How To Calm Down Before An Interview

12 simple ways on to calm your nerves before and during an interview is to use relaxation techniques. Before an interview, imagine how you would ideally want to present yourself in the interview and then visualize yourself in the interview.

By Brad Nakase, Attorney

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Table of Contents

1. Take a stroll to calm your nerves

2. Make use of the S.T.O.P. Method

3. Become Ready for the Worst

4. Create an Interview Cheat Sheet

5. Make A Plan To Do Something After The Interview Is Over

6. Eat a Healthy Lunch or Breakfast

7. Give Self-talk Affirmation

8. Call To A Friend Who Can Motivate You

9. Listen To Music

10. Smile

11. Make Adrenaline Out of Your Stress

12. Remember That It is Just A Conversation

You’ve researched every question that could be asked during an interview. You did your research on the business. It seems like years have passed since you began preparing and waiting for this day, but it’s almost here. But you’re nervous before the interview. It might only be an hour or just a few minutes away, but you want to take action to regain your composure before it happens. Remember, knowing how to not be nervous for an interview can enhance your confidence significantly. Thank goodness that you’re currently reading this because one of our 12 tried-and-true methods for reducing interview anxiety can help you relax at this moment.

1. Take a stroll to calm your nerves

Consider taking a walk around the block before your phone interview, or if you are feeling really ambitious, go for a jog and let out all those good endorphins. If you’re meeting in person, give yourself five minutes to relax and stroll around the premises, before you enter. Walking is a great way to relax before an interview, helping clear your mind.

2. Make use of the S.T.O.P. Method

This is the best mental approach for handling any stressful circumstance like feeling nervous before the interview, according to executive instructor Chris Charyk. This is how it works:

Stop your work and give your ideas your full attention.
Take deep breaths a few times.
Observe your physical, mental, and emotional states as well as the reasons for your feelings.
Proceed with the intention of integrating what you experienced in your actions.

The key to using this strategy effectively is to take your time and be thoughtful about both the things you do and the emotions you allow to control you. It serves as a reminder that even under the most stressful circumstances like feeling nervous before the interview, you have the ability to overcome your own anxieties, uncertainties, and jitters. Techniques on how to calm nerves before an interview, such as the S.T.O.P. Method, are invaluable.

3. Become Ready for the Worst

Your fear can always be addressed, no matter how serious the issue is. Among the many things you must always bring with you for an interview, include floss and a small mirror. Concerned that you won’t have a suitable answer for a challenging query? If you don’t know the answer, be active and figure out how to hide your tracks. Anticipating ahead allows you to feel genuinely secure in the knowledge that you are equipped to deal with any situation that may arise. Understanding how to calm down before an interview by preparing for the worst-case scenario reduces anxiety.

4. Create an Interview Cheat Sheet

Being prepared is just as vital as being ready for the worst. If you are feeling nervous before the interview, it decreases as you increase your readiness. In order to prepare for the interview, make an entry on your mobile device of all the essentials, like the time, the precise location of the building, the full name of the recruiting manager, the queries you have, and the three key points you want to cover in the interview. When you pull the mobile device just before you’re called in, you’ll feel like you’ve got everything figured out. Making a cheat sheet is a practical step on how to not be nervous for an interview.

5. Make A Plan To Do Something After The Interview Is Over

Even if you would not want to sweat uncontrollably for 2 hours in a room with a stranger, what would motivate you to persevere through this? A pleasant dinner? A head massage? A Netflix binge with your bestie and your dog? Whatever it is, plan for something to be waiting for you once you’re through so that, rather than your nervousness, you have a wonderful thing to look ahead to and concentrate on. Planning a post-interview activity is an effective strategy on how to relax before an interview.

6. Eat a Healthy Lunch or Breakfast

A wonderful meal precedes an excellent interview. Some choose to follow a healthy path, including foods high in antioxidants that promote energy. For others, it can mean indulging in their favorite food favorites. Nobody can deliver a good interview response while they are famished, so simply do what feels good for you. There is no right or wrong answer—just what feels best for you. Nutrition plays a key role in how to calm nerves before an interview.

7. Give Self-talk Affirmation

Speaking with oneself is not crazy; in fact, it’s sensible (and a medically verified way to help with self-motivation). Remind yourself of everything you have to hear: you’re brilliant, you’re a good fit for this position, and you’ll succeed. Pronounce it aloud and do it with assurance to ensure it sticks. Just be careful to locate a peaceful area to do it. Affirmations are a powerful tool on how to not be nervous for an interview.

8. Call To A Friend Who Can Motivate You

There is nothing more satisfying than the support of a loving, upbeat friend or relative. Calling my mother ahead of a significant, stressful event has helped me a lot, and I’m not embarrassed to do it even as a grown-up. In other words, if you are feeling nervous before the interview and you’re not able to give yourself the motivation you require, let somebody else. A supportive phone call can significantly impact how to calm down before an interview.

9. Listen To Music

Alternatively, anything else that inspires you (a talk by your favorite, a podcast). In this manner, you can replace any negative thoughts in your mind with enthusiasm and vitality. Listening to uplifting music or content is a simple yet effective method on how to not be nervous for an interview.

10. Smile

There’s no denying that smiling increases confidence—even if you only pretend to smile—so what could possibly go wrong? I am aware of the response: none. Furthermore, you will increase the recruiting manager’s liking of you if you maintain it for a long enough period. Smiling not only boosts your own confidence but also leaves a positive impression, aiding in how to relax before an interview.

11. Make Adrenaline Out of Your Stress

According to studies, declaring “I’m enthusiastic” before a public speech yields better results than “I’m composed,” because adrenaline and nervousness are significantly associated. Hence, it’s a good thing if your heart is racing and you’re shaking. Adopt it. One can still feel heightened, but it will help them perform better rather than hamper them if they reframe their anxious energy as joyful energy. Turning stress into adrenaline is a unique approach to how to calm nerves before an interview.

12. Remember That It is Just A Conversation

Ultimately, if you are getting nervous before the interview, keep in mind that you are not facing a shark or leaping out of a plane. You going to be speaking to one or possibly two individuals, enjoying a pleasant discussion regarding your professional life. Remembering that an interview is just a conversation can significantly reduce nerves, illustrating how to calm down before an interview.

Have a quick question? We answered nearly 2000 FAQs.

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How To Calm Down Before An Interview

1. Take a stroll to calm your nerves

2. Make use of the S.T.O.P. Method

3. Become Ready for the Worst

4. Create an Interview Cheat Sheet

5. Make A Plan To Do Something After The Interview Is Over

6. Eat a Healthy Lunch or Breakfast

7. Give Self-talk Affirmation

8. Call To A Friend Who Can Motivate You

9. Listen To Music

10. Smile

11. Make Adrenaline Out of Your Stress

12. Remember That It is Just A Conversation

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