Some people seem to think that confident speakers simply don’t experience nerves. That’s not even close to what’s actually happening!
Nerves are like that one colleague who always comes to the meeting uninvited. The trick isn’t getting rid of them; it’s getting them to behave and perhaps even help.
When you feel nervous, your body goes into fight, flight, or freeze (awkwardly, by the screen, with your hands in weird positions). Your brain speeds up, your breathing changes, and suddenly you’re wondering where you are and if you’ve said your own name correctly.
Here’s are some techniques that you may find helpful:
1. Try saying to yourself, “This is adrenaline, not disaster.” Reframe the feeling, accept it, own it.
2. Slow your breathing (practise inhaling for 4, holding for 2, exhaling for 6; it signals safety to your nervous system).
3. Micro-practice. Speak up in low-stakes situations such as team check-ins, informal chats in the office, or simply explaining why the coffee machine’s broken. Again.
Conclusion:
You’ll never completely remove the nerves, but you can turn them into fuel. Think of them as an overexcited little monster; an unwelcome challenge, but if you guide them, they’ll bring energy and enthusiasm.