Even the most confident people can falter during stressful situations, but don’t let that intimidate you! Here’s how to overcome your anxiety and excel in whatever you’re doing.
Even the most confident people can falter during stressful situations, but don’t let that intimidate you! Here’s how to overcome your anxiety and excel in whatever you’re doing.
Take A Deep Breath
When you feel on the spot and your mind is blank, do not hold your breath, says psychologist and fear specialist Anthony Gunn. “Simply using deep breathing puts more blood back to the logical thinking parts of the brain,” he says. “If you’re feeling nervous, take a deep breath before you say anything at all.”
Don’t Fake It
“The ‘fake it till you make it’ mentality sets people up for failure,” says Anthony. “If you have to be cool, calm and confident, but feel extremely anxious, you will go to pieces.” Rehearse a tricky social situation by filming yourself on video: Get used to the feeling of anxiousness that arises, as it will drop soon afterwards.
Prove Negative Thoughts Wrong
The average person talks to themselves at over 500 words per minute, and a lot of it is negative, says Anthony. “Challenge the validity of our negative thoughts about what you can and can’t do. Choose a small, realistic comfort zone to step out of and do it – prove yourself wrong.”
