How to Stay Calm and Make Great Decisions in the Eye of the Storm

How to Stay Calm and Make Great Decisions in the Eye of the Storm

We’ve all been there. The deal’s on the line, the client’s waiting for an answer, the deadline is hours away, and everyone’s looking at you to deliver. The pressure is suffocating. Your heart rate spikes, your mind races, and that calm, rational decision-making you rely on suddenly feels out of reach.

So how do you remain composed and capable of making great decisions when the pressure is on - when you’re right in the eye of the storm?

Why Pressure Makes You Crack

When we’re under pressure, our brain triggers a stress response: adrenaline floods the body, the amygdala (the emotional control centre) hijacks rational thought, and we enter fight, flight, or freeze mode. It’s brilliant if you’re running from danger, but disastrous when you’re leading a meeting, handling a crisis, or negotiating a contract.

The result? We panic. We rush. We make poor decisions. Or worse, we freeze entirely.

But staying calm under pressure isn’t about being superhuman - it’s about training your mind and body to respond differently.

Control: The Foundation of Composure

Life Control is the belief that you can influence outcomes, even when circumstances aren’t ideal. People with high Life Control don’t waste energy on what they can’t change, they focus on what they can do in the moment.

In practice, that means:

• Prioritising decisions that matter, rather than trying to solve everything
• Reframing a situation from “I’m trapped” to “I have choices”
• Staying anchored in the present, instead of catastrophising about the future

When you build a sense of Life Control, pressure situations stop feeling overwhelming, because you remind yourself that you still hold influence over the outcome.

Emotional Control: The Skill Everyone Wants

If Life Control is about what you focus on, Emotional Control is about how you respond and behave. It’s the ability to regulate your emotions so they don’t dictate your actions or best performance.

Think of an elite athlete standing on the start line of an Olympic final. Their heart is pounding like anyone else’s, but they’ve trained their mind to stay composed and focused on execution. That’s Emotional Control.

For business leaders, sales teams, or anyone under pressure, it’s the same skill. You can’t stop adrenaline surges, but you can train your response.

My Experience in the Eye of the Storm

When I was a Rally Driver at international level, I had split-seconds to make decisions at high speed, knowing one wrong move could end my rally - or worse. Fear and panic were always lurking nearby, but I learned quickly that if I let them take control, I could make a catastrophic mistake.

Those driving experiences taught me that pressure doesn’t create character, it reveals the training you’ve done beforehand.

How You Can Train to Stay Calm Under Pressure

Here are some practical, research-backed ways to strengthen your ability to remain calm, controlled, and decisive when the heat is on:

1. Train Your Physiology
When pressure spikes, your body reacts first. Learn to control it through breathing techniques. A simple one: inhale for 4, hold for 4, exhale for 6. This slows your heart rate and calms the nervous system.

2. Prepare for Stress
Elite performers don’t just practise skills, they practise under stress. If you want to stay calm in big moments, recreate pressure in training. Time yourself, practise with distractions, or raise the stakes artificially.

3. Reframe the Pressure
Instead of thinking “I can’t mess this up”, shift to “this is a chance to show what I can do.” That small mindset shift reduces anxiety and increases confidence.

4. Focus on the Controllables
Ask yourself: “What is within my control, right now?” Then act on it. This cuts out the noise and anchors you in the moment.

5. Build Habits in Calm Moments
You can’t suddenly become calm in a crisis if you haven’t trained it daily. Small habits like meditation, journaling, or reflection build mental reserves you’ll rely on when pressure spikes.

Why This Matters in Today’s World

Leaders and teams are now expected to deliver more with fewer resources, navigate relentless change, and perform in environments of uncertainty. Pressure is no longer the exception  - it’s the norm.

That’s why developing the ability to remain calm and make great decisions under pressure isn’t a “nice to have.” It’s the differentiator between those who thrive and those who crumble.

When the storm hits, panic is the easy option. But it never serves you. The people who remain calm, composed, and controlled aren’t born with superhuman nerves , they’ve built them, day by day, through training their mind as much as their body.

So the next time you’re up against it, remember this: you can’t control the storm, but you can control how you navigate through it.

And that’s what mental toughness is all about.

Penny Mallory is a Keynote Speaker and Coach on Mental Toughness