A competitor fails when it matters most, despite months, if not years, of practice. That competitor had just experienced a phenomenon known as “choking.” Choking is widespread in sports, since performance is frequently under intense pressure and hinges on crucial moments. Public speakers, spelling bee contestants, and even world-famous artists also suffer from performance anxiety.
The majority of individuals blame their nervousness, but why does being nervous impair expert performance? There are two schools of thought that believe choking under pressure is mostly caused by a lack of focus.
Firstly, there are the distraction theories. These findings imply that when the mind is engaged with worries, doubts, or anxieties instead of focused on the task at hand, performance suffers. Something needs to give when relevant and irrelevant thoughts compete for the same attention. The brain can only process a certain amount of data at a time. Tasks that challenge working memory are particularly prone to stress.
The second group of hypotheses for choking under pressure is explicit monitoring theories. They are concerned about how stress can drive people to overthink their tasks. The rationale is that thinking about the particular mechanics of a skill interferes with your ability to perform it. The tasks we conduct instinctively appear to be the most sensitive to choking.
Choking, on the other hand, may not be unavoidable for everyone. According to research, some people are more vulnerable than others, particularly those who are self-conscious, anxious, or fearful of being negatively assessed by others. So, how do we avoid choking when it matters the most?
For starters, practising under stressful situations is beneficial. Second, many artists praise the benefits of a pre-performance routine, which can include anything from taking a few calm breaths to repeating a cue phrase to performing a rhythmic sequence of motions. Finally, studies have shown that having an external focus on the end goal is more effective than having an internal concentration on the mechanics of what you are doing.
