Background
Ten minutes before an interview, your heart is racing and your mind is rehearsing every answer. This short practice slows the breath, brings you back into your body and reminds you what you already bring into the room.
Read along
Practice sitting, and if you feel dizzy at any point, simply return to normal breathing.
Find a quiet corner, if you can. Even a bathroom stall or a parked car will do.
Put your phone face down. For the next few minutes, there is nothing to rehearse.
Notice what nerves feel like in your body right now. A faster heartbeat. Warm hands. A tight stomach, maybe.
That's your body getting ready to do something that matters. It's not a sign that something is wrong.
We'll just help it settle a little.
Breathe in through your nose for four.
Two. Three. Four.
And out through your mouth for six.
Two. Three. Four. Five. Six. Again. In. Out, slowly. In. Out.
Keep going like this on your own for a few breaths.
Now let your attention move down to your feet. Press them gently into the floor.
Feel the chair under you. The weight of your hands on your legs.
You are here. Not in the interview yet, not in the answers. Just here.
Now think of one moment in your work or your life that you're quietly proud of. Something you handled well.
You don't need to tell it perfectly. Just remember how it felt to get through it.
That person is walking into the room with you today.
They are not only judging you. You are also finding out whether this place is right for you.
It's alright to pause before answering. It's alright to say, "Let me think about that."
One more slow breath. In.
And out.
Roll your shoulders back. Let your face soften.
When you stand up, walk in a little slower than feels natural.
You've prepared. Now you can simply be there.