Stressful workA while back I went to the gym to do an hour of cardio on the Arc Trainer elliptical machine. I usually bring my iPod but it also helps to watch something on the wide array of TV monitors too. With the NFL done for the year, my choices were the news propaganda machines of Fox News or MSNBC, or figure skating.  I opted to watch figure skating (this should tell you my high opinion of politics and biased news reporting….)

Now figure skating doesn’t interest me in the slightest. It might be more fun to watch if someone periodically tossed handfuls of ball bearings on the ice during the routines but for some reason, one of the skating pairs really caught my attention. I have no idea what their names are but they were actually really good.  The guy skated all around flipping the girl up and around but at no time did either one show the slightest sign of stress.  If “grace under pressure” needed an example, it was this couple.  The routine lasted about three minutes or so (it was fun watching it with my iPod soundtrack of Nazareth’s Hair of the Dog playing loudly through my earbuds) and it was flawless.

When I think back on people who impressed me the most, they usually were the ones who didn’t panic when times got tough. I’ve worked for many bosses in the Navy who would “sweat the load” anytime something stressful happened. I’ve dealt with clients who panicked when faced with challenging situations.  I’ve coached managers who either scream at troublesome employees or hide in their offices afraid to confront them.  There is something to be said for people who assertively face a crisis head-on and make it look like it’s routine.

How you do that varies by individual of course, but I’ve found a couple ways to help handle pressure with grace:

  1. Breath deep. I’ve heard that breathing deeply increases the oxygen flow to your brain.  When you’re brain is firing on all cylinders, you’ll be able to make a better decision when things are falling apart.
  1. Resist the urge to panic. Several years ago, I was buying a can of Red Bull at the Mini-Mart on Fort Meade in Maryland.  I heard a woman screaming from the back of the store.  When I ran back to investigate, it was an old lady who was trapped in the beer cooler.  I opened the door and she hugged me proclaiming that I saved her life.  Turns out she panicked back there and rather than push on the door handle, kept pulling it toward her giving her the feeling she was trapped.  Don’t be the old lady in the freezer.
  1. Put on a stiff upper lip. Making the choice to be cool under stress means that you’re gearing up for it and will be more equipped to handle it.  Wipe the “drama” off your face and make something happen.  The people around you will feed off of your confidence.
  1. Realize that nobody’s going to die. How bad is the crisis?  If there’s not a chance of death, you can recover.  If death is a possible outcome, you have my permission to panic a little.  Just don’t let anyone see you do it.

I don’t know if the figure skating pair won anything that day. I kind of lost interest after they finished. I do know though that in spite of the pressure, this couple were about as poised as anyone I’ve ever met.  That’s grace under pressure.

Got grace? I hope so.