Feel nervous? Try these 3 techniques
It’s natural to feel the nerves before an important day, a big speech or a date. Every human feels excitement, fear, sadness, joy and a multitude of other emotions. Without them, we’d be boring robots. Sometimes we may need to be conscious and not get too carried away by these feelings. After all, we live in the modern world where time is of essence and sadly, we may not have enough time to fully give into our feelings.
People do judge books by their covers. Especially in the corporate world. If you look nervous before your big presentation, you may not get the needed attention or the credibility you deserve. No one deserves to loose something because they were feeling nervous. Most of the time, the nerves start in your own head. That’s a good thing because you have total control over your mind. When you feel nervous, here are some things you can do to calm down and regain composure:
1. Listen to the negative voices and confront them
Often times, the voices in our heads can bring us up or tear us down. Whenever you hear things like “Are you sure you are prepared for this? Will you remember everything?” just tell yourself and remind yourself that you are capable. You are enough. Remind yourself of your hard work and preparation.
2. Take courage
Remember the first time you did something you have never done before? Like getting on a bike or jumping into the pool? You had to believe in yourself and be courageous. When you feel nervous, accept that you may have the jitters but also put your chin up and say “but I am strong, I can do this”.
3. Breathe
This is perhaps the most useful technique. Find a quiet place and focus on your breath. When you are nervous, you breath will be much faster than normal. When you learn to pay attention to your breath and slow it down, you will bring automatic calmness to your body and mind.
Feeling nervous isn’t always a bad sign. As we mentioned in the beginning, it’s natural to feel nervous. It’s how you deal with it that will decide whether it has a positive or a negative effect on yourself. Regular meditation and yoga can help you develop mindfulness. Cultivated mindfulness will remind you that you are feeling nervous, so you can use the above-mentioned techniques to calm yourself down.