“CONSULT WITH A MEDICAL DOCTOR”
A pre-performance routine (PPR) could be a structured set of mental and physical actions you do right before performing, whether in sports, public speaking, therapy sessions, exams, or even creative work. Its purpose could stabilize attention, regulate arousal, and optimize performance consistency.
Core Idea
You may think of it as a psychological “launch sequence”, a repeatable ritual that puts your mind and body into the ideal state for performance.
It may widely be used in fields like:
- Sports psychology (routines before a free throw or serve)
- Performing arts (actors, musicians)
- Clinical and professional settings (therapists preparing for sessions)
Key Components
1. Centering / Physiological Regulation
- Slow breathing (4–6 breaths per minute)
- Muscle relaxation
- Grounding
It might reduce anxiety and prevents over-arousal.
2. Attentional Focus
- Narrowing attention to task-relevant cues
- Blocking distractions
Example: focusing only on the ball, audience, or first line of a speech.
3. Mental Rehearsal (Imagery)
- Visualizing successful execution
- Engaging sensory detail
This might draw from principles studied in Sports Psychology and Cognitive Psychology.
4. Self-Talk
- Short, directive phrases:
- “Stay smooth”
- “One step at a time”
- Can be motivational or instructional
5. Behavioral Ritual
- A consistent physical sequence (bouncing a ball, adjusting posture)
- Acts as a conditioned trigger for performance readiness
Why It Works
A PPR may help regulate the inverted-U relationship between arousal and performance:
- Too little arousal, underperformance
- Too much arousal, anxiety, choking
- Optimal zone, peak performance
Example (Simple Routine)
“CONSULT WITH A MEDICAL DOCTOR”
A 60-second PPR might look like:
- Take 3 slow breaths
- Say a cue word: “Focus”
- Visualize the first successful action
- Adopt a confident posture
- Begin immediately
Clinical / Psychological Angle
From a behavioral perspective, PPRs function like:
- Stimulus control (cue, performance mode)
- Conditioned response chains
- A way to reduce performance anxiety and “choking”
They overlap with techniques used in:
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (self-talk, restructuring)
- Mindfulness-based interventions (present-moment awareness)
Important Distinction
A healthy PPR is:
- Flexible
- Performance-enhancing
But it might become maladaptive if it turns rigid or compulsive (overlapping with traits seen in perfectionism or obsessive patterns).
Shervan K Shahhian
LIBERTY PSYCHOLOGICAL ASSOCIATION 