Turn Anxiety into Success

We often tell workshop participants that people pay outrageous prices to spend the day at the amusement park for the same adrenaline rush that they get for free, simply by becoming the focus of attention. Reframing the rush from “I’m nervous” to “I’m excited” is a great way to cultivate more confidence and improve performance.

No wonder we love this Atlantic article in which writer Olga Khazan explores the idea of turning anxiety-producing experiences into successful moments. Not only is the piece written with good-natured humor, but also, we firmly believe in the approach it advocates for dealing with anxiety. A simple technique called “anxiety reappraisal” helps people channel their nervous energy into an “opportunity mindset”—leading to greater success in all of their face-to-face interactions.