Secrets to staying calm and keeping your performance up

According to research, the ability to keep calm during a stressful situation can directly affect performance.

In a study done by Talent Smart, it revealed that 90 per cent of top performers could effectively manage their emotions during high-pressured work events to keep calm and in control.

Other than keeping performance up, managing emotions well can also enhance mental and physical health. While there are many coping strategies out there, let's find out the best ones from top leaders.

Avoid asking yourself "what if"

One of the pitfalls of wanting to do better at work is to continually ask "what ifs" or what else can be done. The repeated thinking can lead your thoughts into many directions and end up worrying about the possibilities.

This takes time away from putting things into action and focusing on the present. To keep calm, minimise the "what ifs" and stop your mind from bringing you to unnecessary places.

Digital disconnect

We are all wired by various gadgets throughout the day, sometimes even by more than one.

A simple way to keep calm is to keep off the technology grid and making oneself unavailable to eliminate stressors.

To begin, one can start by checking work e-mails or replying to messages to certain hours of the day and witness the changes to the stress levels. Another way to keep off the grid is to seek your colleagues understanding that weekends are personal and family time, and that you may be slower in replying to e-mails.

As you get used to going online less, introduce more fun and relaxing activities to fill your time with.

Change to a positive mindset

When one is always thinking of dark thoughts, it is no wonder the mind and body follows. If you are having trouble sleeping or relaxing due to negative thoughts, why not turn them into positive ones.

We cannot always control our circumstances, but we can choose how we want to perceive it.

Every experience can be a traumatic or a learning one, so if we pick our battles correctly, we can end up learning more useful and empowering lessons.