How to Handle Pressure: Tips to Build Mental Toughness

How to Handle Pressure: Tips to Build Mental Toughness

Pressure is everywhere. Whether you’re a CEO steering an organisation through economic uncertainty, or a junior employee juggling deadlines, expectations and change, one thing is true for everyone: how you handle pressure determines your performance.

The good news? Pressure is manageable. And the ability to handle it isn’t something you’re born with - it’s something you build. At the heart of that ability lies your Mental Toughness.

I’ve spent my life navigating pressure: from growing up in a chaotic, unstable home to becoming a rally champion, mountaineer, marathon runner, boxer, and now a keynote speaker on Mental Toughness. I’ve faced fear, chaos and self-doubt, but I’ve also learned how to thrive under pressure.

And the single biggest game changer? Developing my mindset.

Drawing on my own experience and the work of Doug Strycharczyk and Peter Clough’s 4Cs model of Mental Toughness, here are powerful, practical ways you can strengthen your ability to handle pressure, whether you're leading a boardroom or just trying to get through the day.

1. CONTROL: Master What You Can, And Let Go of What You Can’t

When I was younger, life felt completely out of control. I was reacting to everything - school, family, people, problems. It left me angry, anxious and exhausted.

The sense of CONTROL you have, can be defined as two things:

• Life Control: your sense of agency - the belief that you can shape your own future and outcomes
• Emotional Control: your ability to manage your emotions when it matters most

TIP: Take responsibility for your reactions. You can’t stop curveballs from coming, but you can always choose your response. Practice pausing before reacting - count to five, breathe deeply, and ask yourself: “What would the best version of me do here?”

TECHNIQUE: Control Audit
At the start of each week, list everything you’re stressed about. Then divide the list into two columns:

• In My Control
• Out of My Control
  Only focus your energy on the first column.

2. COMMITMENT: Stop Chasing Motivation - Build Momentum

Many people believe they need to feel ready before they act. But in high-pressure environments, waiting for motivation is a trap.

Commitment is about:

• Goals – setting, pursuing and achieving clear objectives
• Delivery – following through and completing, no matter what

Mental Toughness is built through consistent action, not perfect conditions.

TIP: Keep your promises to yourself. This builds trust and confidence. Even small commitments, like starting your day without your phone or finishing one task you’ve been avoiding, can shift your whole mindset.

TECHNIQUE: The ‘Non-Negotiables’ List
Create a short list of 3 to 5 non-negotiable daily behaviours that align with your bigger goals. These become your anchor actions - especially useful when everything else feels unstable.

3. CHALLENGE: See Pressure as a Pathway, Not a Problem

The mentally tough see challenge differently. Where others see threat, they see opportunity. It’s not about avoiding discomfort, it’s about getting comfortable with it.

This doesn’t mean ignoring the fear, it means reframing it.

People who are high in Challenge:

• Are more likely to seek out difficult goals
• Are better at adapting to change
• Are more resilient after failure

TIP: Ask yourself better questions. When pressure hits, ask:

• What’s great about this challenge?
• What might I learn here?
• How is this helping me grow?

TECHNIQUE: Pressure Rehearsal
Before a big meeting or event, visualise it going wrong. Not to worry yourself - but to prepare mentally. How would you respond? How would you recover? This builds real-world resilience. Visualisation is incredibly powerful.

4. CONFIDENCE: Trust Yourself to Handle It

Confidence isn’t loud. It’s not about being the most outspoken person in the room. It’s a quiet trust that says “I might not know exactly how this will go, but I know I’ll be okay and will find a way through”.

Confidence is split into two parts:

• Self-confidence - the belief you have in your own ability to get it done
• Interpersonal confidence - your belief in your ability to interact, persuade, influence others

TIP: Build evidence. Confidence grows from experience - especially hard experiences. Look back at your track record. List times you handled pressure well. Remind yourself: You’ve got history!

TECHNIQUE: Win Log
Every day, write down three small wins. They could be as simple as handling a conversation well or sticking to your priorities. Over time, this reprograms your self-image.

Pressure Doesn’t Break You, It Reveals You

Mental Toughness doesn’t mean being immune to stress. It means developing the habits, mindset and emotional strength to keep going when others stop.

Whether you’re a senior leader navigating change or a young professional under strain, you can develop the tools to not just survive pressure, but thrive through it.

I’ve sat on rally stage starts, stepped through the ropes of boxing rings, conquered mountain peaks and spoke on hundreds of conference stages, and I’ve learned this:

“You don’t rise to the occasion. You fall to your level of training, and your mindset determines that level.”