Performance anxiety

This is the fear or phobia of being judged unfavourably on the basis of how you perform in an interview, examination, test, or public talk or presentation.

Such situations are unfair - yet they are a necessary part of our society and have been for thousands of years.

They are unfair for a variety of reasons - including the propensity of the interviewer or examiner to respond subjectively rather than objectively.

They are unfair because of the tendency for examination papers to sometimes be worded ambiguously.

They are unfair because they are frequently one-off moments on which a person's future can depend - yet on that particular day we may feel unwell or be below par mentally.

But...

Such situations are here to stay!

Being judged by others is and has been part of our society for thousands of years. So how do we stack the odds in our own favour - assuming we have made all of the practical preparations?

Keep your self esteem inviolate!

First of all we need to be clear about what is occurring. YOU are not being evaluated. Your performance is!

The difference is important. Your personal worth is not at stake - only your ability to perform in some way. Which means that whether you success or not the only issue that has been judged is your skill. Not your self esteem.

If you feel bad about yourself after an examination or interview that is your problem - and it is your problem read more