If you want to help people better cope with anxiety, a more useful strategy might be to simply tell them that you think they can handle it. Studies show that when people are told, “You’re the kind of person whose performance improves under pressure,” their actual performance improves by 33 percent. It doesn’t matter whether the feedback is completely random. What matters is that the message changes the meaning of those first signs of anxiety. Instead of signaling “you’re about to blow it,” the nerves are proof that you’re getting ready to excel. Telling people who are nervous that they need to calm down can convince them that they don’t have what it takes. Trusting them to handle the pressure can help them rise to the challenge.
— The Upside of Stress (Kelly McGonigal), Loc. 1772–7