Stay-Calm Secrets (From Women Who Should Know)
Published Apr 27th 2007, 6:13pm by Jody DeVere in Featured Articles
The NASCAR Racer: Deborah
Renshaw-Parker, 30 Automotive Expert Heading up our Panel of Expert
women Featured in Redbook Magazine in May!
HER HIGH-WIRE ACT
Deborah
Renshaw-Parker’s office is a candy-apple red Dodge pickup. The 12-year
NASCAR racer is one of only two women who compete in the Craftsman
Truck Series, and on the track, she trusts her split-second reaction
time to help her maneuver around every sharp turn and truck wreck ahead
of her -- at speeds of up to 200 mph.
But Renshaw-Parker’s
stress isn’t limited to her time behind the wheel. “My husband and I
live our weekends in a traveling motor home -- and when I step out of
it on race day, I hit the ground running,” says this tough competitor
from Bowling Green, KY. (Her husband is the motorsports director for a
NASCAR team.) “There are driver meetings, radio interviews -- my day
keeps going until the race starts.”
HER STAY-CALM SECRETS
See
the future. The second she wakes up on the day of a race,
Renshaw-Parker takes a few minutes to mentally run through the chaotic
-- and electrifying -- hours ahead. “I visualize everything that’s
coming up,” she says. “I see myself setting up, practicing, and placing
in the top 15.”No matter how much the pressure builds while she’s
racing, this imagery keeps her calm and centered. “If I visualize top
results, I’ll get top results,” she says.
Plan ahead. Of
course, visualization will only get you so far when you’re thisclose to
driving your truck into a concrete barrier. Knowing that she’s prepared
for trouble long before it strikes helps Renshaw-Parker chill out when
30 other pickups are swarming around her. “I make sure to keep my
safety equipment in tip-top shape,” she says. “Knowing I can rely on my
helmet, fireproof gloves and shoes, and neck-support system keeps me
relatively calm and focused while I’m on the track.” What’s the lesson
for you? Whether you’re juggling your kids’ after-school schedules or
tackling deadlines at the office, don’t deny yourself the tools that
can make your life work better -- from your PDA to your Diaper Genie.
Know
when to let go. When her what-if fears do start to get the better of
her, Renshaw-Parker calls on a little fatherly wisdom she’s been given.
“My dad is the most positive person on the planet,” she says, reciting
one of his most comforting adages: “Don’t worry about things you can
barely control.” Once she lets herself accept that there are certain
pressures she’s powerless against, Renshaw-Parker can focus on the
factors she does control.
Tune out the tension. A favorite
piece of music can transport you far away from even the most
nerve-jangling situations. When on-the-job stress reaches its boiling
point, Renshaw-Parker turns down the heat by popping in her earphones.
“My brother burns me CDs of motivational music -- everything from
country to Eminem,” she says. “I’ll download them to my iPod and take
it with me on practice and testing days.”
Put it on paper.
Jotting down a to-do list before a race gives Renshaw-Parker peace of
mind, because it ensures that no details will slip through the cracks.
“Once I accomplish each task, I can mark it off my list -- and out of
my brain,” she says.
Tags
Recent Posts
- Summer Safe Driving Tips from the NHTSA
- Happy 16th Birthday to Us!
- Getting There the Greener Way – How Electric Vehicles Could Change the World
- Celebrating Womens History Month
- Happy International Womens Day!
- Get Certified
- Happily Ever After… with Your Car
- New Year's Solutions for Your Cars
- DeCARate Your Vehicle This Holiday Season
- Reuter's Automotive Summit, Jody DeVere Moderator LIVE Panel Recording: Women in Automotive / Mentoring/ Career Development
