5 Mindful Methods for Coping With Interview Anxiety

Clammy hands, upset stomach, 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.

People will tell you it’s all in your head—and technically, they’re not wrong. Did you know that your brain is directly connected to your gut? This magic connector is the Vagus nerve, and it’s responsible for telling your brain that your gut feeling is important. It deals with the parasympathetic nervous system and helps you breathe, controls your heart rate, and is responsible for the release of acetylcholine—the “chill out” nerve. Empowered with this knowledge, we’ve determined five ways to help calm your nerves before your next interview.

Food for Thought

Did you know the bacteria in the gut digest the food you eat and uses it to create neurotransmitters? So, 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. So 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.

Clear the Clutter

Feng Shui ias 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 show the colours green and blue (more specifically, greenery and water) reduce psychological distress and promote better mental health. So pour that coffee, declutter, and delight in a new room or space next time you’re prepping for an interview.

Free Your Mind

This one is pretty obvious, 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.

Visualize Your Success

Visualizing your goals is a 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 actually 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).

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.

ElevenEleven Talent Collective.
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