My “S.O.P.” (standard operating procedure) has three parts: 1) A minute to visualize success 2) A minute to repeat an affirmation, and 3) A minute to do box breathing (see below)
In a recent article for the NYT, Sopan Deb, shares that, “Beyoncé eats a turkey sandwich before she goes onstage, according to “Renaissance: A Film by Beyoncé.” Paul McCartney is said to hum the theme song from “The Monkees” with his band before concerts. Bill Russell, the Hall of Fame center, threw up before games to get rid of jitters.”
It would be rare to find a great presenter, actor, comedian, or athlete who doesn’t have a go-to ritual that helps them feel centered and calm (rather than shot out a canon on to the stage!).
“When the world is more predictable for us, we can more easily get into a flow stage that will improve performance,” says Fallon Goodman, a psychology professor at George Washington University. By creating your own unique routine it will helpful you to connect to something you know and trust when you are in unfamiliar or scary territory.
Along with dedicated practice leading up to your big moment – the moments before, can be instrumental to getting you in the right head space to hold the space!
I love hearing about other people’s warm-ups – and hear are some interesting ones:
