Many people get intense nerves when they have to give a speech in front of a large crowd. The truth is, feeling nervous before doing something like performing is completely normal. It’s your body’s way of prepping yourself for it. Cortisol hormones are being produced in your body that is meant to help you focus better.
However, when you get an overproduction of this hormone, it can trigger the fight or flight response in your body. This can cause your palms to get sweaty and for you to start shaking.
If you feel this response too often, here are some of the top tips to effectively manage it:
- Prep Yourself
One of the best things you can do to limit this type of response is by being adequately prepared. When you are well prepared for something, you will be far less nervous. You need to practice and practice until you are fully prepared. Nothing is going to be able to quell the nerves you are getting like having ample confidence that you can do what you are about to do.Â
- Get Yourself Psyched Up
Rather than continuing to allow yourself to worry about all of the things that can go wrong, you should be focused on thinking positively. You can see athletes doing the same thing to themselves right before a big game. Look in the mirror and consistently tell yourself you can do it. You will be surprised to see how well your body responds. Give yourself the pep talk you need to put yourself in the right mindset of being ready.
- Find Ways To Relax
You will find everyone who performs is going to be dealing with these same things. You’ll find music artists, Olympic medalists, and more. There is typically a waiting period before having to perform. This is the period where you typically start to build up nerves because of the anticipation. You want to be able to get yourself through this period by finding ways to relax. Whether it’s practicing specific breathing techniques, travelling, listening to calming music, or practicing yoga – you need to find something that works for yourself. When you feel your performance jitters creeping in, don’t allow it to consume you and cause you to panic. Continue to tell yourself that what you’re experiencing is completely normal and allow yourself to leverage it and use it to your advantage of becoming even more focused.
- Look After Yourself
You need to look after your health when you are looking to get the best performance out of yourself. How you sleep and how you eat will play a role in your body’s response to stressful situations. You need to practice healthy lifestyle choices if you want to keep your cortisol levels manageable. Try to get sufficient exercise into your daily life. This will ensure that you don’t allow the stress hormones to take over and cause your body to react poorly. Always try to get ample sleep before a big day because a lack of sleep can cause your stress hormones to skyrocket. Consider replacing your mattress with a Therapedic mattress to help you get good quality sleep.
