Dr. Jim Loehr crafted his “16 Second Cure” to heighten performance when he interviewed a bullfighter. How could they remain so calm in the midst of a terrible threat in the form of a huge bull? This is what he wanted to know.

How you act immediately after a failure sets you up for the next challenge. It creates your poise. You can react negatively with frustration and have poor poise or have a positive response that creates a confident poise.

Here we’re looking at Dr. Jim Loehr’s 16 second cure he learned from Bullfighters applied in Tennis. Watch the video. Then see how we can convert that to climbing as outlined below.

Instead of throwing a wobbler after falling, do this 16 second cure to develop confident poise.

Stage 1 (3-5 seconds): Positive physical response* Breathing/Eyes/Body: Focus on calm breathing, lower your eyes (don’t look up at the wall trying to figure out why you fell or being upset about it), maintain expanded body posture.

Stage 2 (6-15 seconds): Relaxation* Rest your eye focus down on a convenient place, such as your hands. This stimulates the relaxation response. Do stages 1 and 2 until breathing and heart rate have stabilized.

Stage 3 (3-5 seconds): Preparation* This stage begins as you move toward taking the next action to climb. Raise the eyes toward the task by looking up to direct attention to prepare for your next effort. In WW language, “do the lookings.” Continue to maintain breathing and expanded body posture. Be clear about your plan for your next effort.

Stage 4 (5-8 seconds): Ritual* This stage begins just before you transition into action, after planning is finished. Rituals deepen concentration, help you stay relaxed, and heighten arousal to the appropriate levels. This ritual could be clapping your hands together, chalking up, or another preferred method. I like blinking my eyes and shaking my head to eliminate tunnel vision. Then, pause just before taking action and do a deliberate exhale. Take action and focus only on the current task.

Attribution for the photo: by Stephane YAICH on Unsplash