Stay Out of the What-If Rabbit Hole to Avoid Panic in Stressful Situations.
When the pressure increases, your brain can rush into panic mode. Remain calm while avoiding the what-if rabbit hole that can breed your mind.
Few professions face as much pressure as bomb defusers, which is why the advice site Barking Up the Wrong Tree asked one how they stayed so calm. An unnamed Navy explosives disposal expert said one of the key methods is to avoid what they call a “rabbit hole.” That’s when your brain asks the question, “What if?” mode, but never helps to solve the problem:
With any improvised device, we are talking about “rabbit holes”. You can go down the rabbit hole “What if they put this in? What if they turned on this circuit, or such a switch, or this crazy new device, or a circuit board, or something? “The possibilities for creating new, original and completely insidious IEDs are simply endless. When you look at the device, it is possible that it will fall into the rabbit hole with the words “This could be this, this could be this, this could be these 10,000 different things …”
You can imagine a million ways your situation could go wrong, but if some of it doesn’t actually happen, it won’t help you solve your problems. Instead, focus on the problem that is truly before you. Ask yourself what you need to do to fix the problem now, not what you think might go wrong at some point in the future.
How To Stay Calm Under Pressure: 3 Secrets From A Bomb Defusal Expert | Bark on the wrong tree