Coping with Stress in High-Pressure Situations

Some people thrive under pressure; others buckle. What accounts for the difference? In this week’s New York Times Magazine, Po Bronson and Ashley Merryman write about differences in the ways that kids cope with stress, but the research has something for adults too.

They describe research that identifies variants of a gene known as COMT that distinguishes between “warriors,” who cope well with stress and “worriers,” who don’t. Kids with the “worrier” version of the gene do better with cognitive tasks under low pressure, but in high pressure situations, they don’t do as well. In contrast, kids with the “warrior” version do not perform as well on workaday tasks, but then will rally when the pressure is on.

One way of thinking about these results is to understand that the children are interpreting a particular situation as either a threat or a challenge.  “Worriers” are more likely to interpret the physical symptoms that they feel in a high-stakes situation  to mean that they are in a threatening situation, and that response ends up being detrimental to their performance. A “warrior,” on the other hand, might experience the same symptoms and view the experience as a challenge that he or she can rise to.

All is not lost for the worrier, though. Practice and experience can erase the difference. In a study with Air Force pilots, inexperienced warriors performed better than inexperienced worriers. But among more experienced pilots, the worriers outperformed the warriors. Acclimating to stressful situations through practice, in other words,  can help with performance. This repetition appears to help worriers relabel the scary situation into a challenging one.

Most people who have taken the SAT or a similar standardized test will have an idea of whether they fall on the warrior or worrier end of the spectrum. If you’re a warrior, lucky you. If you’re a worrier, don’t avoid stress; instead, try to experience it in manageable doses. Try to learn ways of reframing anxious situations and reminding yourself that the anxiety you feel may help you be more focused and alert and better able to meet a challenge.