Feeling helpless watching the All Blacks on the television thousands of kilometres from the action? Shane Gilchrist has some tips on how to best navigate the 2015 Rugby World Cup.
Richie McCaw: ''That last 30 minutes of the final [of the 2011 Rugby World Cup] was exactly the physical and psychological test we'd prepared for.''
If only the rest of us knew.
That insight, shared recently, into the collective brainpower employed by the All Blacks in the concluding scenes of the previous tournament, might have spared more than a few fingernails.
After all, the 2011 final attracted more than 2 million viewers in New Zealand, not including the 61,079 people who crammed into Eden Park on a Sunday night to watch the All Blacks survive a withering second half and beat France 8-7.
In a 2014 academic article, Public Expectation, Pressure, and Avoiding the Choke: A Case Study from Elite Sport, University of Otago sports psychologist Ken Hodge and All Blacks assistant coach Wayne Smith analysed key factors in the national team's path from the failed 2007 World Cup campaign to its success in 2011.
Among the strategies was a decision by staff and players alike to embrace public expectations.
As Steve Hansen, now coach of the All Blacks (he was assistant to Graham Henry in 2011), remarks in Hodge and Smith's article: ''As long as you can walk towards the pressure you are in control of it, it's not in control of you.''
In the same paper, McCaw refers to colour zones: red for panicked and/or distracted; blue for engaged and focused. He explains how players learned various mental skills to prevent ''choking'' .
''Breathing, slowly and deliberately, nose or mouth, with a two-second pause. While breathing, hold your wrist on the out-breath,'' McCaw says.
''Then shift attention to something external - the ball in hand, or even alternating big toes. Get your eyes up, looking out.
''You have to use deep breaths and key words to help yourself get out of your own head, find an external focus, get yourself back in the present, regain your situational awareness.
''The other thing you have to do long before you get into the red zone is plan for the unpredictable, so when that happens, it's expected and you don't feel helpless.''
That's all well and good if you're on the field. But what if you're a spectator, glued to the television many thousands of kilometres from the action in England and Wales this time around?No need to fret. Here are some tips on how to navigate the 2015 Rugby World Cup.
And remember, even if you're an ardent New Zealand supporter, don't think black. Think blue.
KEEP THIS IN MIND ...
A mental skills coach for the Highlanders for the past three years, Nat Fraser suggests getting back to basics (ah, first sports cliche) could help spectators better navigate the emotional minefield of a Rugby World Cup.
Also involved with High Performance Sport New Zealand and the Otago Volts cricket team, Fraser says visualisation or ''mental rehearsal techniques'' (whereby you imagine a time when you were in a relaxed state and take yourself back there) are a good place to start.
Mindfulness, a term used by life skills coaches, psychologists and yoga gurus, is another useful technique. It might also help deal with a loss, providing a sense of perspective.
''Essentially, it's about paying attention to the present moment as opposed to getting stuck in unhelpful thoughts or anxieties.
''A spin-off of mindfulness is relaxation. And to help achieve mindfulness, breathing techniques are important: breathing deep into your abdomen helps calm yourself down and also helps with physiological responses that come with feeling excited,'' Fraser explained.
''By focusing on breathing, you calm your heart-rate, which in turn affects the Vegus nerve, which runs from the heart to the brain. Therefore, you are calming your brain as well.''
DREAMS ARE FREE . . .
Take a look at the live television schedule for the All Blacks' pool games. With the exception of the opening fixture against Argentina (kickoff 3.45am), the initial scenario for sleep doesn't seem too bad.
The game against Namibia (ranked by the TAB as a 5000-to-one chance of winning the tournament) goes to air at 6.30am (kick-off 7am) on Friday; the Georgia (3000-to-one) match begins at 7.30am (kick-off 8am) on October 3, a Saturday; and the encounter with Tonga (1000-to-one) is at the same time the following Saturday, October 10.
But peruse the knock-out stages.
Should the All Blacks progress past the quarterfinals (that live broadcast begins at 7am on Sunday, October 18), supporters then face a 3am screening of the first semifinal on Sunday, October 25, and a 4.45am airing of the second semi on Monday, October 26, should they want to find out first-hand who else will end up in the final. Speaking of which; that last game is live on television at 4am on Sunday, November 1.
Of course, this overview doesn't mention other nations playing in the early hours. Samoan, Tongan, Fijian, English, Scots, Irish, Welsh and South African fans (among others) on our shores could well be united by heavy eyelids.
Alister Neill, director of the University of Otago's WellSleep Research Group in Wellington, notes it is easier to wake at 4am-5am than at midnight-2am.
