Seven Ways You Can Overcome Pre-Interview Anxiety

Try these winning tips to help calm down, focus, and project your best self when first impressions are critical. 

1. Winning Visualisations – From Olympic athletes to top-level executives, a common practice for success is the frequent visualisation of success. Imagine yourself navigating the interview calm, poised, articulate and confident. When your brain sees you in a role, imagined or in real-life, the brain believes it. Practice regularly before the interview, and you will believe it too.
2. Laughter – It’s not only the best medicine, but it’s the best remedy for calming nerves as well. When you laugh, the body releases endorphins, and these endorphins work wonders for your mindset. To shake the jitters, flick on a comedy before your meeting to reframe your outlook and reduce stress.
3. Plan Ahead – Know your transportation route, try on your suit, rehearse your CV, and bring your fretting over details to a minimum, to keep your anxiety levels down.
4. Play Music – Take your mind off of your nerves by playing soothing or uplifting music. Turn on whatever will help positively energise or calm you. Try classical, upbeat jazz or even meditation music to mellow out your brainwaves.
5. Make a List – Before your thoughts get away from you, make a list to remind yourself to think positive. You got the interview for a reason. You can do this. Be Yourself. Smile. You’ll do great! Be your own cheerleader and squash negative thinking by consulting the list when you begin to feel anxious.
6. Smile – Smiling makes you feel good, but better still, it triggers a release of all the feel-good chemicals in your body to boost your mood and lower stress. It’s also contagious, so bring it to the interview, for a winning edge.
7. Take A Deep Breath – Chest breathing increases tension and anxiety in the body. If you are anxious, it’s likely you’re breathing shallow. To initiate the body’s relaxation response, take a few moments to breathe deep through your nose, hold for 2 seconds, then release.  Do this a few times and you’ll be on your way to feel energised and calm again.  

If you can remember these tools when you’re feeling off your game, you can shake your anxiety, and boost your confidence to show off your best side.