the moments that are often most remembered in sporting communities.
It's also something that sports fans can put to the test themselves when they play sport. It doesn't matter what your level of skill is, the ability to put yourself in a situation so completely that all you're thinking about is how to overcome this specific situation is one that can be very rewarding in its focus.
Decisions Under Pressure
The fun of certain types of games, especially those which are online and therefore more competitive, is that you have to adapt to the changing circumstances in order to operate effectively. While the sense of pressure can create a sense of anxiety, that might also be what draws you to the game in the first place sometimes. For example, you might enjoy online casinos. However, by visiting an online casino in Canada with a live dealer, you might be better able to create that sense of urgency. Here, through an encrypted, SSL certified platform that offers you multiple ways to pay, you can get immersed in the excitement of the game itself.
Finding Buried Knowledge
Perhaps the competitive environment that you find yourself in is one that doesn't feel that competitive at all by these standards. Even if you're in a friendly quiz, either at home with friends and family or at a venue for a local event, being able to recall knowledge oncommand can feel very difficult.
In this situation, as with any other, it's about being able to stay calm. While the timer ticks down and the answer is on the tip of your tongue, your frustration might boil over into panic – even when the situation is ultimately quite low-stakes. However, if you're able to just take a breath and keep yourself calm, you might have a better chance of thinking clearly. It's important to remember that even if you don't think of the answer, it ultimately doesn't matter. You want to win and do well, but not at the expense of your enjoyment.
