How can you prevent being nervous?

Question

I'm in a spelling bee tommorrow if school isn't called off(which it probably will be), and I think I'll get nervous. I've been in spelling bees before and won my school one, but now I'm in middle school and there are people 14 years old. It's not that I'm afraid that I won't win, it's just that I'll be in front of 500 people(more than I was last year). What can I do?

Answer 1

I'm taking a public speaking class in college right now and the teacher just talked about this. First of all your not alone. Almost all of the most famous public speakers say they get nervous before going in front of a group of people to talk.
You just have to ask yourself, why? We arent born with this fear, we learn it from something.
All it is is adrenaline, so try to use it to your advantage. If you can control it it can enhance your concetration and performance. It sounds like you have some experience, so just go with confidence and do your best!

Answer 2

Nervousness is a natural reaction. A little nervousness before a big event it can actually be helpful; it can be energising, and it's a sign that the thing up ahead matters to you. But it can be distracting if it gets in the way of you doing as well as you know you can.

It helps to understand that nervousness is both 'in the mind' and 'in the body', so you can do a range of things to manage it. You can talk to it - "I am feeling nervous, but that is natural, and it will NOT get in the way of me doing really WELL". Find some words that work well for you, repeat them. Then write them down and put them in your pocket (or somewhere). Add some 'kind' words to yourself as well, such as "I am smart", and "I will have a good time.", and "I am calm under pressure". You can write it like a letter to yourself, 'Dear ...., and sign it .. Love .....

If you are not allowed to 'carry' bits of paper into the spelling bee just put it in the bottom of your shoe (where nobody can accuse you of reading it).

Then - heres the 'body' bit. If you feel nervous at any point, simply tap or press the part of your body where the note is, so if it is in your shoe, tap your foot, and remember and feel all of the things that the note says. Practice beforehand is nice but not essential.

Another thing to do (if you get more time) is to go to the place where you'll be during the Bee (while nobody else is around) and sit there and have a drink or a sandwich, or listen to your favourite music. That way you associate the place with a nice feeling, so that when you get there (on the day) you'll have a sense that you belong there, and feel that everyone else is coming to use YOUR space for a while - but that's ok, be generous and let them share YOUR GOOD TIME.

Answer 3

First of all don't worry, it's okay to be nervous trust me! But, you most likely don't want to show it. For one thing, make sure you don't tug on your shirt or touch your face or any things like that when you're up there, it makes you look even more nervous :(. Also, this might sound really stupid but wear a lot of deoderant, because you'll get sweaty and you don't want to have to worry about smelling really bad or having sweat marks. To prevent yourself from being nervous don't look directly into the audience too much! It will mess you up. Try looking at a friend, or your parents, or somewhere on stage or in back where there are no people. What I do which you might not be able to do is that I wear contacts sometimes in school but when I go on stage I actualy don't wear them, that way I can't make out faces. I don't know if this will be helpful but good luck!

Answer 4

Look, do not take ANYTHING over the counter or otherwise to calm yourself down. It is important you face this and learn to deal with this nervousness and let your brain teach your body how to deal with this naturally. An example is to take deep breathes, breathe in deep and hold it for 5 seconds and then breathe out. Concentrate on your breathing. Simply believe in yourself and do not worry about what anyone else is thinking. You need to train yourself now in this type of thinking and if you do hon it will get easier and soon be natural later on.

It may sound ridiculous and i know you want that "quick fix" or it is called instant gratification, that so many Americans today long for and raise their kids on. However, if you take that route and choose the over the counter drugs for your "quick fix" it will carry with you the rest of your life and you will end up on medication you can be sure, because your body will not have learned how to function on it's own without being medicated. If not medication you will turn to alcohol, marijuanna or some other drug. Believe me i hear all the time from those on drugs, prescription and over the counter included, the reason they use drugs is to "calm them down" or for the "escape". It would be easier for you to escape this problem of facing the nervousness of the spelling bee but trust me this is a part of life you have to learn to deal with! It is called anxiety and it is a HUGE part of life as we live it. Get used to it. Life sucks but you can enjoy it SOBER!! Good luck tomorrow!

Answer 5

When I was young, I appeared in the Opera "Carmen" in New York City. They used to paint my face red for a small part.

The people I performed for were approximately ten thousand.

When I went on stage, I made it seem like they were a big picture, not really individuals, but just a big inanimate picture.

This got me through the performance as if nobody was watching.

So, make believe nobody is out there, you must psyche your mind into believing that, and it should work.

Good luck!

Answer 6

You just need to make yourself realize that you've been up on stage before at other spelling bee's and that you can get through it, just think positive thoughts and before stepping on stage close your eyes, and try taking cleansing breath through your nose and out through your mouth a few times. Rotate your head, like to get the kinks out of your neck that you might have from nervousness built up and shake your hands out and go out on stage and knock'em dead!

Good luck!

Answer 7

that's okay to be apprehensive. i grew to become into continually petrified of public speaking. Now i'm a lawyer, and that i nonetheless get apprehensive almost every time, yet I settle for that anxiousness is only area of the deal, and that i understand that when I get going i'm going to be superb. What quite helps me is to coach, out loud. Even doing this on my own helps. in case you have spoken those words dozens of cases till now you supply your speech, that's like a muscle reminiscence ingredient and your physique will understand what to do whilst that's time. stable success!

Answer 8

Try not to think about other people being there and just pretend its just you spelling out things. And look at the light and don't look at the people becuase you will get nervous.

Answer 9

Nervousness comes from excess unused mental energy. Immerse yourself in study for the bee, or something that you like, a hobby. But keep your mind busy.

Answer 10

try to take your mind off of what you are going to do. don't think about screwing up, think about showing all these 14 year olds how good you are at spelling and that you are going to beat some of them.