Do you have any tips for dealing with nervousness?

Question

I usually give a pretty good performance in exams and interviews as long as I don't get worked up and nervous. If I perceive myself becoming even slightly nervous, I mess up.

The problem is I only think that I'm a little nervous when in fact I must be very nervous because it affects my demeanor and personality in a very exagerrated way.

Any advice on how to recognise how nervous one is, use nerves to your own advantage in a stressful situation or similar experiences and how you dealt with it is much appreciated.

Thank you Penney but I really don't want to take medication. I would rather modify my personality so I can cope with this problem. Any advice on how to achieve this?

Answer 1

Sounds like you maybe have two things going on.

1. primary nervousness due to the situation (exam etc).
2. Secondary nervousness, i.e. you are worried that your primary nervousness will effect your performance.

Firstly, you should know that there is nothing wrong with being a bit nervous before a big event like an exam. It is a natural physiological response to a stressful situation and to some extent your increased level or alertness can in fact be useful.

Secondly, my method for exams was to control by nervousness by gaining control over the outcome of the exam, in short, planning. Make sure you have a copy of the syllabus or a complete set of lecture notes. Once you have those then you know, what it is that you might be expected to know. Now find the past papers from the exam or example papers so you know what kind of questions you can expect to be asked. Now revise and do practice questions until you feel that you are ready for the exam i.e. until you know everything on your list of things you have to know, or until you know a large enough proportion of the material to be fairly sure of getting the grade you want. If you really have things fully under control you will be less nervous.

Also, you can try relaxation excercises and meditation e.g. www.shinzen.org meditation not only helps you relax but also makes you more aware of what is going on in your mind and body, i.e. it will make it easier for you to tell if you are nervous.

try to be sociable, social contact reduces stress (provided you don't spend the whole time scaring each other with speculation about the exam).

Depending on your situation (don't know how old your are) sexual pleasure can also reduce stress.

Answer 2

It's a hard one to deal with.....i used to get very nervous at things like exams and job interviews but the more that you do and the more prepared that you are the more confident you get.

The bottom line is that it won't be the end of the world if you fail that exam or don't get that job.....life always works out.

I'm sure that there are books on amazon that will help you with techniques to deal with it. the old saying "take a few deep breaths" is based in fact as when we get nervous we breathe very shallow which leads to not enough oxygen getting into our system, by breathing deeply we can over come this and release natural calming chemicals into our system.

hope this helps.

Answer 3

A common way of controlling nervousness is through breath control. Concentrate on taking long slow breaths.

Don't be afraid to pause for a moment and gather your thoughts.

It's also important that you be well-prepared for the performance and know what you are going to say.

Answer 4

Seven Points on Nervousness



Every speaker has it – professional and student. We all worry about not doing well in a public display.

You appear more confident to your listeners than you feel. Nervousness does not show nearly as much as the speaker thinks.

Use your nervousness as a helpmate rather than letting it use you.
HOW?

Accept nervousness as a natural way to help you to be alert, sharp, and energized to do your best. Just like pre-game tension, which every sports player or professional actor gets before a game or performance, a mild case of stage fright will help you to stay on your toes.

Practice can reduce nervousness considerably – though never completely.

Experience will teach you to deal with your nervousness and use it to your advantage.

Preparation is the key. The better you know your material, the
less nervous you will be and the less likely to make a mistake

When you are on the spot…”

The best way to conquer speakers’ nerves is to acknowledge that there is a lot at stake when you speak, that nervousness is justified, and that you deal with that nervousness not by fighting orignoring it, but by using the energy it creates to your advantage. Overcome the anxiety bypracticing presentational speaking –again and again. Here are some techniques to help you dealwith speech anxiety.
1. ADVANCE PREPARATION – THE ESSENTIAL INGREDIENTKnow what you need to say in short, concise form. Use words that you can use comfortably. Avoid jargon and complicated sentence structure. Have a strong message that fits your audience. Use these steps to organize your speech:Analyze the audience’s needs.Support a single idea.Develop a snappy opener.Support your points with appropriate humor (if you’re good at handling humor).Provide a strong closing and summary.

2. GET THE AUDIENCE’S ATTENTION – AND KEEP ITPractice your opening statement until it comes naturally. When you prepare well, you will have confidence to get through the introduction. As your speech progresses, the nervousness generally subsides. Be spontaneous in your tone of voice. Remember, this isthe FIRST time the audience has heard the important information you bring.

3. CARE FOR THE AUDIENCE – MORE THAN YOURSELFBefore the speech, don’t worry about “What will they think of me?” Refocus yourthoughts from me, me, me to them, them, them. Instead of worrying about how you will sound, think about whether they can understand your message. Become involved in theirproblems, their products, their needs. What can you do to help them, how can you provide assistance? Give them information that is useful and make sure they have a goodtime while listening and learning.

