Introducing backstage — A mental resilience tool for managing performance anxiety

I built backstage because I wish I had it when I needed it most.

When I was younger, I used to get deeply anxious before my baseball games even when I was fully prepared. Then it was anxiety before golfing, then surfing, then work. My thoughts would spiral and my body would freeze. And no matter how much I trained or prepared, I always felt like my mind might fail me when it was time to perform.

Eventually, I started working with a sports psychologist, and later a couple other performance psychologists. And that’s where everything started to change.

The exercises that helped me the most with my performance anxiety

Through that work, I was introduced to tools like:

• Visualization: Not just “see yourself succeeding,” but hear the sounds, feel the ground, smell the moment
  

• Reframing: Not positive thinking, but replacing worst-case spirals with true beliefs
  

• Evidence stacking: Mentally compiling real proof that I was ready, from past wins to detailed prep
  

• Breathwork: Not to “relax,” but to reset my system and access clarity under pressure
  

Those tools didn’t just help me perform better, they helped me feel more in control.

But I still wish I had something I could talk to before those moments.

Something private, on-demand, and non-judgmental. Something that didn’t cheerlead or try to fix me but helped me slow down and regain focus.

That’s why I built backstage.

backstage is a custom GPT designed to help you clear your head and reset your mental state right before high-pressure moments.

It’s built for the moment before the moment.

What backstage is — and what it isn’t

This isn’t therapy or meditation. And it’s definitely not another app trying to sell you peace of mind.

backstage is designed to help you:

• Reframe spiraling thoughts

• Build confidence based on past proof, not fake positivity

• Visualize a strong, specific performance

• Zoom out when a moment feels too heavy

• Breathe just enough to come back to yourself

• Build a pre-performance mental ritual you can rely on

The tools inside backstage

Each conversation is personalized, but here are the core tools built into the system:

• Reframe Builder: Untangles negative loops and replaces them with grounded, useful thoughts
  

• Evidence Stack: Walks you through your real prep, past wins, and reasons you’re ready
  

• Visualization Walkthrough: Guides you through a mental rehearsal based on what’s coming
  

• Moment Marker: Helps you zoom out when your brain makes it feel like “everything”
  

• Quick Reset: A fast breath + clarity protocol for when time is tight and nerves spike
  

• Pre-Game Loop: A repeatable 90-second ritual to use before any performance moment
  

Who it’s for

• Athletes on race or game day

• Creators before a livestream or launch

• Executives before a big presentation

• Anyone who spirals before they show up
  

If you’ve ever said,

“I know I’m prepared, but I still feel off…” or“ I wish I had something to help me calm down and lock in…”

This is that something.

Why it works

backstage is based on the same tools I used with multiple sports psychologists over the years that are structured mental frameworks used by high-level performers in every domain.

It’s grounded in:

• Sports performance psychology

• Breath regulation

• Cognitive reframing

• Self-directed prep rituals

• Real-life pressure testing
  

And it speaks like someone who’s been there, not like a bot pretending to understand pressure.

Try it now — free

You don’t need to sign up. Just log into ChatGPT, go to the Explore GPTs tab, and search for backstage — or click here to launch it.

Use it before a big moment. Or use it every day to build your readiness on command.

Start winning your moments

I built backstage for the version of me that used to overthink everything. For the version that thought nervousness meant weakness. For the version that didn’t know what to do with the pressure except try to survive it.

If that version sounds familiar, backstage is yours now too.

Let me know what you think.

— Mike