Performances, exams, competitions: how to calm down before the moment that matters

Nerves before a talk, a concert, a match or an exam are normal: the body is getting ready for something that matters. The goal is not to make the nerves disappear but to stop them getting in the way of what you can do.

Here: a routine for the last 10 minutes before the event (timed, works in a corridor and offline), a longer out-breath, and what to do in the two weeks before: rehearsal under pressure, mental rehearsal, a plan for when something goes wrong.

If fear of performing makes you give up things that matter to you — study, work, the stage — or the nerves do not let go for weeks, it is worth talking to a psychologist.