Interview Anxiety Be Gone – Five Mindful Methods To Ground Yourself
We’ve all been there – clammy hands, unsettled stomach, feelings of panic, and the sweats. These are the most common physiological responses to nervousness. It’s totally natural to feel this way before—and during— an interview, but understanding why just might help ease your anxiety.
You may have heard people tell you that it’s all in your head – technically, they’re not wrong!
Your brain is directly connected to your gut via a magic connector called the Vagus Nerve. It’s duty is to tell your brain that your gut feelings are important. The Vagus Nerve deals with the parasympathetic nervous system, which helps you breathe, control your heart rate, and releases acetylcholine – it’s commonly referred to as the “chill out” nerve. Empowered with this knowledge, we’ve determined five ways to help calm your nerves before your next interview.
1. Food is Fuel
Did you know the bacteria in the gut digests the food you eat and uses it to create neurotransmitters? This means that the food you eat directly affects your brain and how you feel – like that feeling when we eat too much junk and have a food hangover, or when we’ve treated our body as a temple and never felt better. Well, that’s science.
If you’re gearing up for an interview, start your day with a healthy diet. You’ll feel refreshed, rejuvenated, and ready to show up as your best self.
2. Clear the Clutter
Feng Shui is based on the belief that one’s surrounding environment harbours energy forces. More and more scientific findings are showing that your surroundings affect your mental health and well being. Recent studies have found that the colours green and blue (especially when implemented with greenery and water) reduce psychological distress and promote better mental health.
Pour that coffee, declutter, and delight in a new room or space next time you’re prepping for an interview.
3. Free Your Mind
This is our bread and butter at Chapter Two Meditation.
It feels like a no-brainer, yet it’s the one we seem to neglect the most. Carving out time for meditation, breathwork, or even a body scan can dramatically decrease the release of the stress hormone cortisol. Meditation is a common habit among highly successful people, since it brings them into the present moment and counteracts debilitating stress responses.
If you need some help getting started, try some of our favourite resources:
Chapter Two Founder, Tess Sloane’s, Insight Timer Meditations
Open for breathwork exercises and insights
Waking Up App by Sam Harris – Philosopher & Neuroscientist
4. Visualize Your Success
Visualizing your goals is a proven confidence-booster. We often look to past experiences to prepare us for future ones, and this can lead to a phenomenon called negativity bias. You might be fascinated to hear that this is an evolutionary habit we inherited to remember dangerous situations, but it’s not so helpful when we’re about to pitch for the role of our dreams. Replacing negative memories with positive consciousness can flip the script so you’re ready to take on the world (and this role).
Try this Day of Job Interview Visualization with Co-Founder, Tess Sloane, to get started!
5. Exercise Empathy
You know the saying “picture them naked”? This is basically a metaphor for “your audience are just people, too”. Remembering that your interviewer is only human, like you, can ground you in humanity and make the process more relatable.
As you prepare for your next meeting with a potential employer, try to practice at least one of these techniques to help ease your mind, calm your nerves, and fill your gut with good vibes.