Cracking Under Pressure or Rising Through It? What the Lionesses Can Teach You About Mental Fitness

Nerves. Noise. 16 million fans watching and everything riding on one kick.

The Lionesses didn’t just win the 2025 Euros. They did it by walking straight into the fire and refused to break.

Down at halftime. Into Extra time. A penalty shootout. And they still found a way to emerge victorious.

That’s not just physical talent. That’s a masterclass in mental fitness.

The reality is, you don’t need a Euros final to feel pressure. You could be staring down race day, a big match, a high-stakes moment in training or the board room, and suddenly your heart is pounding and your head is full of doubt.

In these moments, how do you show up when it really matters? 

How do you stop pressure from becoming your downfall, and make it your edge?

Let’s take a page from the Lionesses’ playbook.

Pressure Doesn’t Disappear. But It Can Be Rewired.

One player who’s mastered this is England captain Leah Williamson. She doesn’t pretend the nerves go away. Instead, she leans into them, welcomes them even.

Her strategy? Recognise. Accept. Refocus.

She talks about “banking” the emotion, acknowledging it’s there, without letting it take the wheel. In psychological terms, she’s using tools from Acceptance and Commitment Training (ACT) to acknowledge these feelings, rather than fight them. Just like passengers on a bus they can come along for the ride, but they do not dictate where the bus (the athlete's performance) is heading.

The pressure can quickly manifest physically, presenting as a dry throat, butterflies, and other intense sensations. Instead of seeing these as threats, Williamson reframes them positively through intentional self-talk. She tells herself, “Okay, you're there, I get it.” This is cognitive reappraisal at work, normalising their presence and reassuring her mind they’re part of her preparation.

Feeling anxious and a racing heart isn’t a red flag. It’s your brain’s signal that you care, that you’re ready, that your body is gearing up to perform.

Train Your Brain Like a Champion

Just like physical training, mental fitness takes reps. Here are 3 powerful strategies to help you  thrive rather than merely survive under pressure, whether you’re at the starting line, chasing a personal best, or presenting a meeting.

1. Acknowledge & Accept

When pressure hits, stop and check in. 

Say it out loud or internally: “Okay, I feel this. I’m nervous. That’s normal.”

This isn’t weakness. It’s awareness. And it stops emotion from spiralling into panic.

2. Reframe the Feeling

Those sweaty palms and racing heartbeat? That’s your body gearing up, not shutting down.

Tell yourself: “This is blood flowing to my muscles, which means I’m ready.”

That mental shift alone can change how your body responds.

3. Visualise the Moment Before It Happens

Elite athletes don’t just practice plays, they rehearse pressure. You should too. 

Close your eyes. Picture the setting, the nerves, the noise, and then see yourself owning it. Walk through your routine. Breathe through it. Make it familiar. When the real moment comes, your brain already knows what to do.

Research supports these methods, showing that athletes who plan for stressful situations and actively engage with their emotions, rather than attempting to suppress them, consistently perform better.

Want to Flip Pressure Into Power? Get the Tools the Pros Use

The Lionesses didn’t wake up mentally bulletproof. They trained for it. So can you.

If you’re ready to stop dreading pressure and start dominating it, the Getahead app has everything you need. Start with:

🔁 Rewire Your Response - Learn to flip fear into fuel.

🔄 Flip the Feeling - Visualise this shift to make it automatic.

These are NOT motivational pep talks. They’re grounded in psychology, built for athletes, and designed to improve performance for when it counts.

🎯 Train your brain like an athlete. Download Getahead and start performing under pressure, on your terms.

Robin

Head of Mental Fitness, Getahead