MS Dhoni’s secret to handling pressure

No one is alien to the pressures of life. Everyone from students of age 16 till parents in their late 50s are under immense pressure. Here is how I learned to handle pressure from the greatest captain of the Indian Cricket Team MS Dhoni.

We feel pressure only when

· High stakes

When an event has large consequences, we feel under pressure.

· High expectations

Pressure is felt when we are expecting a postive result out of the situation

· Active

You feel the pressure when “you feel” that yours actions can change the outcome of the situation. Your “feeling” can also be wrong .

For example — Only Players feel the pressure , the Audience only feels the excitement

Captain Cool’s Approach

MS Dhoni is known to be calm in most pressurizing situations including 2 World Cup Finals. A thorough Analysis of his Gameplay and observations from the interviews the secret was

To Focus on the process

Step by Step approach

1. Observe

Note down the conditions of the situation, this can be the format of the exam, the marks needed to get a high grade, the expected questions, the field setting in cricket, and so on.

2. Make a Plan

Use the Observed information to make a plan to beat the situation. This plan is made much before the execution. This Plan is called the Process

3. Turn Off Self Doubt

Once the plan is ready, only focus on executing the plan without any doubts. This is what Players called Trusting the Process.

Conclusion

Whenever you are heading for a pressure situation take a deep breath — Observe, Plan and Execute.