PSA: Crushed my presentation today while dying inside from anxiety

Had to give a short talk at work and actually got a round of applause, so I beamed and said it was no big deal. Truth is, my hands were shaking the whole time and I was sure I'd mess up. Hiding that level of nerves behind a happy face is exhausting, man. Anyone else get that after a win?

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4 Comments

christopher1807mo ago

Yeah that fake calm act takes so much energy. I like what sarahf99 said about the deep breaths, simple stuff can help a bit. The win is still totally real even if you were freaking out inside.

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sarahf997mo ago

Three deep breaths right before starting saved me last time.

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the_gray7mo ago

Man, I count backwards from five sometimes, works weirdly well.

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elliot_gibson277mo ago

Fake calm act" is a good way to put it. But doesn't that just feel like you're lying to yourself? I'd rather just let the freak-out happen and get it over with.

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