How to Hack Pressure to Prevent It
Self-Leadership: We Create All the Pressure We Feel & We Can Change It
Natalie Ola
3 min read · 14.7.2025
The Pressure Principle is YOU
What is pressure? When we care about the outcome of a given situation, we internally create pressure. Stress, however, is different. Stress happens in the body when demand outweighs the resources we have to fulfill the need. In essence, we create all 100 percent of the pressure we feel. We can also 100 percent prevent it.
“In the end – everything is internal.” - Pat Dossett
Homeostasis vs Allostasis
Homeostasis maintains a stable internal environment by resisting change and keeping parameters within a narrow range, while allostasis achieves stability by actively changing internal parameters to match external stressors.
We can think of homeostasis as a thermostat keeping a room at a constant temperature, and allostasis as a smart thermostat that anticipates changes in temperature and adjusts accordingly.
The Crucial Skill of Pivoting
"Keep in mind – The brain can convert the direction of response 180 degrees. That's how powerful thoughts and conceptions are. They control your physiology in many cases." - Dr. Andrew Huberman
The beauty of knowledge of internal pressure is knowing we can change it. Dr. Huberman reveals, “The essence of peak performance is being able to disassociate from the pressure, not internalizing and responding to the pressure.”
You Can Reprogram Your Pressure Responsivity
Dr. Huberman talked of an option to reprogram one’s responsivity to pressure. It involved “...something called “Setting the Horizon.”
You can do this by creating an action step that is within immediate reach of the goal you want to achieve, giving you autonomy from the pressure. The action step to the performance is key, as much or more so than the actual performance. Everything flows from the action step. The step may feel minute, but the neurochemical pay-off is quite substantial because it links your internal state to your external state.
“Pressure is a constricting force like a boa constrictor around your neck, or maybe something a little more relatable and less immediately fatal, like too-tight jeans at a buffet. However, how you represent pressure in your mind is something you can control, and the way you can do that is to find tools that work for you every time.
“Wins beget wins, so that little first step will lead you to the next and the next and so on until you have removed pressure from the equation.”
3 Ways to Improve Your Response to Pressure
1. Perform a Physiological Sigh
The technique of 2 consecutive inhales—as many as 2 are often enough—will rapidly shift your autonomic nervous system from a state of elevated arousal and agitation toward a state of feeling more calm.
2. Employ Panoramic Vision
This technique can be beneficial for relaxation, stress reduction, and improved awareness, as it activates the parasympathetic nervous system, which promotes calmness.
3. Put Down Your Thoughts
Writing in a journal will help you create order when the world feels like it’s in chaos.
The Live Basecamp Conversation suggests, “Journaling what you feel or expect to feel can help separate the feeling and your response to it.
“When writing your feelings down, create greater context and certainty around yourself and your values as it will help you control your feelings of pressure. When you reflect on the bigger picture, you will begin to reframe the situation that is causing you to feel pressured.”
References:
Andrew Huberman, PhD & Pat Dosset. August Basecamp: The Science of Pressure and How to Hack It. Live Basecamp Conversation. Madefor. 11.10.2024.
Peter Sterling, PhD. Homeostasis vs Allostasis: Implications for Brain Function and Mental Disorders. JAMA Network.
