Trauma and Performance: Breaking Through Hidden Blocks
- Dr Jenni McArthur
- May 8
- 3 min read
This week’s short "Note to Self" to keep your thinking on track…
Note to self:
Some of your biggest performance blocks and limiting beliefs may stem from traumatic experiences.
As someone who has dedicated recent years to developing expertise in understanding and working with trauma, I've found this connection to be profoundly true for many people.
Redefining Trauma
There are many misconceptions about psychological trauma. The word "trauma" derives from the Greek word for "injury," allowing us to conceptualise psychological trauma as experiencing a mental or emotional injury. Just as with physical injuries, sometimes we heal naturally without intervention, while other times we require support from people who understand how to identify injury-related patterns and implement effective rehabilitation strategies.
One common myth about trauma is that only life-threatening or extreme events qualify as traumatic. While war, severe accidents, and abuse can certainly cause trauma, they aren't the only experiences that can result in significant psychological injury and lasting trauma responses.
Examples of More Subtle Trauma Situations
Many subtler experiences can create profound trauma responses that affect performance here are some examples:
Childhood emotional neglect: Growing up in an environment where emotions were dismissed or invalidated can create deep-seated beliefs about not being worthy of attention or care. A high-achieving professional might appear successful while battling an internal narrative that nothing they do is ever good enough.
Persistent workplace slights: Consistent exposure to subtle forms of exclusion, dismissal, or unequal treatment can create a compounding trauma response. An employee might develop anxiety about speaking up in meetings after repeatedly having ideas overlooked or attributed to others.
Relational betrayals: Trust violations in important relationships can create complex trauma patterns. Someone who discovered a partner's infidelity might struggle with hypervigilance in future relationships, constantly scanning for signs of deception, which depletes mental resources needed for performance.
Medical trauma: Dismissive or inadequate medical care, especially during vulnerable moments, can create lasting trauma. An athlete who was told to "push through" pain, resulting in a worsened injury, might develop fear responses that hamper physical performance even after healing.
Educational trauma: Humiliation or persistent criticism in learning environments can create performance anxiety. A manager who was publicly criticized for asking questions in school might avoid seeking clarification at work, limiting their effectiveness.
Identity-based invalidation: Persistent messages that core aspects of your identity are wrong or unacceptable create complex trauma patterns. A creative professional whose unique thinking style was pathologized might struggle to access their natural creativity in high-pressure situations.
What makes these situations particularly complex is that they're often normalized within our culture or occur over extended periods, making them difficult to identify as sources of trauma. Yet their impact on performance and wellbeing can be just as significant as more commonly recognized traumatic events.
Recognizing Trauma Responses
When people experience traumatic events, a range of symptoms may emerge. The crucial point to understand is that following a traumatic event, these symptoms are **NORMAL**. It's the event itself that isn't normal, which explains why you might experience unfamiliar reactions as your mind and body work to recalibrate.
How Trauma Affects Performance
Unprocessed trauma can manifest in various performance-limiting ways:
1. Activation of stress responses - When something triggers a trauma memory, your body may enter fight, flight, or freeze mode, shutting down higher cognitive functions
2. Negative self-beliefs - Traumatic experiences often implant limiting beliefs about yourself and your capabilities
3. Avoidance behaviours - You might unconsciously avoid situations that remind you of past trauma, limiting your growth opportunities
4. Hypervigilance - Constantly scanning for threats drains mental energy that could be directed toward performance
Breaking Through Trauma-Based Blocks
Understanding your reactions through a trauma-informed lens can be the first step toward breaking through performance barriers:
Recognize the connection between current performance challenges and past experiences
Work with trauma-informed professionals who understand how to safely process traumatic memories
Develop self-compassion for your responses, understanding they were adaptive when first developed
Build somatic awareness to recognize and regulate physical responses to triggers
Moving Forward
By acknowledging how traumatic experiences might be influencing your current performance and limiting beliefs, you open the door to profound healing and growth. The goal isn't merely to overcome trauma but to integrate these experiences in a way that allows you to reclaim your full potential.
Remember, seeking help for trauma isn't a sign of weakness—it's a courageous step toward reclaiming parts of yourself that may have been disconnected through these difficult experiences.
Think about it...
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