How to Overcome Nervousness
There’s a lot of pressure when auditions are coming up. You might find yourself fidgeting, palms sweating, heart racing…
Guess what? We’ve all been there!
Even the best and most confident of us pro cheerleaders started feeling nervous at some point in their journey.
To rephrase the proverb, let me just say, “To be nervous is human."
But there are ways to overcome nervousness. There are a bunch of crazy superstitions around to combat nervousness. If the coin under your feet and imagining the audience in their underwear or naked or even potatoes aren’t working for you, here are real ways that you can try:
1. Prepare and practice.
Prepare in advance. Mastery comes in doing something repeatedly and making room for improvements. The more you prepare and practice, the better you get and the more confident you feel. That’s a fact. Also, when you’re practicing, focus. Avoid having distractions around. Don’t constantly check your mobile phone. It can wait. This way, your practice will be more effective and you’ll be able to learn your routines faster.
2. Manage your expectations.
And when I say this, I don’t mean that you should remove them completely or that you should make them way lower. A lot of your anxiety will come from grand expectations of yourself. So make realistic expectations, instead, and have a plan when things don’t go your way.
3. Filter your thoughts and believe in your excitement.
Stop negative thoughts! Instead of drowning in nervousness, shift your mindset and tell yourself how excited you are. You will perfect your routine. Your hair and skin will be great. You’re going to be amazing in the audition, make it to the finals and finally become a pro cheerleader. Nothing is more motivating than the thought of reaching your dreams.
Read: Pro Cheer Advice: How to Stop Overthinking and Start Doing
4. Take a breather.
Inhale. Exhale. Yes, really! This is my fourth piece of advice. When your chest is pounding and you’re getting a hundred butterflies fluttering in your stomach, stop for a while and breathe in and out.
5. Focus on yourself.
The truth is not everyone is looking at your every movement, save for those who are probably envious of you. I don’t want you to feel unimportant by saying this, but I want you to be able to let go of the thought that people are watching your every move.
Sometimes, it makes us feel nervous when we see someone who seems to be doing a good job. You begin doubting yourself. Why can’t I move like that? Why is she better at this? All these questions, and poof, confidence gone! And you know another truth, when you’re too busy looking over your neighbor’s fence, they’ll go on with their lives. They will still sleep soundly at night, while your insecurities get the better of you. So go and focus on doing your own thing.
Read: Are You Worried About What Others Think of You?
6. Know that rejection happens.
You want yourself to succeed. I want you to succeed. No one dreams and sets themselves for failure, but when it does happen (and it’s going to feel awful), learn to accept it. Afterward, it’s up to you if you will let it break you or allow it to teach you.
7. Tap into courage.
I often talk about confidence, but this time I want you to tap your inner courage. Confidence is great, but sometimes, when it’s lacking, courage pulls us through. Confidence can easily be broken when you fail, and well, there will be chances for that to happen, and courage is the one that brings you back on your feet to try again. Whether you're confident enough or not, be courageous.
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