Why Low-Stakes Still Feel High-Pressure

You were a collegiate athlete. Now you compete recreationally—just for fun. It’s a different sport, sure, but you figure your athletic experience should transfer. Especially when it comes to performing under pressure.

After all, this isn’t real pressure. Not compared to what you’ve faced before. So why do you still get flustered when you’re up? Why does it throw you off when the stakes are supposedly so low?

You think back to when you were in the zone—fully locked in, everything just clicked. You try to remember how you got there. You trained hard, yes. But what else? You think, “I just did it.”

That was then. This is now. The context has changed—you're playing for fun, not for titles. So how do you manage the frustration when your mindset doesn't match your ability? How do you find composure when the pressure feels new again?

When you were competing at a high level, performance was a craft. Now, the stakes are internal: Can I still access that flow? Can I still trust myself to show up?

So what do you do with this flustered feeling?

Interested in learning more? Reach out to info@collaborativemindspp.com.