For many of us, there’s nothing more stressful than a job interview. While it may be easy to get nervous, you’ll want to try your hardest to stay calm and show your competency and professionalism during an interview.
Whether you realize it or not, body language shows anxiety. Outside of taking the time to prepare for an interview, one of the best ways to calm your nerves is with deep breathing exercise, which help to calm nerves and relieve tension.
Deep breathing exercise (as explained below) are best used on your way to an interview or while you’re waiting in the lobby for your interview to begin. But, if you’re interview has already begun and you’re still feeling anxious, take a deep breath before you begin answering each question. This will give you time to collect your thoughts before you begin speaking.
Looking for more ways to ease your nerves before your next interview? Check out some of our other interview tips here.
Steps for Deep Breathing
- Sit up straight in your chair or stand up nice and tall with your arms at your sides.
- Place your hand over your diaphragm.
- Breathe in deeply through your nose while counting to ten.
- Hold your breath for five counts.
- Exhale slowly through your mouth while counting to 10.
- Repeat as necessary.