Three Simple Yet Effective Ways to Curb Nervousness at Work
It’s normal to feel occasional nervousness or anxiety at work — new projects, presenting to the team, important meetings can all trigger fear of judgment and pressure to perform. While some nervousness can be healthy, but in my experience, when it starts kicking in constantly, it really messes with both our mental health and performance.
The good news is, you don’t need complex methods or 100% perfect conditions to get nerves under control at work. In my opinion, just making a few subtle mindset and habit shifts can make a huge difference.
Understanding the Impact of Work Stress:
Harvard Health Blog’s Nicole J. LeBlanc and Luana Marques shed light on the physiological response to work stress — the fight-or-flight reaction. When faced with stressors like urgent emails or looming deadlines, our bodies kick into action, triggering increased heart rate, quickened breathing, and tense muscles. While this response is evolutionarily designed to help us navigate threats, chronic exposure can lead to burnout — a syndrome characterized by exhaustion, cynicism, and a diminished sense of efficacy.
In this Blog, I will be discussing about three straightforward techniques to rely on to curb anxiety and regain confidence on stressful days:
Journaling
Jotting down what’s making you anxious gets those feelings out of your head and onto paper. Writing about worries, fears or stressful situations diffuses their power over you. Set 5 minutes in the morning or evening for stream-of-consciousness journaling on what’s triggering your nerves. Capture them outside yourself. Julia Cameron, author of The Artist’s Way, calls this journaling technique “Morning Pages.” Cameron says, “There is no wrong way to do Morning Pages.” So, You can write straight up anything from your mind onto the paper.
Square Breathing
When you notice your nerves building before a meeting or presentation, this quick breathing exercise resets an overwhelmed nervous system. Inhale while counting to four, hold for four counts, exhale for four, hold empty for four. Repeat for several cycles. The deliberate, rhythmic breaths shift you from frenzied “fight or flight” to grounded calm.
Positive Self-Talk
I have to catch myself when my inner voice starts with the unhelpful “I’m going to blow this big time!” self-talk. Instead, I consciously replace it by writing and repeating mantras like “I’m prepared and at my best,” or “I have everything I need inside me.” It reframes my mindset from nervous to empowered.
While meditation, therapy or medication works for some, in my experience, quick on-the-spot tools like these make the biggest difference in shutting down work anxiety. They’re simple yet mighty mental power moves.
Of course, nerves may still come up. But by practicing these techniques to cool, calm and center myself regularly, I’m better able to show up as I want to be — focused, clear-headed and confident.
As poet and philosopher Ralph Waldo Emerson wisely said, “Do the thing you fear, and the death of fear is certain.”
Last Talk
The key is consistency — make them daily habits, especially on high-stress days. Notice when anxious thinking creeps up and intentionally shift your inner voice and breath to transcend the nerves. You’ll be amazed how quickly you move from flustered to focused with these simple yet powerful practices.
Confidence comes from preparation and experience. When you consistently show up as your calmest, most capable self at work by keeping nerves in check, anxiety loses its grip. You realize that you can handle challenges with clarity. And perform at your peak more often, minus the inner turmoil getting in your way.
Confronting those anxious moments head-on with the right tools in your mental toolkit, rather than running from nerves, is key to reducing their control over you.
Give these three techniques a try the next time you’re feeling worked up and see if they help you regain your cool at work too! You might override those anxious thoughts. Breathe easy and rediscover your inner well of stillness and self-assurance.