Author – Ryan Miler
Ryan Miller is OMP’s Head of Content
When it comes to sport, the stakes are high, but athletes are often reminded that ‘it’s not life and death’ and that ‘the sun will come up in the morning’.
In the hit Netflix show Squid Games, this isn’t the case.
The characters of the South Korean streaming juggernaut compete in schoolyard games where the loser either suffers a horrific death during the game or is killed by one of the faceless guards, while the winner gets to live long enough to play another twisted game.
Thankfully the show is a work of fiction, however this doesn’t mean that we can’t think about the mental skills that competitors in a Squid Games scenario could use to ensure they live to see another day.
Performing Under Pressure – Self-Talk
All athletes face pressure.
Like we’ve already said, the competitors in Squid Games face pressures unlike anything else.
One of the great techniques to operate with a clear mind under pressure is to use instructional self-talk.
Instructional self-talk involves giving yourself specific, concise directions during a task. For example, during the infamous ‘Red Light, Green Light’ game in season one and two, repeating “steady steps, eyes forward” can help maintain focus on the critical elements rather than the consequences of failure.
Generally speaking, statements like “I’ve got this” or “I can handle the pressure” can counteract fear and anxiety, preventing the emotional overload that leads to poor decision-making.
Research shows that self-talk techniques keep rational thinking engaged rather than allowing for an amygdala hijack response to dominate.
Fear of Failure – Breathe
When the punishment for failure in Squid Games is death, the fear of failure can be overwhelming.
Across the course of the show the Flight, Fight or Freeze response of an amygdala hijack is on full display.
Countless competitors in the show are seen running for their lives, fighting other competitors or guards in an attempt to win or completely freezing out of fear.
It goes without saying that there is some fact to this fiction – this response isn’t high drama.
So, what can competitors do to ensure they feel the fear but remain focused and in control?
Breathe.
Okay not just as simple as in an out but attentional, controlled breathing can help get focus back tot he here and now. A simple 4-7-8 breathing exercise is shown to activate the parasympathetic nervous system and counteract the response to stress.
This involves inhaling for 4 seconds, holding the breath for 7 seconds, and exhaling for 8 seconds.
In Squid Games, we can imagine that those who manage to regulate their breathing might be able to think more clearly, make better decisions, and execute tasks with greater precision than those who succumb to panic.
This approach has been validated in real-world high-pressure situations, from military operations to competitive sports, where maintaining cognitive control despite fear can mean the difference between success and failure.
Maintaining Concentration – Focus Shifting
In Squid Games, concentration isn’t optional, it’s survival.
One key mental skill competitors need is focus shifting: the ability to move attention deliberately between what’s important in the moment.
Take the Glass Bridge challenge. The players who lasted weren’t just lucky — they noticed fine details, like how tempered glass reflected light differently.
This required shifting from panic to precision in an instant.
Or in Red Light, Green Light, success meant switching between wide awareness of the doll’s movements and narrow focus on posture and balance
In sport, training this skill means practicing switching between broad and narrow attention, like going from scanning the field to zeroing in on a ball.
It’s not about never getting distracted but quickly reclaiming focus and putting it where it matters.
