Shankar Vedantam explains why stress makes you choke: your brain splits attention between the task and fear of failure. Cognitive scientist Sian Beilock found that relabeling nervousness as excitement improves performance. Reframing your self-talk when you start to spiral can help.
Why does your brain struggle to perform when you need it the most? When you're calm, your brain easily runs through a routine. But when you're under pressure, a second voice shows up and says, oh no, I'm going to mess this up. Now your attention is split, half on the task, half on your panic, and you choke. But there's good news. Cognitive scientist Sian Beilock has studied this, and her research suggests a helpful technique. Just relabel what you're feeling. Tell yourself you're excited instead of nervous. You'll see a difference in your performance. So the next time you feel yourself start to spiral, notice how you describe what is happening to yourself. That's where the fix lives. For more insights about the science of the mind, check out the Hidden Brain audio podcast on Apple, Spotify, or at hiddenbrain.org.
