Nervousness does matter. It often leads us to use what researchers term “powerless” language, which is effectively the opposite of being clear, articulate and succinct. Here are six ways to overcome your nervousness gremlin and put your best foot forward.
Listen to the gremlin, then talk back
- Make a note the next time you hear it—exactly the phrases that the gremlin says to you.
- Then when you’re in a calm, non-emotionally-charged moment, consider what you rationally believe to be true and come up with counter-statements.
Know your strengths
- Write down your strengths, skills and achievements.
- There’s a reason you’ve been asked into the room.
- It was probably someone more senior, experienced or specialized who invited you to this meeting or to give this presentation.
- Even if you can’t trust your own judgment about whether you’re the right person for the role, trust their experience and belief that you are.
Start developing yourself
Whether it’s by doing a course, being proactive about getting more on-the-job learning or reading industry updates, when we’re on the journey of developing ourselves, we have increased confidence knowing that even though we may not be 100% “enough” now, we’re on our way.
Choose courage over confidence
- It’s actually easier to purposefully choose to be courageous than it is to build our confidence in a particular moment.
- This proactive step in choosing courage can lead to a positive psycho-physiological response and enable us to “show up” better.
Recognize nervousness as a sign of something good
- For most of us, nervousness comes with new opportunities and challenges.
- If we didn’t occasionally have that awful feeling occasionally, that would suggest we’re not pushing our boundaries.
- People who live inside their comfort zone and continue to do the same work feel comfortable.
Breathe your way through it
- Before your meeting, take effective deep breaths by breathing in for 3-4 counts and out for 5-6.
- In addition to the positive physiological impact, having to focus on uneven counting gives your brain a direct-experience moment: a break from the forward-thinking narrative
