How to Stop Getting Nervous

It's normal to get nervous when asked to do a task that feels uncomfortable or to do something in front of a large group of people. Figuring out what the specific reasons are for those nervous feelings, and taking some time to deal with them, can help people move past their nervousness and successfully perform a variety of tasks. With a few simple techniques, most feelings of nervousness can be eliminated.

Instructions

Overcoming Nerves

• 1

  Be fully prepared for the task in advance. If you are fully prepared, and have left no stone unturned, you will be able to feel confident that you can perform your task. For example, if you have to give a speech on a certain topic, be sure to do a thorough amount of research and write the best speech you can. If you're fully prepared, you can avoid common fears such as making a mistake or freezing up in front of a crowd.

• 2

  Practice the task several times before you must perform it. By practicing, your body and mind get used to the motions, and much of the task becomes second nature. Familiarizing yourself with the task this much frees up your mind to deal with more pressing matters. Sticking with the example of giving a public speech, practice the speech out loud several times. This gives you a chance to hear how certain phrases will sound, and you can change them if necessary. It also gives you an idea of whether your speech is too short or too long. Knowing all of this before having to actually give the speech can help you feel more confident when it comes time to perform.

• 3

  Employ some simple relaxation techniques in the moments before you must perform the task. Easy things you can do are taking deep breaths and stretching out tensed muscles. Relaxation techniques help to calm your physical nervousness symptoms, such as increased heart rate and quickened breathing. By calming your body's nerves, you send messages to the brain that will help you fully relax and be able to concentrate. You can also employ these techniques in stressful situations to help deal with fear and anger and to handle the situation better.

• 4

  Remain in control the entire time. Even if your worst fears come true and you make a mistake, as long as you don't let your audience know that you are flustered, they will remain at ease. They may realize that you have made a mistake, but if you appear to have control of the situation, you won't lose credibility.