Resetting Under Pressure: A Simple Routine for Athletes

Sports move quickly. A missed shot, difficult call, slow start, or unexpected mistake can pull an athlete’s attention away from what comes next.

A reset routine offers a simple way to pause, release the previous moment, and redirect attention toward the next task. Athletes across soccer, basketball, tennis, running, golf, volleyball, swimming, and other sports may use routines involving breathing, visualization, cue words, and repeated actions.

Why Reset Routines Matter

Research suggests that psychological strategies such as pre-performance routines, mindfulness, self-talk, and attentional techniques may help athletes respond more consistently under pressure.

Pre-performance routines create a familiar sequence athletes can return to before an important action. One study found a relationship between individualized routines, confidence, anxiety, and performance, although the researchers noted that the exact mechanisms require further study.

Self-talk may also help direct attention. A meta-analysis of 32 studies found that self-talk interventions had a moderate positive effect on sports-related task performance.

Breathing and Present-Moment Focus

Slow breathing is commonly used to help athletes pause and redirect their attention. A review examining breathing rate and sports performance found that the direct relationship with performance remains unclear, but slow-breathing strategies may offer benefits for focus and concentration.

Research on voluntary slow breathing has also identified measurable effects on heart-rate variability, although this does not mean that every breathing exercise will produce the same result for every athlete.

Mindfulness-based approaches may further support present-moment awareness. A broad review of existing research found promising trends for athletic performance and psychological outcomes, while also cautioning that the quality and consistency of the available evidence remain limited.

A Simple Athletic Reset

Athletes can practice this routine before competition, between attempts, after a mistake, or during recovery:

1. Pause and relax the hands, jaw, and shoulders.
2. Take one slow, comfortable breath.
3. Focus on one physical sensation or visual point.
4. Repeat a brief cue such as “next play,” “reset,” or “stay present.”
5. Direct attention toward the next controllable action.

The purpose is not to eliminate nervousness. It is to prevent one moment from controlling the rest of the performance.

Practicing With Calmstone

Calmstone uses thermal biofeedback to translate changes in hand temperature into gradual color feedback. Athletes can hold it while practicing breathing, visualization, meditation, or a quiet pre-game routine.

The colored lights give attention somewhere simple to rest. They are not a performance score, medical measurement, or guarantee of better athletic results.

Biofeedback has been studied in athletic settings, although many published studies examine heart-rate variability, brain activity, or other forms of feedback rather than thermal biofeedback specifically. Reviews suggest biofeedback may have potential for supporting mental, cognitive, and performance-related outcomes, but study methods and results vary considerably.

Calmstone can be incorporated:

• Before warm-ups or competition
• During visualization exercises
• After a mistake during practice
• While stretching after activity
• Following a frustrating performance
• During an evening recovery routine

Returning to the Next Moment

Athletes cannot control every opponent, official, mistake, or outcome. They can practice how they respond.

By combining slow breathing, a consistent cue, and visual feedback, Calmstone can become part of a familiar routine for pausing and returning attention to the next moment.

Create a more visible reset for training, competition, and recovery with Calmstone today. Shop Now

References

1. Schweickle MJ, et al. Performance Under Pressure in Sport: A Position Paper. The paper identifies pre-performance routines, attentional strategies, psychological-skills training, and mindfulness-based approaches as strategies used when performing under pressure.
2. Hazell J, et al. An Exploration of Pre-Performance Routines, Self-Efficacy, Anxiety and Performance in Semi-Professional Soccer. International Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology. 2014.
3. Hatzigeorgiadis A, et al. Self-Talk and Sports Performance: A Meta-Analysis. Perspectives on Psychological Science. 2011;6(4):348–356.
4. Migliaccio GM, et al. Sports Performance and Breathing Rate: What Is the Connection? A Narrative Review. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 2023;20(10):5899.
5. Laborde S, et al. Effects of Voluntary Slow Breathing on Heart Rate and Heart Rate Variability: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews. 2022;138:104711.
6. Xie B, et al. Impact of Mindfulness-Based Interventions on Sports Performance and Mental Health in Athletes: An Overview of Systematic Reviews. 2025. The authors reported promising findings but emphasized weaknesses in the quality of the existing evidence.
7. Pagaduan JC, et al. Can Heart Rate Variability Biofeedback Improve Athletic Performance? A Systematic Review. Journal of Human Kinetics. 2020;73:103–114.
8. Zhang X, et al. The Effects of Biofeedback Training on Athletes’ Mental, Athletic and Cognitive Performance: A Systematic Review and Bayesian Meta-Analysis. 2025. The review found encouraging pooled results but called for more rigorous research because of varied methods and small samples.