Make an Ally of Anxiety

Sweaty palms, rapid heartbeat, flushed cheeks, and trembling extremities. Anxiety can be a showstopper. Or it can be something else entirely. For many years we’ve been teaching our clients to reframe their relationship with anxiety—thinking of it as the “juice”-- extra energy that can power public speaking, job interviews, and other high-pressure situations. Recent research, cited in The New York Times  by psychologist Alicia Clark, author of Hack Your Anxiety, continues to show how “anxiety can be a pathway to our best selves.”
 
It is actually our fear of anxiety that makes it so powerful. The more we try to suppress it, the more it debilitates us. A large-scale study from the University of Wisconsin (https://bit.ly/2zHjFge) demonstrated that how we think about anxiety and stress can change the way those feelings affect us. Regardless of actual stress levels, the less detrimental we believe the feeling is, the less so it will be. (Tweet it!) So, Clark advises:
 

• Label the feeling – and then re-label it: Re-appraise it as something that can be helpful. Instead of calling it anxiety, stress, nervousness or fear switch to excitement, exhilaration, energy, juice.
• Aim for the sweet spot:  While an overload of anxiety can be harmful, it’s also problematic to have none. Anxiety about giving a presentation, for example, can power the focus and energy we need to be our best.

 
How do you cope with anxiety, especially in a performance situation? To join the conversation, click "comments" above.
 
If you would like to learn more about creating a habit around masterful communication, check out our online learning programs. 

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