--- title: Science Says These Two Techniques Will Keep You Cool Under Pressure description: By turning anxiety into excitement canonical: https://time.com/3754223/techniques-cool-under-pressure/ author: Eric Barker article:opinion: true article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2015-03-30T04:01:14.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-05-11T04:49:41.539Z article:section: Ideas og:title: Science Says These Two Techniques Will Keep You Cool Under Pressure og:description: By turning anxiety into excitement og:url: https://time.com/3754223/techniques-cool-under-pressure/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt9c1093a6c061268b/698784b735ba6f777fc07ac5/121108285-copy.jpg?branch=production&width=507&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 507 og:image:height: 285 og:image:alt: businessman-jumping-city og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Science Says These Two Techniques Will Keep You Cool Under Pressure twitter:description: By turning anxiety into excitement twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt9c1093a6c061268b/698784b735ba6f777fc07ac5/121108285-copy.jpg?branch=production&width=507&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Science Says These Two Techniques Will Keep You Cool Under Pressure > Sponsored content. 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A paid TIME subscription is separate and available at time.com/subscribe-agent. by [Eric Barker](https://time.com/author/eric-barker/) ## Eric Barker Mar 30, 2015 4:01 AM UTC  business man jumping in city business man jumping in city Getty Images by [Eric Barker](https://time.com/author/eric-barker/) ## Eric Barker Mar 30, 2015 4:01 AM UTC Suppressing emotions can backfire: Via [Your Brain at Work: Strategies for Overcoming Distraction, Regaining Focus, and Working Smarter All Day Long](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0061771295/ref=as%5Fli%5Fss%5Ftl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0061771295&linkCode=as2&tag=spacforrent-20): --- > “” --- Two techniques that do work: _labeling_ and _reappraisal_. ## **1) Labeling** Via [Your Brain at Work: Strategies for Overcoming Distraction, Regaining Focus, and Working Smarter All Day Long](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0061771295/ref=as%5Fli%5Fss%5Ftl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0061771295&linkCode=as2&tag=spacforrent-20): --- > “” --- ## **2) Reappraisal** Via [Your Brain at Work: Strategies for Overcoming Distraction, Regaining Focus, and Working Smarter All Day Long](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0061771295/ref=as%5Fli%5Fss%5Ftl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0061771295&linkCode=as2&tag=spacforrent-20): --- > “” --- It pays to look at the bright side. Via [Your Brain at Work: Strategies for Overcoming Distraction, Regaining Focus, and Working Smarter All Day Long](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0061771295/ref=as%5Fli%5Fss%5Ftl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0061771295&linkCode=as2&tag=spacforrent-20): --- > “” --- By using reappraisal you can turn [anxiety into excitement](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/can-you-turn-stress-into-excitement). **Join over 161,000 readers. Get a free weekly update via email** [**here**](http://eepurl.com/o6uAD)**.** Related posts: [New Harvard Research Reveals A Fun Way To Be More Successful](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/2014/09/be-more-successful/) [The 8 Things The Happiest People Do Every Day](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/2014/06/happiest-people/) [How To Stop Being Lazy And Get More Done – 5 Expert Tips](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/2014/08/how-to-stop-being-lazy/) ### 5 Horrible Habits You Need to Stop Right Now  Do Not Email First Thing in the Morning or Last Thing at Night “The former scrambles your priorities and all your plans for the day and the latter just gives you insomnia,” says Ferriss, who insists “email can wait until 10am” or after you check off at least one substantive to-do list item. Chris Pecoraro—Getty Images  Do Not Agree to Meetings or Calls With No Clear Agenda or End Time “If the desired outcome is defined clearly… and there’s an agenda listing topics–questions to cover–no meeting or call should last more than 30 minutes,” claims Ferriss, so “request them in advance so you can ‘best prepare and make good use of our time together.'” Sam Edwards—Getty Images/Caiaimage  Do Not Check Email Constantly Batch it and check it only periodically at set times (Ferriss goes for twice a day). Your inbox is analogous to a cocaine pellet dispenser, says Ferriss. Don’t be an addict. Tools like strategic use of the auto responder and Boomerang can help. Jetta Productions—Getty Images  Do Not Carry a Digital Leash 24/7 At least one day a week leave you smartphone somewhere where you can’t get easy access to it. If you’re gasping, you’re probably the type of person that most needs to do kick this particular habit. by nacoki ( MEDIA ARC )—Getty Images/Flickr RF  Do Not Let People Ramble Sounds harsh, but it’s necessary, Ferriss believes. “Small talk takes up big time,” he says, so when people start to tell you about their weekends, cut them off politely with something like “I’m in the middle of something, but what’s up?” But be aware, not everyone agrees with this one (and certainly not in every situation), and you may want to pay particularly close attention to norms around chit chat when traveling internationally. 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