Social situations such as stage singing, presentation, competition, and so on can easily make one nervous.
Being nervous in a social situation is normal, you just have to learn to deal with it. It is just a feeling of fear of what can happen. It is not yet the reality. You do not have to believe everything that comes with it.
It is a natural response to a stressful event. It can be controlled no matter how susceptible you think you are to the feeling.
Do you think you easily become nervous and you think you can’t control it? Or there is this one thing that always gets you nervous every time you attempt it. It is normal and it can be dealt with.
1. DON’T BE AFRAID OF BEING NERVOUS:
Nervousness is a feeling or a negative emotion. They are not usually the main enemy. The main enemy is not real. Being nervous only makes you feel you can’t handle what is to come.
You have to, first of all, accept the fact that you are nervous and you have to deal with the reason behind you being nervous.
Emotions exist for a reason, which is to act as an alarm to inform you about what is going on so you can act accordingly. But we usually make the mistake of accepting defeat already at the beginning when we can still deal with the situation.
Nervousness is a natural reaction and we all feel it from time to time. You just have to be patient with yourself.
Next time you feel nervous, just tell yourself it’s a natural feeling and everything is okay. It is just your body way of preparing you for what’s coming which is usually something that’s outside your comfort zone.
2. ALWAYS PREPARE:
You can’t compare the confidence of a student who read before an exam with that of the one that did not read.
Of course, you can’t always predict everything that life throws your way. But a lot can be dealt with if you can prepare in advance.
Rehearse your songs properly before climbing the stage, practice your presentation before presenting. When you always prepare for any social situation you find yourself doing it easily even with fewer preparations.
3. DON’T BE LATE TO AVOID BEING NERVOUS:
A lot of people arrive at the location of their presentation late or just right on time. No matter prepared you are, there would be a tension in you that needs to relax.
Arrive at the location as early as 30 minutes to the scheduled time. So you have time to adapt to the environment and even know your audience before performance or presentation or whatever the case may be.
4. STAY POSITIVE
The feeling of being nervous usually comes with some level of doubt. You are tempted to doubt your abilities. You start to create reasons why you cannot do what you want to do.
At this point, you need to find ways to get yourself into a more positive state of mind. Speaking positive words out loud usually works well. Focus on your goals and how you have worked hard to get what you desire. You can put on an uplifting song or movie.
5. FIND SOMEONE TO TALK TO:
One way to stay positive is to find somebody that can talk you into believing in yourself. Call your mom, best friend, or anyone else you trust.
They can help you see the situation in a more rational light.
Talking with someone is very effective, not just anybody but somebody very positive.
6. TRY TO RELAX
One of the reasons why you have to arrive at the location for the presentation or performance early is so you have time to relax.
Being relax is very important. Breathing exercises are just one to practice relaxation. Do whatever you need to do to be relaxed.
7. TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF TO AVOID NERVOUSNESS
This might sound awkward but haven’t you seen organizers of a program who are also supposed to present, so much stress themselves so bad while trying to organize things. At the end of the day, they perform with less of themselves.
You have to take care of yourself, make sure you are resting. Have enough sleep and avoid being cold before any presentation so you won’t end up freezing when presenting.
8. DISTRACT YOURSELF
Distract yourself here does not mean losing focus on your goal. It means transferring your attention away from your nervous feelings into something. This can help reduce negative emotions in the short term.
Play a game, watch a movie, cook, clean, take a bath e.t.c. but never resort to drinking or getting drunk. You can move around in other to release some tension and hence reduce your nervousness.
9. FACE YOUR FEARS
Facing your fears is a way to deal with nervousness in a long term. Keep doing what you are nervous about over and over. This may help boost your confidence and reduce nervousness.
The idea is a pretend that you are confident about what you are doing. You fake it until you make it.
10. CONSIDER TREATMENT.
I left this for the last because it is most likely not needed. But sometimes a therapist or psychologist can help you treat your nervousness.
Although, being nervous is different from anxiety disorder but a certain level of nervousness needs a professional to help deal with it.
In conclusion, know that everybody gets nervous sometimes, dealing with it is what differentiates us all.
See also;
How to go from friends to lovers – Platonic relationship to romantic relationship
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