Do certain situations make you tense and jumpy? You’d be a rare case if you didn’t have at least one tension trigger: maybe going on a date, or a speaking engagement.

One of the easiest ways to conquer this kind of anxiety is by using a mantra.

The mantra should be something redolent of calm in your life, or just a convenient phrase. One golfer uses “fairways and greens”, for example.

The trick is to keep repeating the mantra when you really are calm and quiet. The mind then associates the phrase with situations of peace and ease.

As you prepare to speak or meet and greet, repeat the mantra silently to yourself. You’ll find a sense of relaxation stealing over you and you will perform much better.