When it comes to feelings, you know the basics: fear, anger, joy, sadness, anticipation, etc. Each one can feel drastically different from the others, but they are more similar than you may think. One example of this are the feelings of nervousness and excitement. To us, they are two completely different sensations, but the chemical reaction in our brain that causes each feeling to occur is the exact same.
In an interview with Business Insider, Harvard Business School professor Allison Wood Brooks said that when most people feel nervous, their first reaction is to attempt to calm themselves. But this can actually be counterproductive. Because you are already in a state of high arousal, utilizing that energy to your advantage is the way to go. “Excitement is a similar state of high activation making it much easier to switch to,” the article said. “It also allows anxiety-inducing tasks to then be perceived as opportunities.”
This means that if you can trick yourself into thinking that you are excited rather than nervous, you can ultimately perform better. This is because excitement motivates us where fear and nervousness can force us to panic and react negatively in situations. However, the hormones that keep us vigilant, alert and awake are not necessarily a bad thing. So simply switching the label of the feeling can completely alter the way we perceive our surroundings.
I had my first chance to test this theory last week during a class presentation. Worth almost 50% of my grade, this presentation had a lot riding on it. And being that public speaking is not a strength of mine, I was extremely nervous. I had been preparing for this moment for the majority of the semester and felt confident in the material, but as I sat down for my first class of the day, I could feel the butterflies building up. Admittedly, I spent the hour reading over my presentation notes rather than paying attention in class – a completely separate issue in education that we can discuss at another time. I even read through my notes as I walked across campus from one class to the next to get in as much last-minute preparation in as I could.
The problem? I was already prepared. Over-preparation can hurt you just as much as under preparation in some cases. When you over-prepare, you tend to memorize a script, and if that script gets changed (whether it’s by a group member, a distraction in the classroom or a question by the professor), you are ill-prepared to adapt and the rest of your presentation falls apart.
So when I finally arrived to the class, rather than spending the four presentations before mine preparing my every word, I tried to calm my nerves. Deep breathing and distractions can work great, but when I remembered Brooks’ advice, I decided to change my strategy. I decided to tell myself that I was excited for my presentation in every way possible. I was excited to be sharing what I had been working so hard on. I was excited to teach my class about my topic. Most of all, I was excited to get it over with. And it worked! Not only did I feel physically better and more confident, but I also felt happy to be getting up in front of my peers – something that never usually happens. Of course, I still had butterflies, but they were in the form of excited jitters rather than genuine panic.
I know what you’re thinking: that was just one presentation, there’s no way this can work on a larger scale. But it can! While there are many examples of this, one that proved to be successful was Kellie Pickler on Dancing with the Stars in 2013. Her professional partner Derek Hough admitted that even though she was a good dancer, she experienced severe stage fright before each show that affected her performances as well as her scores. One night, Hough told her to say out loud that she was excited. It was as simple as that. That performance was great, her scores drastically improved and this mantra become a tradition before each performance. She went on to end the show with a perfect score on her final three dances and even won the season!
In his interview on The School of Greatness Podcast, Hough echoes Brooks’ point. “What you focus on is what you feel,” he said, “so let’s focus on the solutions. Let’s focus on the tools that we need in order to achieve what we want.”
Next time you’re feeling your nerves get the best of you, try this! Tell yourself that you are excited, that you can succeed and that this will work out. You may just get better results…