A minute before going on, Mira’s heart is pounding. What should she tell herself?

“I’m excited”. The body’s arousal is already there and hard to remove in a minute. Calling it excitement channels the energy into the talk, as in the 2014 study.

How do you do a physiological sigh?

In through the nose, a short top-up sip, then a long slow breath out through the mouth. The double inhale opens the lungs and the long exhale calms the nervous system. An out-breath longer than the in-breath is the key.

Nerves as fuel

Lesson 5 of 16 in the course “Speak with Confidence”. Free, with animations and a quiz.

Fear and excitement feel the same

Before you go on, your heart pounds, your breathing speeds up and your body buzzes with energy. Your body feels exactly the same before a concert by your favourite band or a first date. The difference isn’t in your body but in what you call it. “I’m scared” makes you look for danger. “I’m excited” makes you look for a chance.

“I’m excited”

In a 2014 Harvard Business School study, participants said out loud before a public speech either “I am calm” or “I am excited”. The second group did clearly better: observers rated them as more persuasive, confident and competent. Calming down in a minute is nearly impossible, but renaming your nerves is easy. That’s why in the trainer you’ll say it out loud.

The physiological sigh

The fastest way to bring panic down is breathing with a long exhale. Breathe in through the nose, top it up with a second short sip, then breathe out slowly and fully through the mouth. In a 2023 Stanford study, five minutes a day of this breathing improved mood and reduced anxiety more than the same time spent meditating. Before you go on, two or three rounds are enough.

Myth: the superhero pose

A 2010 study claimed that two minutes in a “power pose”, hands on hips, lowers stress hormone and adds courage. Tens of millions of people watched the talk about it. But in a large 2015 replication the hormones didn’t change, and one of the authors later wrote that she doesn’t believe the effect is real. Standing open is comfortable and pleasant, but there’s no magic button: breathing and preparation are what work.

The best cure is preparation

Fear feeds on the unknown, so remove it. Learn the first 30 seconds word for word: the start is the scariest part, and it’ll run on autopilot. Say the talk out loud at least five times. Arrive early and stand where you’ll speak. Chat with a couple of people from the audience before you start: on stage you’ll see familiar faces, not “a crowd”.

Check yourself

A minute before going on, Mira’s heart is pounding. What should she tell herself?
Correct answer: “I’m excited”. The body’s arousal is already there and hard to remove in a minute. Calling it excitement channels the energy into the talk, as in the 2014 study.
How do you do a physiological sigh?
Correct answer: In through the nose, a short top-up sip, then a long slow breath out through the mouth. The double inhale opens the lungs and the long exhale calms the nervous system. An out-breath longer than the in-breath is the key.
A friend tells Mira to stand in a “superhero pose” for two minutes so hormones make her bold. What’s true?
Correct answer: The hormone effect didn’t hold up in replications; breathing and preparation work better. In a large 2015 replication the hormones didn’t change, and a co-author dropped the conclusions. An open stance doesn’t hurt, but it isn’t magic.

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