Keep Calm and Don't Freak Out: 5 Ways to Cope with Nerves #NaBloPoMo

Nervousness comes in waves sometimes. You aren't expecting it and then it hits. Turns your stomach inside out. Makes you second guess yourself. Leaves sweat dripping from your brow.

Ok, sometimes it isn't as bad as that but being nervous can suck sometimes! Here are 5 ways I cope when I'm nervous:

1. Take a deep breath, or five - 
I don't know why, maybe it's the extra oxygen I'm sending to my brain, but as soon as I take a few deep breaths I immediately feel better! And this doesn't have to sto at when you're nervous. This can also work for when you're scared, stressed, or upset.

2. Close my eyes and envision a serene scene - 
Now unless I'm being chased by a bear or am nervous that someone's following me (hello paranoia!) I find this very helpful. And it works perfectly with taking deep breaths. I simply close my eyes and go to my happy place. Similar to at the end of yoga where you breathe in and send the breath to different parts of your body to relax and calm them, I do this while imagining ocean waves, birds chirping, and the sun shining.

3. Talk it out -
Usually I'm nervous because I build up whatever the situation is inside of me. Whether its being paranoid about what's going on around me, getting up to speak in front of a crowd, or meeting a new group of people for the first time. If I talk out the situation in advance either out loud to myself or with my husband or a friend. This allows me to prepare, calm my nerves, and really come to grips with why I'm nervous.

4. Imagine what will happen when the nervous situation is over - 
Have a job interview? Think about the moment when you're on your way home, not the time you're in the interview. Speaking to a group of people? Imagine being done with the speech and enjoying the event or occasion. Have a tough test to take? See yourself being completely done with the test and back enjoying the freedom of not studying!

5. And when all of that doesn't work - grab a glass of wine!
Ok, ok. It might not be socially acceptable to drink before certain situations but if all else fails relax a bit with some alcohol can really make you feel a heck of a lot better. Shoot... it works for me when I'm not nervous! And if you can't drink... maybe some chocolate to release some endorphins?

What do you do to cope when you're nervous?