Hello you,
If you're here it means something important is coming up,
Maybe a meeting,
A talk,
An interview,
A performance or any other challenge.
Know that it's natural to feel nervous,
That flutter in your chest,
The racing thoughts,
The restless energy,
It shows that you care.
We won't push these feelings away,
But we will invite a steadiness beneath them.
Nervousness is energy and energy can be shaped,
So today we'll learn to shape it into calm presence and confidence.
So let's begin.
Find a comfortable seat or lie down if that feels better and you can and let your body settle feeling supported by the surface beneath you.
Close your eyes if you're comfortable or soften your gaze and then let's take a moment to settle together.
Take a deep breath in through the nose and sigh it out softly.
Again inhale and exhale fully.
And then allow your breath to return to its natural rhythm.
Before anything big,
Nerves arrive.
They sneak in as a tight chest,
Restless hands or that buzzing feeling in the stomach.
Maybe you know it well or maybe you're feeling it right now.
It means that you care.
It means that what's ahead matters.
So we won't force those feelings away,
But for the next minutes we'll settle them.
Not by fighting the nerves,
But by standing on steadier ground beneath them.
So wherever you are and whatever might be coming for you,
Pause,
Feel your feet on the floor,
Real and solid and imagine the earth beneath you,
Wide,
Unmoving and steady,
Holding all your nerves,
All that energy without question.
Imagine roots growing from your feet deep into earth.
These roots hold you steady and connected to something vast and unshakable.
No matter what's ahead,
You are grounded and you're also allowed to feel nervous,
But you're also allowed to feel steady.
It's natural to feel this way.
Before any important moments,
The mind races,
The heart quickens,
But underneath that,
You're still steady,
Still capable.
Now bring your attention gently to your body and notice any areas that are holding nervous energy.
Maybe it's your jaw that needs release,
Your shoulders that need to drop,
Your belly that needs to soften.
Let everything soften.
Even 5% is enough and you don't have to raise the nerves,
Just loosen their grip.
So scan through that body of yours slowly,
Your face,
Your hands,
Your legs,
Your feet,
Releasing any tightness wherever you can.
Feel space grow around those places like clouds gently drifting apart.
Your event ahead is not a test or an assessment of your worth or your qualities.
It's simply a moment to be present and do your best.
So let that sink in as you breathe slowly and steadily.
One moment of many and you've faced countless moments before and you're still here,
Stronger,
Wiser and ready for this next moment.
So breathe into that knowing,
Inhale steady and exhale grounded.
Let the edges of the nerves blur for a moment,
Not gone,
Just softened.
The energy is still there but it's yours to guide.
What feels like nerves is also energy,
Is also aliveness and you can use it to fuel your focus and your presence.
So picture this nervous energy shifting from tightness to lightness,
From chaos to calm and say softly,
Either aloud or in your mind,
I am capable,
I am prepared and I am enough.
And now repeat,
I trust myself to handle what comes.
And if your thoughts start to wander or swirl,
Gently bring them back to your breath.
There's no rush,
No pressure and you're exactly where you need to be.
Remember that you don't need to be perfect,
You just need to be present.
So repeat after me again,
I am steady,
I am ready and my presence is strong.
And then let's take three more deep and nourishing breaths together.
Inhale calm and clarity,
Exhale tension and doubt.
Another inhale focus and strength and exhale fear and uncertainty.
One last inhale for presence and peace and one last exhale nervousness and rushing thoughts.
Remember you don't need to be perfect or fearless,
You only need to be present and true to yourself.
You're ready,
So good luck because you've got this.
You can open your eyes now and step into this moment with calm and confidence.
