How to cope with stress – by unleashing your inner Biggar
Lloyd Powell, of ACCA Cymru Wales, reflects on how to turn the debilitating effects of stress into a high-powered source of self-confidence
Being the man on whom a nation pins its hopes can be a daunting and isolated position. (Or so I’m told...)
In the 2015 Rugby World Cup, Dan Biggar famously took the biggest fixture in world rugby by the scruff of its neck as he delivered a pitch-perfect performance to kick seven penalties and a conversion in a historic 28-25 victory over England.
To deliver an elite display in front of a crowd of any size is a bold achievement. To do so under the lights of Twickenham at England’s very own World Cup takes an entirely different level of mental fortitude.
As far as raw talent can take you in the world, the ability to have the resolve necessary to apply this is of equal importance.
Although this is at the extremity of remaining calm under pressure, the skills required to perform in such circumstances are transferable to the day-to-day lives of Wales’ leaders, managers and workers, as well as to students.
At ACCA, we felt it important to arrange events like the recent Performing Under Pressure: Channelling Stress for Success to highlight the lessons that can be learnt and applied by us all.
Unforeseen circumstances saw Dan Lydiate step in for the first event at the Principality Stadium – showing no signs of panic under pressure – while Dan Biggar carried on as planned at the Swansea event later in the month. At the events, both Dans gave advice, along with fascinating insights from experienced sport psychologist Andy McCann, on the techniques for dealing with pressure and using it as a positive force. Events such as these are indicative of ACCA’s ongoing commitment to delivering opportunities for our members and students to learn from experts across a host of fields.
We have long seen it as a priority to address mental health in the workplace and with Mental Health Week having just passed, it is good to see the importance of providing information and access to support that can help people lead less stressful lives and take a prominent place in the public eye.
As hundreds of thousands of students across the country tackle the exam period (good luck to my eldest daughter, Lili, in her A-levels!), and the stresses and strains associated with this, there are some universal lessons taken from our guest speakers that can help you remap stress into the clarity of thought that can help you perform at your best level.
Preparation in anticipation of upcoming events is a tool that is vital for success, with the familiarity it breeds enabling us to optimise how comfortable we feel in situations of high stress. It is important to analyse what you may come up against and plan for those events accordingly – the ability to practise ahead of the big occasion enables you to call on past experiences that can be applied to your work or in an exam situation.
Do not allow the perceived magnitude of the bigger picture to cloud your ability to perform in key moments. Be honest with your emotions, focus on the job at hand and the pieces will eventually slot into place. Remaining calm and being clear as to how you intend to put your game-plan into action is of vital importance to delivering your best. Whether it’s finding a routine before an exam or a work-related presentation, or devising your own Biggarena, finding the zone that enables you to feel relaxed can help you perform at the highest level.
Andy McCann also emphasised the importance of rest and “down time” as a crucial factor in performing to the best of your ability in any situation.
As our Performing Under Pressure: Channelling Stress for Success sessions in Cardiff and Swansea made abundantly clear, access to training that can help individuals cope with stress and utilise it as a tool for performance has a realterms benefit and delivering accessibility to this for society as a whole would bring benefit for all.
A growing number of people are absent from work because of the pressures of modern life. Given the increasing pace of change and increasing demands on workers, as well as job uncertainty in many industries through new forms of competition and automation, the value that training in managing stress and ensuring good mental health can deliver to the lives of individuals and the performance of organisations across Wales cannot be underestimated.
The ability to control the effects of stress and mould them to become a benefit is a skill that should not be undervalued. Hopefully, you will also understand the value of tapping into your inner rugby hero and unleashing your full potential.
■ Lloyd Powell is head of ACCA (Association of Chartered Certified Accountants) Cymru Wales.