4. REDUCE BARRIERS

The M. J. Neeley Center for Professional Communication, copyright 2002 The Neeley School of Business—TCUH:\cpc.interactiveassociates.com\handouts\NERVOUS.docReduce intimidation by gearing your message to the level of the audience. Don’t offendthe audience by “talking down” to them. People become more comfortable and receptive when they recognize that you are a regular person trying to convey important information.

5. KEEP DOING ITWelcome any speaking invitations. Always make sure you are well prepared and knowledgeable about the topic. The more times you speak, the more you will feel relaxedand confident.

6. GET EXCITED – NOT NERVOUSThink of something exciting that you can relate to your audience, and feel the excitementas you tell about it. Your excitement will reduce your nervousness and communicate yourenthusiasm. Make sure you’re relating something about which the audience also can getexcited.

7. PICK OUT FRIENDLY FACESThere will always be friendly faces in the audience. Pick out several of those faces and speak directly to them, one-on-one, and make it a conversation with them. You will bemore enthusiastic about your message when you feel the audience is receptive. As you become more comfortable, include all memebers of the audience in your eye contact.Speak through your fears with passionate conviction and they will generally fade away.

8. APPEAR TO BE CALMConvey to the audience the feeling of being calm and confident. Projecting an air ofconfidence requires discipline and practice. Frequently, when you make yourself lookcalm, you actually calm down a little.

9. THEY’RE GLAD IT’S YOUPier 1 Imports CEO, Clark A. Johnson says: “When I stand up in front of a large group ofpeople, rather than feeling nervous, I know in my heart that 99% of the people I’mspeaking to are glad that I’m up here, not them.” Know that people will not notice mostof the “mistakes” that you notice. If you are calm and confident, show it. If you aren’tcalm and confident, fake it! If you don’t appear to have confidence in what you’re saying,you can’t expect your audience to have confidence in your or your ideas.

10. WHEN ALL ELSE FAILS, BREATHETake several deep, slow breaths before your presentation. Your heart may slow down and the oxygen helps you think more clearly. Tense all your arm or leg or stomach muscles,then let them relax – allowing the rest of your body to then relax.

REMEMBER YOU HAVE VERY IMPORTANT INFORMATION TO SHARE. YOU ARE WELL PREPARED AND THE AUDIENCE WANTS TO HEAR YOUR PRESENTATION.

Answer 5

Two things - Rescue Remedy is fantastic - basically herbs in brandy, it really works and can't really be classed as medication.

second thing - breathing exercises - breathe in to a count of four and out for a count of six, this should slow the heart rate and calm your mind as you concentrate.

However, if you're wired on adrenaline, it can be really useful if you harness it rather than allowing the panic to take over. This is why Rescue Remedy is so helpful, it takes off the edge of panic, allowing you to use the adrenaline your way.

And remember to chill - nothing's worth getting stressed about. Cup of tea sometimes works for me... :)

Best wishes!

Answer 6

Go skydiving. After accomplishing that, you should never be nervous about anything again.

Seriously though, just be yourself. Everything will flow and you'll quit worrying about how nervous you are. I used to be terrified of giving speeches or playing the drums live. People make mistakes, we're human, but being nervous about making a mistake just compounds the problem.

Answer 7

If you feel a tension in your temple or butterflys in your stomach then your getting nervous also if you cannot concentrate on anything but your exam/interveiw then chances are your going to get nervous!
The best way to keep yourself calm is to get something called BACH'S rescue remedy, it is a herbal remedy and can be bought from any health food shop and i recently spotted it in boots! you put a few drops on your tongue and it calms you down if you are stressed already and helps you stay calm!
try it and see if it works for you, kalms herbal tablets will help you get a good nights sleep the night before your exam/interveiw as well. hope this helps x

Answer 8

Nervousness is a choice. In all life situations there is a choice. Quite often this can be boiled down to a choice between "Agony or Freedom?". I will always choose freedom.

Answer 9

To recognise nervousness you have to look at the root of it and learn to understand why you are nervous in these situations. Try
meditation or ask your docter if they can hook you up with a counsellor who you can talk these feelings through with

Answer 10

Perhaps learn so meditation techniques and breathing exercises.

The nerves, I thnk, are part of our make-up that help us to fight or flee. Great for when in danger, but terrible for when a inanimate piece of paper and a clock bring it on. Still it is a great advantage to have them. Build up confidence in your abilities and, if entering situations, realise what is happening and try to rationalise it.

Take into account this is advice from a guy who hates, trips to the dentist, tests, and first dates :)