How To Manage Your Stress During A Job Interview

Use Visualization Exercises

Take a deep breath, close your eyes, and imagine the perfect utopian place. It can be a real or imagined place, but let yourself feel, see, smell, hear, and taste the details of the imaginary location. 

If you prefer a slightly more realistic exercise, you can start by envisioning yourself succeeding at your interview. This form of visualization doesn’t allow your mind to adequately determine what’s real and what’s not, which is why it can work so well in a wide range of applications.

Use Rational Thinking

We all have negative thoughts that invade our minds from time to time. Instead of ignoring these thoughts, spend a few days writing them down. By putting pen to paper, you can really grasp whether there’s a reason you feel these thoughts and if they have any basis in truth. By challenging negative thoughts or beliefs, you remove the power and hold they have over you.

Replacing negative thoughts with powerful positive affirmations is another way to move forward. Write down these affirmations and repeat them when negative thoughts or feelings start to surface. You may also wish to use post-it notes to place these affirmations in often seen locations such as your bathroom mirror.

It can take time to break a bad habit, and experts agree that it takes at least 60 days for something to become a habit. This means you should exercise patience with yourself and give yourself some time to move forward.

Reframe Your Thoughts

By placing too much focus on how important a certain event is, you give it more power than is necessary. For example, by telling yourself how crucial your interview is to your success, you’re adding even more pressure. Use this opportunity to reframe how you think. A good example would be telling yourself that regardless of what happens, the interview is a great learning experience.

Another exercise you can take on is comparing your interview to a more important event that took place in the past. How does it compare? Chances are your other event dwarfs the interview, in which case, a reminder can change your mindset.

Prepare Yourself

Uncertainty is one of the most common reasons that your mind comes up with worst-case scenarios. Educate yourself about the upcoming interview in the social care profession, such as learning about the person(s) involved, studying the background of the company, and acquainting yourself with the location.

Listen To Calming Music

Some people find that relaxing music can help them calm down before a big event. Likewise, some people find that listening to a relaxation app can help them work wonders. In either case, make sure you choose a place to relax where you won’t get distracted and put others in danger.