Job interview mindset

Exploring various techniques and putting into practice the suggestions we will share below is critical to reducing nervousness. Through this process of experimentation, you will have the valuable opportunity to discover which approaches best suit your individual needs.

If, despite your best efforts, nerves persist and have a significant impact on your daily life, it would be highly advisable to seek the support of a mental health professional. In this way, you will be able to receive the proper guidance to manage and overcome your nerves in a healthy way.

Techniques: To properly manage your nerves, it is crucial to learn how to deal with them from the very beginning. Here are some techniques that may help you:

• Freewriting: Express your thoughts and emotions without restraint on paper, without worrying about grammar or consistency. This will allow you to unburden yourself emotionally and release pent-up tension.

• Movement: Incorporate physical activities that you find pleasurable, such as dancing, stretching or practicing yoga. Body movement stimulates the release of endorphins, hormones associated with well-being.

• Distraction techniques: Find an activity that absorbs and distracts you from your thoughts. It can be something creative such as drawing, painting, playing a musical instrument or even playing a video game.

• Moving meditation: Practice slow, mindful movements, such as tai chi or gentle yoga, instead of focusing only on breathing. These practices will help you to be present in your body and reduce anxiety.

• Listen to relaxing music: Before the interview, choose soft, soothing music to help calm your nerves. Music has the power to influence our mood and can be an effective tool to relax and distract.

• Relaxation ritual: Establish a personalized ritual before the interview that allows you to relax. You can light a scented candle, take a hot shower, read something inspirational or visualize a quiet place.

Express emotion: Another recommendation, although it may seem unusual, is to allow yourself to laugh or cry before the interview, depending on the emotion you feel is necessary. This has psychological and physiological underpinnings:

• Laughter has positive effects on our emotional well-being. When we laugh, our body releases endorphins, hormones that generate positive feelings, as mentioned above. These endorphins act as natural painkillers and can help relieve anxiety and reduce stress.

• In addition, laughter improves blood flow, increases oxygenation and stimulates muscle relaxation, which contributes to a sense of calm and tranquility.

• Allowing yourself to cry before an interview may seem counterintuitive, as we associate tears with negative emotions. However, crying also serves an emotional purpose and can be liberating. By crying, you allow pent-up emotions to surface, which can help reduce pent-up tension and provide relief. This gives you a sense of release and allows you to cope with the situation with greater mental clarity.

Self-massage: Self-massage is a technique that relies on the interconnection between the body and mind. By applying pressure or gentle movements to areas of tension such as the shoulders, neck or hands, muscle relaxation is stimulated and accumulated tension in the body is released.

Applying pressure to specific points on the body during self-massage has several benefits. One of them is the increase of flexibility and mobility of the joints. Gentle, conscious movements stimulate the nervous system, which can help reduce feelings of stress and promote deep relaxation.