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Many of us have a pregame ritual before we go to work. A steaming cup of coffee. Maybe some meditation, or a prayer.
Beyoncé eats a turkey sandwich before she goes onstage, according to “Renaissance: A Film by Beyoncé.” Paul McCartney is said to hum the theme song from “The Monkees” with his band before concerts. Bill Russell, the Hall of Fame center, threw up before games to get rid of jitters.
A warm-up ritual, active or otherwise, can have important psychological benefits, said Fallon Goodman, a psychology professor at George Washington University.
“When the world is more predictable for us, we can more easily get into a flow stage that will improve performance,” she said.
The New York Times reached out to a wide range of creative people, including writers, actors, comedians and musicians, to find out how they warm up for their gigs. Some rituals were simple, others sentimental or a combination of both.
Some answers have been lightly edited for length and clarity.
Jeff Daniels
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