Welcome to this session.
Before we begin take a moment to arrive.
You don't need to fix anything.
You don't even need to achieve anything.
Just be here.
My name is Jason Wild and I've spent decades working in mental health and exploring meditation and consciousness.
Now what I've learned is simple.
Most of us are carrying more attention than we realize and the nervous system rarely gets a true break.
The space is that break.
There's no right way to do this.
If your mind wanders well that's okay and if you relax deeply well that's okay too.
Just follow my voice and let whatever happens happen.
So take one slow breath in and just let it go gently.
Now you're not here to eliminate anxiety.
You're here to understand it.
There is a difference.
So take another breath and a long exhale.
Performance anxiety is not a weakness.
It's an activation.
Your nervous system preparing you.
Your heart rate increases.
Your breathing shifts.
Energy rises.
Now this is not a malfunction.
This is mobilization.
Your body is getting ready to move,
To speak,
To act,
To be seen.
So notice your heartbeat.
Let it be faster if it is.
Now don't fight it.
When you fight activation it doubles and when you allow activation it organizes.
So take a slow breath in through your nose and then exhale longer than your inhale.
Long exhale tells your system it's steady.
So again inhale and a long exhale.
And now feel your hands.
Are they warm?
Are they cool?
Slightly tense.
Let your fingers soften.
Let the jaw unclench.
Let the tongue rest.
Adrenaline is not danger.
It's fuel.
Your body releases it so you can focus,
So you can react,
So you can perform.
The problem is not adrenaline.
The problem is the story about it.
So notice the story.
What if I mess up?
What if they judge me?
What if I freeze?
Let those thoughts move through like passing traffic.
You don't need to stop traffic.
You just don't step into it.
Now imagine the moment before a performance.
You're backstage or sitting in your chair or even about to speak.
Just feel that anticipatory buzz.
Instead of shrinking from it,
Lean toward it slightly and say quietly in your mind,
This is energy.
And again,
This is energy.
Energy is neutral until interpreted.
It can be fear or it can be focus.
Right now shift it toward focus.
So bring your attention now to the breath again.
Do a four-count inhale.
One,
Two,
Three,
Four.
And a six-count exhale.
One,
Two,
Three,
Four,
Five,
Six.
Inhale two,
Three,
Four.
And exhale for two,
Three,
Four,
Five and six.
And again,
Inhale for one,
Two,
Three and four.
And exhale two,
Three,
Four,
Five and six.
A longer exhale stabilizes the system.
So now imagine stepping into the moment,
Walking onto the stage,
Opening the meeting,
Beginning the conversation.
Now don't imagine perfection.
Imagine steadiness.
Feel your feet on the ground.
Feel the breath moving in your body.
You're allowed to be human while performing.
You're allowed to pause.
You're allowed to breathe.
You're allowed to make mistakes.
Now mistakes do not equal a catastrophe.
They equal humanity.
Notice the urge to control every outcome.
That urge that tightens the body.
Instead focus on one thing you can control.
Your breath,
Your posture,
Or even your next sentence.
Performance anxiety often tries to solve the entire future at once.
You only need to manage the next moment.
So now feel the energy in your chest.
Instead of calling it panic,
Call it readiness.
Your ancestors survived because their bodies mobilized quickly.
That same system now activates before a presentation.
It doesn't know the difference between a predator and an audience.
But you do.
So say quietly,
My body is preparing me.
And again,
My body is preparing me.
So now imagine speaking while feeling activation.
You don't need to be calm to be effective.
You need to be present.
So let your voice move even if your heart is fast.
Let your hands gesture even if they tremble slightly.
Trembling is not failure.
It's the electricity moving through muscle.
And electricity can power light.
Or it can power fear.
You choose the interpretation.
So take another slow breath.
And now notice your shoulders.
Drop them slightly.
And notice your face.
And now soften it.
Now imagine completing the performance.
The talk ends.
The meeting closes.
The test is finally finished.
Notice that the body settles afterward.
It always does.
Activation rises and activation falls.
It's a wave.
You don't live on the crest forever.
You ride it.
You bring attention back to the present moment.
You are here breathing safe.
It's not a stage right now.
Not being evaluated right now.
Your body is reacting to anticipation,
Not reality.
In this moment there's no threat.
So let that sink in.
Now feel your feet again.
Press them gently into the ground or the bed.
Feel your seat supported.
Notice the room around you.
Three things you can see.
Two things you can hear.
One sensation in your body.
This anchors you in reality.
Performance anxiety lives in the future.
Breath lives in the present.
So come back to the breath.
Inhale again.
And a long exhale.
You don't need to eliminate anxiety to perform well.
Many high performers feel activation.
They learn to interpret it as readiness.
And you can too.
So say quietly,
Energy can serve me.
And again,
Energy can serve me.
And now one more deep breath.
Slowly inhale.
And a long exhale.
You're allowed to show up imperfectly.
You're allowed to feel energy.
You're allowed to take up space.
And when the moment comes,
There will be breath.
And that is enough.
So sit with that for a few seconds and let the body settle naturally.
And when you're ready,
Open your eyes slowly.
Good work today and namaste.
