Nerves are a natural part of life. An uneasy feeling that creeps up inside filling your brain with doubt, fear and anxiousness. Your palms begin to sweat, shake even. We’ve all been there. Attending castings, auditions and photoshoots naturally breed nerves due to the pressure to perform and the overwhelming passion to succeed. Every model has experienced the bout of nerves that rise the evening or morning before a potential opportunity. We are here to show you how to control your anxious state effectively without it damaging your career completely.

Accept That You Feel This Way

Start with accepting your nerves as a natural part of life. Prior to an important photoshoot or casting you will feel anxious. Use this nervous energy for good rather than worrying why you feel this way. Some actors and models believe that nervousness is good as the feeling makes you perform well without becoming over confident and cocky. The worst pressure you can put on yourself is to believe that you are not ‘normal’ for feeling a certain way.

Take Deep Breaths

Remember to breath. Take deep breaths to calm you down and restore peace throughout the body. It will not cure anxiousness but will stop the overthinking, shakiness and sweating. Drink a glass of water and fill your lungs with oxygen to calm your nerves considerably. When people are scared and nervous it is easy to forget to breath and think calmly. Some indulge in mediation or yoga to truly relax your mind and remove it from the stresses of modern living.

Think Positively

Do not allow for your brain to wander into a negative state of mind. Pessimistic thoughts will add to your anxiousness and allow for you to spiral out of control. Think about all the positive aspects of the experience and begin to feel excited about what lies ahead. Sometimes asking yourself ‘what is the worst that can happen??’ is also good as you realise that it is literally not the end of the world if you do not secure the casting this time.

Be Prepared

Feeling under prepared for the day ahead will certainly add to your nerves. Plan, practice and prepare as much as possible prior to the event. We can guarantee that you will begin to feel more relaxed as soon as you have prepared for the casting or photoshoot. This may be planning your route to the location, practicing some posing techniques or laying out your outfit. Find out what works for you.

Distract the Mind

After you are fully prepared, distract your mind via exercise, reading a book or listening to music. Choose a hobby that you thoroughly enjoy and distract your mind for the remainder of the evening or morning until you are ready to focus. Constantly, thinking about the event will make you more worried than necessary. Talking to a friend or relative is also a great way of releasing your energy.

Do you get nervous and anxious before a photoshoot? What tips do you have to prevent the feeling from ruining your performance?