Keep Calm and Carry On

I’m a bit ashamed to admit that there have been times as a leader where I have literally lost my mind. Picture the Tasmanian Devil from the Looney Tunes cartoons. Yep, that’s been me — more than once. I was told, “Don’t take it so personal.” Easier said than done; as the leader of my company that I’ve built from the ground up …it…is…personal. That still doesn’t make my actions justifiable; it’s honestly embarrassing.

What I’ve come to learn is that this losing your mind is a real thing and it has a name; it's called the “Amygdala Hijack.”

Our amygdala is the part of the brain that is a self-activating defense system that launches our body into a “fight or flight” action before we are consciously aware of the threat. This automatic defense system is important when we are under a real and immediate threat. For example, if you come across a rattlesnake your brain will bypass the cortex (the part of our brain that considers a variety of responses) and allow the amygdala to instantly respond. You will jump back before you even know why you are reacting. The amygdala allows us to make an immediate response rather than a thoughtful decision, which could be the difference between life or death.

This automatic response is a really good thing when faced with immediate danger but it's not so good when the situation is not life-threatening; it can actually be counterproductive. When circumstances call for a clear mind with a thoughtful response the last thing you want is to trigger your amygdala because it is very difficult to consciously override it once it takes over, hence the term the “Amygdala Hijack.” Unfortunately, the athletic landscape has placed so much pressure on coaches that many feel as though they are teetering on the edge of this stress threshold where the amygdala can jump into the driver’s seat at any moment. Like a volcano, they are one bad call away from “exploding.”

Mastering Your Amygdala

As a passionate coach in a very demanding environment with a lot on the line, you already experience high levels of work stress even if the rest of your life is in order. So take my unsolicited advice and try to minimize life choices that generate self-induced stress, but that’s for another blog post. For the inherent stress that comes with the job of coaching, there are techniques that you can use to keep calm so you can carry on. It really comes down to understanding your amygdala — you can’t beat it but you can work with it. The following provides six recommendations that will help you master the art of working with your amygdala to remain calm in stressful situations:

• Recognize that you are “stacking.” Allostatic load is the scientific term that describes the accumulated wear and tear your body experiences as you are exposed to repeated or chronic stress. The simple act of recognizing and acknowledging that your allostatic load is increasing will move the unconscious emotion (amygdala) to awareness (cortex). I use the term “stacking” to label the increased load. When you become aware that you are stacking and acknowledge it, you now have an opportunity to take control of your response.
• Designate a stacker buddy. You may not always be aware that you’re stacking but oftentimes the people around you will. Find someone you trust (and has thick skin) and give them permission to call you out if they see you stacking.
• Use an object as a physical reminder. For some coaches, we recommend keeping a coin in their pocket and when they start to feel amped up we tell them to grab their coin. Having a tangible object near or on you can be a useful tool to bring your stacking to consciousness, which will help to keep you from losing your mind.
• Identify the predictable situations that will set you off. There are probably predictable events during a season, a week, or in a game where you are more prone to the amygdala hijack. If you are in the fourth quarter and down by a touchdown then it may be time to grab your coin.
• Know your triggers. If staff that show up late to a meeting or don’t take responsibility for a mistake are triggers then be aware of them. This way when they occur you can get ahead of your response. It may be as simple as acknowledging the trigger; people that are late to meetings set me off. You may have to establish a planned response for certain triggers. When a member of my staff is making excuses, I will have them reframe their response by having them share what they will do different next time.
• Step away from it. I know this can be a cliché but it is profoundly true. The moment can be highly emotional making it very difficult to make a sound decision or an appropriate response. When possible, give yourself time to work through the emotion that will then allow you to make a more thoughtful, clear-minded decision or response to the “threat” you are currently experiencing.

Look — you’ve accepted a high-pressure job with a lot on the line so you are not going to avoid stress. Sometimes that stress may get the best of you. However, as leaders, we must continually work to build strategies that allow us to keep calm under the inevitable stressful conditions we will face so we can make the best decisions possible. Recognizing the stress of the situation and developing techniques to remain calm can help you to keep your head in the game — when it is needed most.