Tips for getting rid of nervousness

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Extract from the article: In life, it's sometimes difficult to escape certain situations where tension and nervousness take over. Even if you try to overcome this nervousness, your body's reactions betray this state and sometimes tend towards physiological discomfort. Here ar

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In life, it's sometimes difficult to escape certain situations where tension and nervousness take over. Even if you try to overcome this nervousness, your body's reactions betray this state and sometimes tend towards physiological discomfort. Here are some tips to help you conceal your nervous behaviour so that you can tackle any of life's stressful situations without apprehension.

You feel your adrenaline pumping and your stomach churning. You sweat more, your cheeks get flushed and sometimes a nervous tic appears: the knee jumps intermittently, the foot tightens, you start biting your nails or the flow of speech goes into overdrive. These reactions, although normal, can be very embarrassing. How can you overcome and get rid of nervousness?

Breathe

Nervousness disrupts normal breathing. In a state of agitation, breathing becomes irregular and shallow. It's hardly surprising, then, to feel like you're faltering in such a situation. When you're feeling nervous, remember to take a few deep breaths and return to your normal breathing cycle. Paused breathing will help you relax.

Never admit to being nervous

Admitting that you're nervous is the worst thing you can do, because you're focusing on all the unpleasant physical manifestations that happen to your body when you're agitated.

Speak slowly

When you're nervous, you speak too quickly. Be aware of this and pause to speak more slowly.Even if the flow of words then seems too soft, there is a good chance that listeners will find it quite correct.It's better to leave a meeting having delivered the message clearly than to leave the listener still wondering what you've meant.

Relaxing

Quickly take stock of your body and deliberately try to relax and calm your nervous symptoms. Relax tense muscles and sit up straight, but in a relaxed position.Make sure your feet and hands are relaxed and still.Relax your facial muscles too, so you don't look angry or worried.

Maintaining eye contact

When you don't maintain eye contact with the person you are speaking to or with the audience, you let your nervousness show through. Maintain eye contact without insisting. However, there's nothing wrong with indulging in a bit of rambling from time to time while looking away.

Asking questions

If you feel nervous and have difficulty expressing your thoughts, ask a question. When you ask a question, the focus is on others and not on yourself. This will give you the time you need to catch your breath, calm down and gather your thoughts to better define what you are trying to explain.

Being yourself

Always remember that you're fine just the way you are.Stop focusing on the fact that everything has to be perfect. Look at every situation knowing that you're bound to make a mistake. After all, we're human beings like everyone else.Don't force yourself to smile, and avoid silly jokes.Let conversations flow naturally, smile or joke when the situation allows.

Are you still nervous?

According to the Harvard Business School, turn nervousness into excitement. For example, instead of saying that you're nervous, think that you're simply excited by the situation.In stressful situations (taking part in karaoke, giving a speech in front of an audience or taking a maths exam), people who hide their nervousness and replace it with excitement perform better than those who say they are calm.Channelling nervousness into excitement allows you to focus on the positive results instead of all the negative aspects of agitation.

Recipe: 1.5l of water + 5 tablespoons of dried hibiscus flowers or bissap + 3 sprigs of fresh mint + ½ of a ginger root. Wash the flowers and place in a saucepan with the water and sliced ginger, then bring to the boil for 25 minutes.After 25 minutes, remove from the heat and add the mint leaves.Leave to cool completely. Pour the liquid through a sieve to separate the flowers from the juice. Add the sugar to the juice.Store the juice well.Take this juice 2 times a day for 1 week.Always accompany it with a healthy, balanced diet of fruit and vegetables.Do 15 to 30 minutes of exercise every day.

Abel OZIH

Article validated by Dr Zinsou Selom Degboe, Clinical Psychologist/Psychotherapist at the Department of Psychiatry and Medical Psychology (SPPM), Addiction Specialist at the CHU Campus (Lomé).