''For a normal sleeper, a game that is on at, say, 4am, would interrupt what's termed `stage 2' or REM sleep. Deep sleep occurs in the first 25 percent of the night.''
Neill says people who are sleep-deprived risk compromising their immune systems and thus have a higher chance of catching the flu or other respiratory illnesses. A lack of sleep also affects mood, increases appetite and increases the risk of an accident.
ON THE BALL . . .
Does a hangover qualify as a genuine excuse for a sick day?It's a grey area, John Farrow, an employment law specialist at Dunedin firm Webb Farry, said.
''If someone called in sick but wasn't able to back that up with evidence, then they could be docked a day's pay, or the day off could come out of annual leave entitlement, rather than sick leave.''
Farrow notes an employer can require a medical certificate or proof of sickness - as long as the employer pays.
However, such situations need not arise. Think of mutually beneficial arrangements instead.
''Events such as this can be used as a real morale building exercise,'' Farrow said.
''Employers could think about the flow-on effects of being flexible for their employees. Actually, our managing partner has send out a roster offering flexi-hours, where someone might want to start work at 10am instead of 8am.
''Employers could also invite non-rugby people to get some extra hours and cover for those who want to take time off.''
Although employment law gives workers the right to seek more flexible working arrangements, an employer may have genuine grounds for not granting such a request. Some employers can accommodate flexibility better than others.''
COUCH POTATO . . .
Fiona Simpson, nutritionist for the Highlanders for the past two years, warns too many sugary or salt-laden snacks won't help in dealing with any stressful sporting scenes.
''I'm not a big fan of medicating the stress. You need even blood-sugar levels. That's the key. If you have highs and lows of sugar, that might dictate your mood.
''We can't control the results. But we can control how we physiologically respond to results. Take caffeine: I like it, but it might heighten anxiety levels for some people, so it might not be the best thing.
''As far as alcohol goes, I wouldn't advocate it in the early hours when you have to go to work the same day. I don't think it'd make a loss any easier to take.''
Simpson also suggests people match any alcohol consumption with food, adding culinary items with a good protein or fat base help slow down the release of alcohol.
''The World Cup lasts several weeks so we need to pace ourselves. We are looking at fuelling for the long haul. This weekend is the first of many games in the middle of the night, so we don't want to peak too soon.''
Simpson believes any time is a good time for breakfast. If you are going to be up for a couple of hours in the middle of the night, it's probably a good time to eat what you might normally have for breakfast.
''People might not feel like cereal or toast at that time, so they could make themselves a smoothy and that will provide a slow-release energy, meaning they could go back to sleep.
''I wouldn't advise having a big cook-up, but some cereal and toast and perhaps a hot drink will probably stop you going for the chocolate, licorice or potato chips at half-time.''
KEEPING MUM . . .
Elizabeth Cleverley, principal of Silverstream School and president of the Otago Primary Principals Association, acknowledges New Zealand's strong sporting culture might encourage participation in a range of competitive activities, yet she laments some spectator behaviour.
''I think some of the wheels may have fallen off in the past two decades in regards [to what happens on] the sidelines.
''Our school has guidelines for parental behaviour on the sidelines and I would expect the same principles and expectations to apply to those watching sport on television.
''It's about good sportsmanship: congratulate the good play and remember the referee's word is final.
''Parents muttering under their breath about anything is not good role modelling for their children.''
THE FINE PRINT ...
Although insurance policies differ depending on the company, don't expect your insurer to pay out should you throw something at your television and break it.
''Most house and contents policies only cover damage that is sudden, unforeseen, and accidental,'' Sarah Knox, of the Insurance Council of New Zealand, explained.
''If someone throws something at their television, that damage would be sudden and potentially accidental - but it would definitely not be unforeseen and would therefore not be covered.
''Some insurers may be more sympathetic and pay the claim, though it is highly unlikely.
''It is foreseeable that if I throw something in the direction of something, it will end badly.''
AH, TECHNOLOGY ...
If you've arrived at this paragraph without having read any prior words, consider this a spoiler alert: Technology has some fantastic time-shifting properties. Actually, this Doctor Who-like phenomenon has existed in lounges around the world since 1975, when Sony launched its Betamax video recorder, followed a year later by JVC's VHS system.
Anyway, enough about analogue (VHS won that battle, by the way).
Prefer to wake up refreshed? Then treat yourself and record the game. Fast-forward any cliched pre-game commentary and all the subsequent stoppages for penalties, injuries, lineout shenanigans and scrum resets. Have breakfast at a normal hour. Whoop or wail without the risk of waking up the household and/or neighbourhood.
Think of it like the advantage rule. Play on.