Experts Analyze 'The Yips' Beyond Sports
The performance phenomenon known as "the yips" is not limited to athletes and can affect anyone in a high-stakes environment, such as surgeons or public speakers, according to experts. Described as a brain-body disconnect under pressure, it can be mitigated by techniques like mental imagery and breathing exercises. The discussion was prompted by figure skater Ilia Malinin's recent struggles at the Olympics.
- The discussion around performance anxiety was amplified after 21-year-old world champion figure skater Ilia Malinin, the gold-medal favorite at the 2026 Winter Olympics, fell twice and omitted several of his signature quadruple jumps in his final performance, dropping from first to eighth place. - In the business world, performance-related anxiety and stress carry a significant economic cost, estimated to be over $300 billion annually for U.S. companies due to factors like absenteeism, poor performance, and healthcare expenditures. Globally, lost productivity from anxiety and depression is estimated to cost $1 trillion each year. - Glossophobia, the fear of public speaking, is a common form of performance anxiety in the corporate world, affecting up to 77% of the population. This fear can impede career advancement, with one study indicating it hinders promotion to management positions by 15% and can lower potential wages by 10%. - The phenomenon is prevalent in other high-stakes fields; in a survey of UK surgeons, 87% reported experiencing performance anxiety, and 65% felt it had a negative impact on their surgical performance. Similarly, the lifetime prevalence of performance anxiety for musicians may be as high as 60%. - Performance anxiety is a significant challenge at the executive level, where leaders are expected to project confidence. A global talent director at one large financial services firm cited a "fear of performing in public" as the primary personal development hurdle for senior colleagues. - Some corporate leaders are working to reframe the narrative around workplace anxiety, drawing on principles from sports psychology. Executives at companies like Google and Apollo Global Management advocate for viewing stress not as a weakness, but as an indicator that something important is at stake and a potential source of energy.
