How do you feel whenever you go up on the platform to give a presentation? How about on normal or big events? If you’re heart rate increases for upcoming events and to the simple thought of giving a speech or report to your team, causing you poor concentration and other problems, you may have anxiety.
Anxiety, among many other emotional triggers, can take a toll on your mental and physical health, hold back your career, slows down your motivation to reach your goals, as well as put a hindrance between your relationship with other people. You can’t just shrug these emotional issues off, you need to face them and fight it.
When you sense your anxiety lurking around the corner, don’t think twice to fight it and conquer it. Here are a few ways how:
Learn to recognize the signs. If you feel your heartbeat pounding, your knees trembling, your face flushing, and your mental focus breaking down, you’re going through panic and your anxiety slowly builds up.
These can be your personal signs of anxiety, it can vary but these are the common signs that can trigger emotional rollercoaster. You need to figure out what goes inside you when an anxiety attack is about to happen so you can counterbalance or level with those emotions, and prevent any shouting or emotional breakdown as repercussions.
Expose yourself to your fears. If you have fear in public speaking, presenting, or even fear of large dogs, and other activities that make you anxious, expose yourself toward them.
You may think at first, it can only make it worse but it won’t. It can dramatically improve your self-esteem and manage your emotional issues out of the way. Getting out of your safe box and exposing yourself to your fears and new things will help you overcome your anxiety and encourages you to learn how to handle this issue.
Be rational. Deep under your empty and diluted thoughts is the fuel to your motivation. Don’t let these conceptions can shape negatively your performance and personal life; don’t let it compromise your optimism.
Instead of letting your nerves get the best of you and thinking “I can’t do it,” or “I’m going to lose it,” think rationally: “I’ve done this before/been in this situation before, I’ll get through this.”Social anxiety can take you out in a heartbeat but it’s easier to manage than battle. You’ll just have to expose yourself out there and speak up.
Practice deep breathing exercises. Before you step up on stage and give a quick speech or lead your meeting with a presentation, manage your stage fright or anxiety by practicing breathing techniques. It will help calm your nerves down and clear your head of distractions.
Count to ten. Inhale and exhale. Focus your mind on your breathing and nothing else. Then, feel relaxed and calm, then off you go to speak. It’s a powerful tool and it’s easy to do.
Add exercise to your routine. You no longer should think that exercise is only good for your physique, it’s one of the best methods that help deal with stress, anxiety, and the works. So pick yourself up and run! Force yourself to go the gym and sweat the stress.
Talk it out. You have a lot of people to talk to: your family, close relatives, friends, colleagues, and if you’re looking for professional help, don’t be ashamed to see a therapist. Open up about what’s bothering you and allow them to help you.
If you’re taking it slowly and not yet ready to talk your personal or professional issues, or other issues with anyone, journaling is a great way to release the stress and keep what’s bugging you off your mind. Regardless of which method you choose to begin with, both are life-changing ways to lift the weight off your shoulders.
Get enough sleep. Your stress and anxiety can cause irregular sleeping patterns or lack thereof can seriously affect your mental, emotional, and physical health. Track your sleep and set a goal of at least 7 to 9 hours of beauty sleep. This shall help get put you in a good mood for the rest of the day.
Smile a lot and exuberate positivity. There’s nothing more that can almost instantly uplift your mood other than smiling and taking your mind off of anxiety-inducing activities/events, and going to your happy place.
However, if nothing else works effectively and what you need is to get an air, take a break.
Anxiety and stress can damage our mental and physical health so take better care of yourself. Whenever you feel your anxiety coming up right before you do your much prepared for a work presentation, do your breathing technique and think happy thoughts.
What methods have helped you fight your battle with anxiety? Help a stranger out, share it with us!
Featured image by Felix Plakolb/Unsplash
About the author: Aside from providing tips and hacks in personal and career development, Chie Suarez is also a resident writer for The Fordham Company—one of Australia’s top celebrity management companies and a major celebrity speakers bureau.