Top TED Speaker Coach Tip – how to deal with nerves!

I love what I do so much.
I left a safe, very well paid job at the most prestigious language institute in the Netherlands over 16 years ago to follow my dream.
Which was to become a Personal English Coach.
Which didn’t exist at that time.
But it existed in my head, so for me, it existed!

Fast forward – now, every day, I get to live my dream.
I get to help people shape and share their stories.
On global stages.
In studios.
At their office.
In my kitchen.

Last week I had the huge honor of coaching some phenomenal women at the annual TEDxAmsterdamWomen event. It’s one of the highlights of my year, and I always look forward to the dynamic energy, the nerves backstage, the powerful and inspiring messages, and the hugs right afterwards. As a Speaker Coach, one of the greatest pleasures is starting with someone who says, with a trembling voice, after the 4th blackout, ‘I can’t do this – I’ll never manage!” to seeing them stand there a few weeks later, in front of 500+ people, totally OWNING that stage, and sharing their well-crafted message with impact, meaning and deep value for so many. WOW!

Many people last week asked me what my Top Tip is for dealing with nerves.
It’s this – it’s all in your breath.
The higher up you breathe, the more adrenaline you create which makes you even more nervous. If you breathe low and slooooow, from your bellybutton down, you will feel more grounded, centered, and balanced. If you do a very slow ‘active’ exhale, which means exhaling while saying the F or the SH sound, you will relax even faster.

Here’s a 1-minute video I made at the event on breathing. I hope it helps you! Studies have shown that if you exhale is longer and slower than your inhale, you are physically unable to produce that ‘fight or flight’ hormone which gets you so nervous!

So try it the next time you get nervous. This works for all kinds of situations. I hope it helps you relax!

And now that you know how to beat those nerves, please join me (with my fabulous partner, the one and only Harper’s Bazaar!) and let me help you Dress Up Your English! at my only public Masterclass this year. It’s  a day full of Buffilove to help you get more confident, increase your vocabulary, tackle those writing skills, glamorise your grammar, and feel like a badass the next time you need English at work! We’ve got a delicious lunch, and bubbles afterwards, and the whole shebang is just 149E, (ex btw). Crazy, right? But good crazy.

Space is very limited, so grab your spot today! If you know a woman who could use a fabulous fun day professionalizing her English, please forward this to her! The more the merrier! It’s the first and last time I’m doing this in 2017, so hope to see you there!

Thanks so much for reading and a huge hug is coming your way – can you feel it?

With so much love,
Buffi XX

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