Gaining mastery over distractions and fear that impact performance

When I work with clients, fear is sometimes the underlying issue that impacts performance and reaching goals. If you trace fear to its root, you will find that fear pops up because of an underlying thought or belief. Fear is also at the base of anger. When your nervous system is pervaded with fear, its hard to think on your feet, let alone perform the way you know you can, or to ask for what you want. You may have rehearsed and practiced the action backwards and forwards. Yet with the best laid preparation, in the moment of doing, fear takes over the body and the mind; there it is. There was a competitive hurdle jumper who, in the moment of competing, stopped in front of the first hurdle and forfeited the meet. That is heart breaking for a talented elite athlete. It happened to me when I first started giving talks. It can happen when meeting with a potential employer or someone with whom you are in conflict. Fear is debilitating.

In my book, Working In; the elite athlete's guide to working out from the inside, I detail an esoteric technique from Yoga that works to override fear during competition. The book details a number of practices to override fear and deal with distractions. (visit kamalanellen.com or https://amzn.to/3XGLeB1.


For a great number of people in the current world climate, fear is experienced as anxiety--constant nervousness about what could possibly happen. This kind of fear is debilitating and can destroy your ability to function the way you know you can. Here are some simple techniques you can use to allay this kind of fear.

1. Classical seated meditation, without a goal, restores both mind and body. Allowing the brain to move into deep stillness where body and mind are deeply restored. I sit for up to an hour and have always found this practice as effective as deep sleep. With complete rest for the nervous system, you most assuredly will face challenges with calm and clarity.

2. Get a pen and paper. Take a few minutes to get quiet and turn inward. Breathe, self-connect, and then write down what you need help with--for instance, What can I do to shift the fear into another feeling? Then pause and wait for what comes up. Pausing to listen is a power tool no matter what challenge you face. Write down whatever comes up. You will find that you do know what to do. Be willing to follow what you wrote as an answer. You are inherently wise. Return yourself to faith in you and your ability to accomplish what it is you want to do.

3. Contact a trusted mentor or life coach; someone who has your back and believes in you, who does not criticize or judge you. Always weigh what they say against your own wisdom and if it feels right, then follow their pointer. Do what is right for you.

Pausing to self-connect and listen, meditating, asking for and receiving help from inside yourself, getting support from a trusted mentor—all of these practices can help to shift fear into clarity, and being derailed by inner and outer distractions to knowing you have got this! You absolutely can do it!

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Kamala Nellen

Kamala Nellen has been a professional dancer and has over forty years experience and teaching yoga and meditation. She is also a credentialed life coach and facilitator of nonviolent communication. Kamala has worked with high achievers from many walks of life, most notably elite athletes. Now Kamala Nellen offers life and performance coaching to support clients with tools to help you reach your lofty goals, practices to keep you balanced, and skills for self management along your chosen path to peak performance.

https://www.kamalanellen.com
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