Composure: Whether they make mistakes or simply must deal with intimidating people, everyone has stressful moments in meetings. How can you stay composed?
Composure creates poise under pressure. ~ www.jaywren.com
Composure: How to Overcome Meeting Anxiety
Anxiety in meetings can be a problem for anyone. However, whether you have natural poise or suffer social anxiety, you can stay composed for success.
Breathe
You don’t have to stop for a 20-minute mindfulness meditation to use breathing to gather composure. Anxiety can suppress our breathing. A lack of oxygen creates even more anxiety. However, replenishing oxygen with a breath can reduce anxiety.
Breath in slowly and quietly. Mentally focus on your breath. The process will give your body the oxygen to burn the adrenaline from anxiety. Furthermore, focusing on your breathing redirects your thinking from your anxiety to a calming breath and allows you to become spontaneous. You will appear poised and gain composure.
Listen with a Purpose
Focus on what people are saying. Ask yourself why they are saying those things. Think of how the contributions of other people is useful to you. Seeing the benefits in another person’s message takes your focus off your insecurities and creates positive feelings about what you are learning.
Practice Intelligent Silence
Intelligent silence is powerful.
Attending meetings and never speaking decreases your value to the meeting. However, people who listen and speak when they have something meaningful to say strengthen the power of their contributions.
Additionally, allowing yourself to be silent and think before you speak will increase your composure.
Bring an Agenda
Come to meetings with a list of things that you want to know and things you want to say. This approach is especially helpful when you are attending a job interview.
Become the Facilitator
Giving your support to other meeting attendees takes your focus off your insecurities and makes you valuable to the success of the meeting.
Developing the skills of a facilitator helps you as a public speaker, helps you in building professional relationships, and helps you in becoming a better friend or family member. Furthermore, becoming the facilitator gives you leadership power in a meeting.