Ever gotten the jitters before something important?

Whether you are preparing for a speaking gig, a podcast interview, a performance on stage, or asking someone to marry you, if you're breathing and got a heartbeat, you'll deal with some level of the jitters. It might not be the same level each time, but it sure will be a match for how important something is to you. The truth is, if you didn't care, you wouldn't feel the jitters beforehand. It's only because something matters to you, something is important to you. And because you care, your body will respond accordingly. Some days the jitters can be at full volume and some days, they can be a babbling brook. Either way, it helps to have some strategies for how to deal with them before they arise.

5 tips for dealing with the jitters

1. The first thing to know is that physiologically, fear and excitement are the same thing in the body. It's us that labels the physical sensations 'fear' or 'excitement'. Are you scared? Or are you excited? You get to say. Tip: choose the interpretation that empowers you.

2. One of the quickest ways to soothe your nervous system, which gets all fired up when you have the jitters, is through the breath. The breath is our way to short-circuit stress, anxiety, and pre-performance jitters. Try this:

Take 2 quick breaths in, and one relaxing exhalation out. Repeat three times. This technique is one of the quickest ways to do a reset and interrupt any building anxiety. 

3. Remember what you care about. Remind yourself what's important to you about this. Focus on the greater outcome, not the physical sensations. Where your attention goes, the energy flows, so focus on the thing that makes you feel good. Are you doing this for someone in particular? What's the message you are delivering and what's important to you about that? True yourself up to something that feels good.

4. We all have some concern about how we'll be received by others. What if we mess it up? What if we don't look good? What if we are misunderstood. The good news is that it's not your business whose ears are open to your performance or message. That's between that person and source or the universe. What's your business is to deliver the piece you're there to share and give yourself fully.

5. Let go and have faith that everything is always working out magnificently for you. It always does. You've done whatever preparation you've done, you haven't done whatever you haven't done. Now you get to show up, in all your glory and know that you are enough. 

Bonus tip!

Shake it Off!! When an animal is chased by a predator, if they escape to safety, they literally shake it off and go on their merry way. (Not like humans who attach meaning to what happened!) Take a leaf out of Taylor Swift's book and shake those jitters off.

Showing up in and of itself can be an act of bravery. Just know, that I love you and the world needs you. We need your unique self, your unique expression and your unique voice. No one else does it quite like you do. So show up and give it your all.

I'm with you and cheering you on.

Love,

Danica 

Photo by Scott Webb on Unsplash