Steadying Yourself When Nerves Hit
For the twenty minutes before something that matters — an interview, a scan, a hard conversation. It walks you through settling your body first, then your head, so the nerves have somewhere to go besides your chest.
Anxiety · Anxiety · Grounding · 8 items · whenever you need it
The checklist
- Name it plainly — Say “I am nervous” rather than “something is wrong with me.”
- Slow the out-breath — In for four, out for six, six rounds; the long exhale is the part that settles you.
- Put both feet flat on the floor — Press down and let the ground take your weight for a moment.
- Find five things you can see — Naming them moves your attention out of your head and into the room.
- Drop your shoulders, unclench your jaw — Nerves gather there first, and letting go tells your body the danger is not here.
- Drink some water — A dry mouth and a racing heart both ease a little with a few slow sips.
- Ask what you are preparing for — Nerves usually mean something matters to you, not that it will go badly.
- Plan the first thirty seconds — Know your opening line or first step so you are not deciding it while shaking.
Use this checklist Free account: tick items off and keep each day's record.
How to use it
Run through it whenever you need it, honestly and without scoring yourself. A checklist is a way of noticing, not a test: an item you cannot tick is information about the day, not a verdict on you. Over a few weeks the pattern of what gets ticked and what does not says more than any single pass.
With a free Theraglee account the checklist remembers each pass, so you can look back. Without one, you can still read it here and keep your own copy.