Anxiety before work meetings

[Cloud44]

I have a couple of important work meetings this week and I’m already starting to feel anxious. I’m not feeling 100% which I know will make my anxiety worse. Any tips on how to keep it all in perspective and not let my nerves get the better of me?

I'm a nervous presenter but have found the more I present, the better I get (the same goes for big meetings, the more I attend, the less nervous I get).

I avoid coffee before these meetings as this raises the heart rate and can make me feel jittery (and I do love my coffee!). I also practice box breathing just beforehand (in 2, 3, 4, hold 2,3,4, out 2,3,4, hold 2,3,4) to slow down my heart rate.

I also have a friend who attends most of the meetings/presentations that I do and he tells me that I do not come across half as nervous as I tell him I am!

I always ask for a meeting agenda first, that way I don't feel unprepared (which alleviates some anxiety). Also, I might ask an advocate to come in with me if I'm really anxious (co-worker, line manager, union rep).

Thank you, I think I’m partly worried because I don’t feel 100% I won’t be at my best which is making me more anxious!

What do you do if you feel quite ropey when you have important meetings, do you dose up and crack on with it?

Have you prepared?

I find practising beforehand really helps bring my confidence up.
Also - what's the worse that can happen?

I guess the worse than can happen is I wake up feeling worse on the day of the meeting (with the lurgy) or in the meeting my anxiety gets worse.

I feel you my company never used to have work meetings started at a new company that has work meetings every week may only be for a hour but I struggle terribly with social anxiety my body seems to go into fight or flight I honestly have no idea why it does this but it does I’ve done two of the meetings so far and to be fair hasn’t been so bad was a bit shaky the first one the one today was fine but there was less people so may have been that we’ve got a all day meeting coming up I’m dreading it all the managers and big bosses will be in there so I’m quite anxious about it my first thought when I got told about it was to tell them I’m busy got something else on that day but to be honest I’m getting tired of my anxiety controlling me so decided to just go and see how it goes if it gets too bad I’ll excuse myself to the toilet to calm myself down I do understand how hard it is though try deep breaths good luck :)

What sort of work meetings (face-to-face, virtual?) are they and what is your role (presenter, appraiser, contributor, project leader)?

What is it about the meeting that is making you anxious?

The strategy for calming and dealing with the above depends on the context. People will be better able to advise if they know what is causing your anxiety.

It sounds really silly but I think my biggest anxiety is not feeling well in the meeting (because I feel like I’m fighting off some kind of cold/bug), so I’m concerned if I feel worse on the day and can’t go in (it’s face to face) or I’m in but unwell in the meeting or feel more anxious and boss who is in the meeting can tell there’s something up.

Are you currently already feeling ropey?

Yes I am @blueshoes

You are entitled to take sick leave if you feel worse on the day. Happens all the time. Is that an option?

In the meantime, take Vitamin C tablets, eat fresh oranges, get sleep, douse yourself in paracetamol to try and shake it off.

Not sure if I am missing something. Are you feeling anxious because you feel off or is the anxiety causing you to feel off? I know my stomach can start churning if I am under stress.

propranolol?

I think I feel more anxious @blueshoes because I’m not feeling great but also I know I’d be feeling anxious anyway so I don’t know if the anxiety is making me feel worse if that makes sense!

Think of it as butterflies (which is totally normal and loads of people get it), rather than labelling it as anxiety.

Thank you @fromaytobe i ll try that. I’m just worried I ll be feeling worse tomorrow and that’s the start of a heavy week of important meetings.

Why worry about whether you feel better or worse tomorrow? Just prepare for the meeting as best you can.

If you feel better, great. if not, then you can consider taking a sick day.

Sorry but your worrying is making you go round in circles and is not helpful nor productive. I appreciate you cannot help it.

Hopefully someone can help you with coping strategies.

As regards worrying, I tell myself "Today is the tomorrow that we worried about yesterday and all is well".

All will be well

Thank you @blueshoes , I have got stuck in a bit of a cycle that I’m going to feel worse tomorrow and it will look bad if I don’t attend the important meetings, I know that thinking isn’t at all helpful but I can’t seem to stop it.