EP 147 - Sian Beilock - Perform Better Under Pressure

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">How often do you choke under pressure? Sweaty palms, brain blanks, heart going a million miles an hour...we’ve all been there. Thankfully, there are ways to avoid the panic and crush the performance next time you’re in the spotlight.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Sian Leah Beilock became the 8th president of Barnard College at Columbia University in July, 2017. A cognitive scientist by training, she previously spent twelve years at the University of Chicago as the Professor of Psychology, specializing in how children and adults learn and perform at their best, especially under stress. In her research on the subject, Beilock explores the brain and body factors that influence skill learning and performance, as well as how simple psychological strategies can be used to ensure success in high-stakes situations ranging from test-taking and public speaking to athletics. She has published more than 100 papers and received numerous prestigious awards for her work. Alongside her other writing, President Beilock is the author of two books that have been published in more than a dozen languages, and her 2017 TED talk has been viewed over 2 million times.</span><span style= "font-weight: 400;"> </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">On this episode of the Abundantly Clear podcast, Malorie and Sian cover why we choke under pressure and fail to perform our best (and how to stop doing it), rethinking the distractions in our world and allocating our resources more effectively, and finding balance between our many identities. Listen in for the best advice on acing your next big presentation.</span></p> <p><strong>You’ll Learn</strong><span style= "font-weight: 400;">  </span></p> <ul> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">What you can do to focus your mind and body before a high-stakes performance, whatever it may be, in order to do your actual best</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Why taking a break and ste