You are not alone.  I went on a heater won the first 3 45 mans i played and then went on a hundred dollar down swing.  Granted a hundred is not alot but when your roll gets close to 700 and now your back under 600 it hurts.  Honestly if your doing the right things it will turn around.  To be honest my fix is to take a couple days off and clear my head.  Alot of people dont like doing this but I feel its the only way for me to drop the bad beat bagage and go back at it with a clear and focused mind.  Maybe change the games your playing.  Maybe running an 18 man session or just playing some larger field mtt's might get you over your rut.  Dont despair though.  Glory is just a river away my friend.

You're going to have pressure in any tourney you play, both online and live.  Just a matter of how you handle it.  If you're somewhat prepared for the situation, you'll then it better.

One thing I do at work (got it from playing baseball in college) is to think of things that may occur and anticipate how to handle them.  Same thing at the poker table.  Just imagine hands and what your going to do.  This way, if you get that big pocket pair, you'll already know or have a good idea of what you want to do.  It's running scenirios in your head.  Think of all kinds of situations you could be in.  I believe it relieves some of the stress I go through in different tourneys because I've mentally played out a bunch of the situations.  I do realize there will be a few really tough spots that you haven't thought of and you'll be able to handle them once you come across them. 

As far as frustration, I continue to beat myself up for never cashing in a WSOP circuit event (all in AC, either Harrahs or Caesars).  Over the years, I've played in a total of close to 20 ring events and still chasing my first cash.  That's kinda sad, because I've had deep runs in at least 10 of them where I was within 20 spots or less from the money and went busto.  I did have a big cash in a mega-satelight w/ Ttwist (he won) I took 4th for 3k, but I don't count this.  So, my frustration has been mounting for years.  But, you can't let it get to you.  I know I can play and have other cashes in live poker to prove it.  For whatever reason, the circuit events kick my ass.  But, I will get a cash soon (this May @ Chester) and a ring soon after (I hope).  Positives thoughts.  Otherwise, why play. 

Same thing with online play

Funny you bring up BigDog's article.  I started not looking at the lobby a month or two ago, after the one vid where BigDog and Ttwist got on the hand review of someone looking in the lobby “LOTS” of times during a tourney.  It's helped me concentrate on making deep runs.  Who cares where I am in a tourney the first hour or two.  You know you're going to be there over 5 hours to be in the money, why look until the 5 or 6 hour mark.  With that said, lets all win a tourney or two this month………………

Firstly, great post!!!

In my teachings, I try and create specific exercises and routines that help players to stay emotionally balanced and inspired to play their best every session. The Pre Game is a great way to prepare for your upcoming session, getting you mentally and emotionally set to play your best. This may consist of you listening to a song that coincides with the state that you feel you play your best when experiencing these states. For example, being calm and relaxed is a state you feel is present when you are playing your best, then I wouldnt recommend you listen to a Metallica Album!!

The Pre Game would also consist of you re visiting some of your best results in the past, both result and process focused.

As far as Goals and keeping emotional balance in regards to the swings of the game, I have created a Post Game Routine, or what I call a PDR. The PDR has the same impact on your emotional well being as CPR has on your physical. The PDR revives you emotionally after a beating, or constant beatings which the game oftens throws at us.

The PDR consists of you making sure you are focused on processes that will make you a better poker player, and puts results in the back of your mind. If processes are what helps you play great, and playing great helps your results, then why is it that we start at the last stage?? If we start at Step 1 and focus completely on those things, then Step 2 and 3 will look after themselves.

So the PDR helps you to acknowledge all the processes that help you become the best you can be, both on and off the felt. Here is a simple version of the PDR for the TPE members-

At the end of each session/day, I want you to make a list of 10 things you were proud of today. Those 10 things can consist of specific hands you played, the quality of your preperation, control over your mindset/emotions through out the day or any other aspect of you striving to be your best.

I then want you to write down 3 things that you would like to improve tomorrow. For most people, this is the things that they SCREWED up today, but I prefer for you to focus on what you would like to differently tomorrow, or what I call reframing. So write down 3 things you would like to differently tomorrow.

Once you have written your 2 lists, I want you to read these lists 2 times, then also re read the lists once, first thing the next morning. This process will help give you a chance to stay emotionally stable through out these downswings, helping limit the damage and at the same time, when things are going well, help you to become more aware of the smaller processes that help you play great.

When writing Goals, make sure they are focused heavily on processes that you have control over. Im happy for players to have a monetry goal, but that has to be attached to a number of processes that will help their monetry goal become reality. These processes then need to become more important than the end result, your happiness and self worth has to come from these behaviours than a result you cant control.

Hope this helps:)