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Stay calm in conflict, Felix Baumgartner style

the long viewWhen Felix Baumgartner was preparing to jump from a balloon at the edge of space last weekend, he almost got sidelined by one fear he hadn’t yet overcome: Claustrophobia. How he handled that fear is instructive for managing fear of conflict and confrontation, too. Here’s how to stay calm in conflict, à la Felix Baumgartner.

Baumgartner needed a pressurized space suit to survive the plummet back to earth. The suit restricted his movements in ways he hadn’t experienced before and lead to multiple panic attacks. So Baumgartner’s team brought in sports psychologist Dr. Michael Gervais, who specializes in extreme and high-performance sports. Here’s what happened next, as reported by CNN:

Over the course of three days, Gervais determined Baumgartner didn’t have quite the right tools to manage his mind and emotions in the face of so great a risk. That’s where the suit became an issue: It was a symbol of his not having complete control of the situation. To combat this, Gervais said, Baumgartner had to reconnect with his vision. He’d become too focused on the suit, not the goal he hoped to reach wearing it.

Simply put, he needed to get his eyes back on the prize.

“When we are in a high stakes or intense situation, it’s not uncommon for our minds to jump forward, going to the next moment and worrying about what happens when this moment doesn’t go well,” Gervais said. “What happens is we give 50 percent to something that doesn’t exist yet and 50 to this moment.”

Gervais helped Baumgartner reconnect with his vision, what he most wanted to achieve with the jump: To go somewhere no one has ever been.

That’s top-notch advice for moving beyond the fear of confronting a conflict, too. If you’re sidelining yourself with fear of confrontation, runaway thoughts, or a habit of catastrophizing, you need to find a way to look past the next moment to your greater hope for the situation and/or relationship. That’s where your courage lives and that’s an important way to stay calm.

Be sure to read the full article to see the other masterful ways Gervais helped Baumgartner achieved his record-breaking, jaw-dropping jump record.

About the author

Dr. Tammy Lenski helps individuals and organizations resolve conflict more simply and stay calm in conflict.

  • http://www.maculardegenerationandme.com Pepi Noble

    How true – we spend too much time on what’s next instead of what’s now. Good lesson learned. Thanks Tammy and Felix.

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  • http://www.michaeltoebe.com Michael Toebe

    Outstanding insight, Tammy.

    It is natural to focus on the moment and if that moment creates fear in us, that will be where our concentration lies but to look beyond the temporary, beyond the struggle, to the vision, is where breakthrough can happen.

    This is not necessarily natural or easy but it a skill that can be learned and serve us well and for a lifetime.

  • http://www.judyringer.com Judy Ringer

    The Power of Purpose — always gets us through the obstacles. Thanks, as always, Tammy! Hope to see you soon. -Judy

  • http://lenski.com/ Tammy Lenski

    Pepi – I actually think Gervais was encouraging Baumgartner that it’s good to focus on the future, but not on the catastrophizing one.

    Michael – I agree that we can learn to think this way and Gervais’ work with Baumgartner illustrates that so perfectly.

    Judy – Purpose and intention make such a difference, don’t they?

  • Chris Brodie

    Tammy,
    Not only did I learn from the lesson about looking past the few of the moment to keep one’s eye on the prize, but I also chuckled at my own assumptions about his fear. Hearing the news story, I imagined his fear about jumping; I never would have imagined he’d overcome that fear, “only” to face the hurdle of a suit. Can’t know what someone is dealing with until you’ve been in their suit, eh?

    • http://lenski.com/ Tammy Lenski

      Chris, so true!

  • Pareatha

    Tammy-
    Upon reviewing the article, I have a greater appreciation for conflict resolution. I am a trained mediator and I personally lost sight of the prize during a conflict difficult interaction Preparing ourselves mentally is important when we are taking on our greatest fears. great insight. thanks! P

    • http://lenski.com/ Tammy Lenski

      Pareatha, the right kind of mental prep can make all the difference! Thanks for taking the time to comment.