Three Simple Ways to Mentally Prepare or Calm Yourself During a Stressful Situation

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During a stressful situation, there are three simple ways to mentally prepare or calm yourself. First, be disciplined about what you think about in the lead-up to the event. Avoid stress-inducing thoughts and consume a healthy diet. Second, focus on evidence that you feel fine in the morning, even if you haven't slept well. Eat a protein-rich breakfast, get exposure to light, and engage in exercise to oxygenate your brain. Third, before the event, engage in success recalls, positive affirmations, and visualizations. Practice resonant breathing to activate a calming effect. Also, if panic sets in, perform a vagus nerve reset to regain composure. Finally, maintain a mindset that embraces your own capabilities, no matter the outcome of the situation.

On this week’s episode, WHOOP VP of Performance Science, Principal Scientist, Kristen Holmes is joined by behavioral psychologist Dr. Jemma King. She has a PhD in human behavior and is an emotional intelligence and performance under stress expert. Jemma is a research fellow at the University of Queensland School of Psychology and works as a specialist external advisor to McKinsey and Company. Kristen and Jemma will discuss Jemma’s work as a behavioral psychologist (2:45), defining stress types and styles (3:45), behaviors that can help mitigate stress (11:35), dealing with stress before bed and throughout the night (23:50), a study out of Oxford around moving the body forward (34:51), Jemma’s work with the Australian Special Forces (36:30), what Jemma is obsessing over at the moment (48:50), the Wim Hof Study powered by WHOOP (54:00), and the best ways to prepare yourself before a stressful event (56:20).

Resources:
Stress and Health Study

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