If interviews make your heart race, your thoughts scatter and your voice tighten, you’re in good company. Nerves are a normal biological response to uncertainty and evaluation.

Start with the foundations in The Confident Candidate | Interview Tips, Confidence & Career Success, then come back here to learn exactly how to calm the body and steady the mind.

This guide explains what’s happening physiologically, the fastest grounding techniques, the value of simple pre-interview rituals and how structured answers reduce panic in the moment.

Why nerves are normal (and what’s happening physiologically)

When you anticipate evaluation, your brain’s threat system activates. Adrenaline and cortisol rise, heart rate increases and your breathing becomes shallow. That’s not a character flaw, it’s your body preparing you to respond quickly.

The side effects in interviews: racing speech, blanking on details and difficulty organising thoughts. These can all point to convoluted responses. The goal isn’t to eliminate nerves; it’s to regulate them so you can access clear thinking and composed delivery.

For a deeper dive into how confidence presents to interviewers (beyond personality), read What Confidence Really Looks Like in an Interview.

Grounding techniques that work in minutes

1) Box breathing (4–4–4–4)

Inhale for 4, hold 4, exhale 4, hold 4. Repeat 4 cycles. This balances the nervous system and slows your heart rate.

2) The physiological sigh (2 short inhales + long exhale)

Two quick inhales through the nose, one slow exhale through the mouth. Do 3–5 times. It offloads carbon dioxide and reduces breathlessness.

3) 5-4-3-2-1 sensory reset

Name 5 things you can see, 4 feel, 3 hear, 2 smell, 1 taste. It pulls your attention from spiralling thoughts back into the room.

4) Label the feeling (“name it to tame it”)

Silently say, “This is anxiety; my body’s preparing me to perform.” Labelling reduces intensity and gives you back a sense of control.

5) Grounding posture

Feet flat, shoulders open, hands resting on the table. One slow breath before you speak. Stillness signals composure to interviewers and to your own nervous system.

If you want to practise these live and get feedback, you can join a mock assessment session.

The importance of pre-interview rituals

Rituals aren’t superstition; they’re cues to your brain that you’re safe and prepared. Keep them simple and repeatable so they’re easy on your busiest days.

• Arrive buffer: Plan to be ready 10–15 minutes early (online or in person). Time pressure amplifies anxiety.
• Environment check: If interviewing online, check: Lighting, camera angle, water, notepad, do-not-disturb. Small frictions create avoidable stress.
• Answer aloud warm-up (3 minutes): One strength, one example, one challenge handled well. You’re reminding your brain, “I can do this.”
• Breathing reset: 2–3 cycles of box breathing. Shoulders drop, voice steadies.
• Intention line: A sentence you tell yourself: “Be clear, be calm, be concise.”

For the broader preparation approach (mindset + structure), see The Confident Candidate and What Confidence Really Looks Like in an Interview.

Use structure to reduce panic

In high-pressure moments, your working memory shrinks. A simple structure helps you think clearly and speak concisely. Use structured responses as your mental template:

• Brief context (1–2 lines).
• What needed to be achieved / your responsibility.
• What you did, steps, decisions, communication.
• Outcome and what you learned (numbers or clear impact where possible).

Practice with a timer: 90 seconds per answer. This keeps you focused and leaves space for follow-up questions, a hallmark of confident communication.

For more on delivery (tone, pauses, eye contact), see What Confidence Really Looks Like in an Interview.

Quick calm-confidence checklist (print or screenshot)

• ✅ I have examples ready in a structured format.
• ✅ I’ve rehearsed aloud (3 minutes) to warm up my voice.
• ✅ My setup is ready: light, camera, notepad, water, DND.
• ✅ I’ve done 2 cycles of box breathing.
• ✅ I have an intention line: “Be clear, be calm, be concise.”