2 Things to Support Peak Performance Under Pressure: 2 Minutes of Motivation with Kristel Bauer
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Episode Summary
In this 2 Minutes of Motivation episode of the Live Greatly Podcast, Kristel Bauer shares two simple, high-impact strategies to help you perform your best in high-pressure, high-stakes situations.
Building on her conversation with performance psychology expert Dr. Haley Perlus, Kristel highlights the two biggest levers you can control when pressure rises: your mindset and your reset plan.
First, she explains how the way you interpret a high-stakes moment can either help you feel empowered and capable—or leave you feeling anxious, restricted, and overwhelmed. Kristel shares a personal example from her own national TV appearances after the launch of Work Life Tango, and how reframing the situation helped her return to confidence.
Second, she emphasizes the importance of having an actionable in-the-moment strategy—like a grounding tool, breathing technique, or a simple “reset” move you can use if anxiety spikes or something doesn’t go as planned.
If you want to show up with more confidence and clarity when it matters most, this short episode offers practical tools you can apply immediately.
Key Takeaways From This Episode
Two foundational strategies to support peak performance under pressure
Why your perception of pressure shapes your confidence and results
How to reframe limiting self-talk into empowering perspective
A real-life example of reframing performance anxiety (national TV segment)
Why “perfect” is a pressure trap—and how to return to authenticity
The value of having a reset plan for anxious or stressful moments
Examples of quick reset tools: questions, breathing, grounding
Why preparation before high-stakes moments makes execution easier
About the Host
Kristel Bauer is a corporate wellness and performance expert, keynote speaker, and TEDx speaker who delivers engaging, science-backed keynotes that drive measurable results for organizations. With a rare combination of clinical medical training and real-world business expertise, Kristel helps leaders and teams improve performance, resilience, well-being, and workplace culture—without burnout.
As an Integrative Medicine Fellow and Physician Assistant with clinical experience in Integrative Psychiatry, Kristel brings medical credibility and evidence-based insight to the stage. She translates cutting-edge research on mindset, behavior change, and peak performance into practical, actionable strategies audiences can immediately apply. Her high-energy keynotes are tailored to support leadership development, team engagement, productivity, and sustainable success—while inspiring audiences to “Live Greatly.”
Kristel is the award-winning author of Work-Life Tango: Finding Happiness, Harmony, and Peak Performance Wherever You Work (John Murray Business, November 19, 2024) and the creator and host of the globally ranked self-improvement podcast Live Greatly. She is a contributing writer for Entrepreneur, was named a Forbes Top 10 Social Media Influencer, and was recognized as a 2026 Top Impact Speaker by Real Leaders—highlighting her influence at the intersection of leadership, well-being, and business performance.
Kristel’s prior clients include AbbVie, BP, Cognizant Technology, General Mills, Home Depot, Santander Bank, among many more. She has appeared on major media outlets including NBC News Daily, ABC News Live, FOX Weather, ABC 7 Chicago, and WGN Daytime Chicago. Based in the Chicago area and available for engagements worldwide, Kristel Bauer is an ideal keynote speaker for conferences, events and leadership summits seeking a dynamic, medically credible voice on peak performance, happiness, well-being, and leadership in today’s workplace.
Learn more at: https://www.livegreatly.co
Edited Transcript
2 Things to Support Peak Performance Under Pressure: 2 Minutes of Motivation
Live Greatly Podcast — Hosted by Kristel Bauer
Kristel Bauer:
It’s time to awaken to your ultimate potential.
For today’s episode of 2 Minutes of Motivation, I’m going to be sharing two key things to help you perform your best in high-pressure, high-stakes situations.
This week on the podcast, I talked with Dr. Haley Perlus. She has a PhD in sports psychology, and we talked a lot about performing under pressure. So today, I want to highlight a couple of things that can really help you show up in a way you’re going to feel good about.
The first thing that’s really important is how you’re viewing the situation you’re about to be in.
How are you perceiving it?
Are you looking at it in an empowering way—where you feel excited, motivated, and capable?
Or are you looking at it in a limiting way—where you feel restricted, anxious, or worried?
That difference matters.
So if you notice you’re in the camp of feeling worried and restricted, see if you can do some reframing. Think about the times you’ve been successful, and the work you’ve put in to get to where you are.
For example, when my book Work Life Tango came out, I had a couple opportunities to go on national TV. I was excited when I got the invitations. And then within a day or two, I started feeling more worried and anxious.
That shift stemmed from a conversation I had with someone in my network who gave me advice about the TV spots. And what I noticed was that it made me feel like I needed to show up perfectly—which created unnecessary stress.
Once I recognized that, I zoomed out and reminded myself: I just need to show up as me. I wrote the book. I’m the expert on my book. I’ve prepared for this.
And that reframing helped me get back to a place where I could show up confidently.
So the first key component is: pay attention to how you’re talking to yourself about the situation.
The second thing is to have something actionable you can do if you start to feel anxious or stressed in the moment—or if something doesn’t go the way you wanted it to.
Dr. Haley shared that one thing she does if she’s speaking and feels like she’s getting a little lost is that she’ll ask a question to the audience. She has something ready to go in case she needs to reset.
Other options include a quick breathing exercise or grounding technique—anything that helps you regroup and return to the moment.
What I suggest is thinking about this before you go into a high-pressure situation, so your tools are ready and easy to implement when you need them.
So again, two things to support peak performance under pressure:
Number one: Pay attention to how you’re viewing it and talking about it to yourself.
Number two: Have a plan—something you can do if you start to feel stressed or anxious in the moment.
I hope this helps you. Until next time, this is Kristel Bauer with Live Greatly, inspiring you to awaken your ultimate potential.
Disclaimer: The contents of this podcast are intended for informational and educational purposes only. Always seek the guidance of your physician for any recommendations specific to you or for any questions regarding your specific health, your sleep patterns changes to diet and exercise, or any medical conditions. Always consult your physician before starting any supplements or new lifestyle programs. All information, views and statements shared on the Live Greatly podcast are purely the opinions of the authors, and are not medical advice or treatment recommendations. They have not been evaluated by the food and drug administration. Opinions of guests are their own and Kristel Bauer & this podcast does not endorse or accept responsibility for statements made by guests. Neither Kristel Bauer nor this podcast takes responsibility for possible health consequences of a person or persons following the information in this educational content. Always consult your physician for recommendations specific to you.