Beat Those Nerves

Adrenaline – your body’s way of helping you when you need to do something special.
Such as give a presentation, or go on a job interview. Yet most of us find it to be our worst enemy. Because we don’t understand what happens to us when we become nervous. If you can pre-empt the effect adrenaline will have on you personally, you won’t feel so out of control. This has a huge impact on our comfort and confidence levels.

So what happens when we get nervous?

• The body releases adrenaline, this has a physical effect on the body. Our heart rate increases, we sweat, blush, get butterflies, fidget, pace , dance on the spot, the list goes on. You need to know what you personally do! So that when it happens you have more control over it.

• We stop breathing. The first thing we do when we get nervous is hold our breath. If you were swimming and saw a shark. The fright would take your breath away. So we stop breathing properly and this has it’s own set of fallbacks. We may stammer, forget, our bodies may feel uncomfortable.n n We tend to then find a comforter, some people rock , others move their feet n around uncontrollably. Pacing, fidgeting are also common. I personally play n with my hair when nervous. Others bring their teddy bear or comfort blankets n on stage with them in the form of a notepad. They clutch on to it for dear life n but don’t read from it once. They didn’t need it for their presentation, they n needed it for comfort only.

So what can we do?

Relax and take deep breaths, slow down your breathing, get it rhythmical.
Remember adrenaline is causing your physical effects.
You are not nervous you are exited, change your mindset.
Identify and control your comforter, Root your feet to stop movements. Pay attention not to fidget with your hair , ring , pockets , etc.

So NERVES are good if we learn to control them. Adrenaline helps us perform better, it is our bodies own natural stimulant. Adrenaline junkies spend a fortune to get a rush.
When presenting or in an interview yours is FREE. ENJOY THE RUSH!

Delia Thompson from The Communication Academy runs a two-day workshop in Midrand entitled “Confident Communication”: where this issue and more are addressed. Visit our web www.thecommunicationacademy.co.za ; n Email marc@thecommunicationacademy n or call us on (012) 345 5828 / 3456861 / 345 4866.