Faced with difficult school projects or demanding obligations at work? It’s common for people, both young and old, to feel overwhelmed by stress.

One somewhat surprising way to deal with it and prevent it from becoming a health hazard is known as the “Batman effect”. This technique involves asking yourself what Batman would have done in the face of an unexpected and potentially stressful event.

It may seem silly, but fans say it works, even if the Gotham City vigilante can be replaced by any fictional or real character you admire. Using an alter ego allows us to step back from our source of anxiety and analyse it from a new angle.

Do your palms sweat at the thought of giving a presentation? Imagine yourself being as invincible as Superman. Does your heart race at the thought of responding to a job offer? Try to be as determined as Hermione Granger, the heroine of the “Harry Potter” saga.

It’s not about erasing yourself in favour of someone else; rather, it’s about getting rid of the limiting beliefs that are holding you back, discovering unsuspected talents, and “leaning into the qualities you already have but just need to supercharge”, says professional coach Francesca O’Connor.

The Batman effect has been studied for years in psychology and is famously associated with Ethan Kross, an American psychologist and neuroscientist who has conducted several studies showing the benefits of self-distancing to regulate emotions.

One of them, published in 2020 in the Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, proved that talking about oneself in the third person in one’s stream of thoughts helps combat negativity and boost one’s self-image.

This is exactly what the Batman effect aims to do, by helping you to develop your adaptive intelligence. This refers to the ability to rapidly change one’s behaviour and thinking patterns in the face of new challenges and obstacles, without panicking.

Adaptive intelligence is very useful in everyday life, especially in the professional world, where people have to wear many different hats to achieve career goals. So why not use different alter egos to get the job done?

While the Batman effect can be a very useful way of overcoming stress, it needs to be used only occasionally. The aim is not to be perpetually slipping into the shoes of a character to make decisions, but to draw from within oneself the resources to do so.

“Some of the most creative minds have used alter egos to bring out their weirder, more outrageous or more confident side. Sasha Fierce is just a bit louder and sexier than Beyoncé. Ziggy Stardust and David Bowie’s other personas helped a very introverted man express himself to the fullest on stage,” O’Connor pointed out.

And we’re all capable of the same: by confronting the situations that scare us by asking yourself what a superhero or any other character would do in your place, you can learn to better cope with those stagefright-inducing moments of uncertainty.