Leave the Stress Behind the Door: Tips From Interview’s Vocal Coach
“I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. I felt fear myself more times than I can remember, but I hid it behind a mask of boldness. The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear”. Nelson Mandela
These are words that spoke deeply to my heart. Here was a man who had been through great difficulties as he faced continual stress, anxiety and uncertainty, yet he found a way to walk through this pain and sought to inspire and encourage people in the world. Fear and stress are real and our bodies react to them. The interview is one of the occasions that people find difficult and stressful. As an interview’s vocal coach, I will advise some practices that help you to manage it well.
Stress hormones
Our brain is an organ that controls our feelings and emotions, such as fear, happiness, motivation and the list goes on. Another way of understanding our brain is to imagine a built-in alarm system in our body that beeps when something is not quite right. Somehow, we must actively and consciously set ourselves to have a positive mindset instead of a negative one; otherwise, we will find it difficult to face many periods of our life.
One key area that we can address this is in our work settings. In our work, we can be full of passion and excitement, but we will also encounter times when we feel anxious, inadequate, stressed and simply not understood.
Many of us will go into “Fight or Flight”, which can help in the short term, but learning how to leave the stress behind is very helpful in the long term ……
4-step course to leave the stress behind
Step 1: Make a list of the stress at work and another list of what makes you feel relaxed – even if it is only for 30 seconds – 1 minute.
For example, one person may feel stressed all the time, but the minute they listen to a song, they get caught up in it and forget feeling stressed. Or if there is a particular friend you talk to for 2 minutes, it will help you to switch off. Putting off making this list will hold us back. So, let’s make this an ACTION STEP by a specific date.
Step 2: Breathing points:
- Inhale and exhale, and ensure you take your time on the exhalation.
- Regulate the rate at which you inhale and exhale air. The trick is to keep this activity as natural as possible and not to let your shoulders become tight as you are doing it or start to feel dizzy.
- Breathe in on the count of 4 and exhale on the count of 8.
- After you do this, simply relax and breathe as you usually do.
Step 3: Find new hobbies and things to do when not at work.
I found this very hard to do in my own life until my husband pointed out to me that I seemed more focused when I left an issue behind and then re-visited it after taking a break. Since adding new hobbies to my list, they have made an enormous difference in my life, and I would encourage you to do the same.
Step 4: Stop blaming others!
I have met many people who are genuinely going through difficulties, but in life coaching sessions, I have listened to where they will point out all the people who were to blame and events that happened in their lives that hold them back.
I never thought about this too much until years ago; I met a client who was blind. As she spoke to me, she never mentioned her inability to learn or be educated. She never talked about people who would not understand that she had to do things differently. Instead, she spoke about how lucky she was to be able to notice and experience things in her life that the rest of her family were unable to have – such as a heightened smell of beautiful flowers, and the heightened sound of people walking into a room before others could see them. It taught me to include this as part of my teaching module to adult clients in their working situations, and many of the clients had said it worked when they started the 4-step course. Blaming others and using them as a handicap will only hold an individual back!!! Find an interview vocal coach and listen to them.
Conclusion
Find a new direction… Make a new decision… Create a new path to move forward.
Don’t be wrapped up in your world that you can’t develop the ability to look out for others. That is easier said than done, but it certainly empowers you to leave stress behind.
Bonus Notes: (written and supported by medical doctors)
Here is how your body can benefit from leaving stress behind:
- Manages how your body uses carbohydrates, fats, and proteins
- Regulates your blood pressure
- Controls your sleep and wake cycle
- It boosts energy, so you can handle stress and restores balance in your body.
I strongly recommend you to find a good interview vocal coach, learn the tricks and leave the stress behind the door when you open the door to the new opportunities in life.