Shake It Off
Disperse your nervous energy
Our family dog Gracie suffers an anxious reaction to the sound of electric hair clippers. As soon as she hears the noise, she disappears under the bed, shaking until we've stopped using them.
After an uncomfortable experience while having her butt shaved, her body copes with the stress and anxiety of this painful memory by shaking. Then, once the noise stops, she calms down and returns to her status quo position - generally asleep on the lounge in my office.
While shaking in the presence of fear or anxiety can seem concerning to us as humans, in reality it's an effective adaptive strategy animals use to discharge the energy associated with a traumatic event.
Shaking helps them move through the experience rather than storing anxiety in the body. By releasing this energy they return quickly to a resting state, enabling them to get on with life.
In contrast, as humans, we can try to push through or ignore our nervous energy, rather than shaking it off.
You might have had this experience when you've spoken in front of a group, given a speech at a wedding, or delivered a presentation at a conference or event. Your heart rate has increased and your palms have become sweaty, but rather than proactively dissipating this energy, you've pushed through the experience only to find the nervousness come through in the sound of your voice.
If you can relate, purposefully shaking your body can help.
According to Dr David Bercelli, neurotherapist and author of the book Shake it Off Naturally, shaking is a type of stress management technique that helps burn excess adrenaline, release muscular tension and calm the nervous system. It disperses anxious energy rather than storing it in the body. As a result, you're better able to manage your emotional state in the short term, while reducing the risk of anxiety, depression and high blood pressure in the long term.
Sprinters and other athletes can be seen doing this when they jump up and down and shake their limbs prior to a race. In theatre and dance, the 'shakedown' is a routine used before a show to turn performance nerves into excitement.
With this in mind, next time you find yourself getting nervous before you need to speak, consider "shaking it off". A fun way to do this is to put on your headphones, turn up your favourite dance music and wriggle and shake on the spot (environment allowing)!
(Taylor Swift's Shake it Off seems most appropriate for this - you'll find a variety of effective shaking styles toward the end of this music video if you're looking for inspiration.)
A modified version can also be used when you're in a meeting, or waiting your turn to introduce yourself at a networking event, and notice your nerves kick in. In this scenario, drop your arms under the table or by your side, shake your wrists, move your feet and wriggle your shoulders. By the time it's your turn to speak you'll have dispersed some of that nervous energy and be feeling more calm, confident and collected as you contribute to the conversation.