Nervous to Natural: Comfortable on Camera

You’re nervous. Anxious. Maybe even fearful.

I get it. You’re about to go on camera, either to record a video or to appear “live” for a Zoom meeting, a presentation, or an interview. So let’s settle those nerves so you can put your best face forward/

Whether you’re a newbie or a pro, speaking in front of people – even when it’s through a recording – can be a nerve-wracking event. If you haven’t seen the last two editions of this newsletter, check them out for practical tips to prepare your mind and body in advance. Today, we’re talking about nervousness and how to get it under control.

“I’ve had a lot of worries in my life, most of which never happened.” ― Mark Twain

Nervous? Yeah, we can tell

Unfortunately, nervousness isn’t something that we can easily hide from other people. It’s in our body language, which studies point out is the first thing we pick up when meeting someone. Even when it’s online or via pre-recorded video.

Nervousness typically manifests in one or two behavioral extremes:

Nervous energy

In other words, in too much unnecessary, repetitive movement. We can become quite jumpy when we feel trapped in an uncomfortable situation. It becomes clear to others that we want to escape, but can’t. There are tell-tale signs:?

• Rapid blinking
• Eyes darting from side to side, as though looking for an escape
• Clenched teeth or a tight jaw
• Overactive, distractive finger movements
• Shaking hands
• Tapping or slapping hands against the legs
• Clutching at your arms or torso
• Pacing, an inability to “stay in one place”
• Overall jumpiness, an inability to “settle down”
• Speaking far too quickly

Stiffness or Awkwardness

Others of us, when we're especially nervous, appear to be frozen in place. We may come across as very stiff, move awkwardly, and give the (honest) impression that we'd clearly prefer to be somewhere else. No matter what we're saying, our body language is proclaiming more loudly that we're not sure of ourselves or what we should be doing. These are some of the things that give us away:

• Unusually stiff posture from head to toe
• Jerky movements vs. natural gesturing or walking
• Lack of flexibility
• Halted or broken speech

Fight or Flight

Nervous energy and physical stiffness are manifestations of the “fight or flight” syndrome that's programmed into all of us. Even polished, experienced speakers feel these things from time to time. There’s always something that can throw us off, whether it’s a huge audience, high stakes with influential individuals, or a technical glitch that invariably will show up during at least one presentation you'll ever give.

We may not be able to totally eliminate these and other stressors, but we can reduce them with practice, experience, and some “whole body” warmup and relaxation techniques.

How to bring those nerves under control BEFORE going on camera

Before dealing with physical tension or nervousness, get your mind thinking along the right channels with one or two mindset exercises described in the previous newsletter. Make sure to drink plenty of water, too, and not overeat (or go hungry!) before you begin, either. Then try some of these simple physical exercises that you can do just about anywhere:

• Shake out your hands

Just flop them around at the wrists. This exercise is especially helpful if you’re a hand-talker or prone to fidgeting. If you tend to clench your fists, you may be surprised to feel how much less tension you feel throughout your body after releasing that pent-up, stored energy.

• Raise and lower your shoulders in succession ?

Do this exercise slowly. Raise your shoulders to your ears, take a deep breath and hold that raised shoulder position for a few seconds. Then exhale as you quickly drop your shoulders. Enjoy the reduced tension for a few seconds and repeat the exercise a few more times. When you’re done, you’ll have a more relaxed posture … and a realization of how long you’d been walking around in a bit of a hunched position.

• Knee bends to get the kinks out

The knee bends don’t have to take you down to the floor, just as low as you can comfortably go. For a bit more tension release, squeeze your butt as you rise from the bent knee position. We hold more tension in our hindquarters than we realize!

• Some old-fashioned stretching, either from a standing or sitting position:

......... Touch your toes – or as low as you can go

......... Stretch your legs with simple lunges, a V-sit, or in a chair with one leg crossed over the other in a wide position and your hand gently pressing down on the inside of the crossed knee.

......... Stretch your arms above your head or over to one side (using one or both arms)

......... Swing your arms and torso around from side to side (just don’t hit anybody nearby)

• ?Jump up and down or do some jumping jacks.

It’s a great tension release and will also channel energy to your delivery.

• Dance around to some lively music you like

No one has to see you, but crank up a favorite tune or throw on a headset and just have fun dancing to a favorite song. You'll feel happier, more energized, and MUCH looser, too. This is also a great icebreaker exercise for a group meeting.

• Pushups!

Yes - dropping down and “giving me 10” –? will distract you from being nervous. It has all the advantages of jumping jacks. Plus the bonus of toned arms.

How to bring those nerves under control when you’re already ON camera

But what if you’re already in front of the camera and feeling stressed? Try these techniques:

• Get a fidget toy to keep your hands busy

It’s quite likely that only your head and shoulders will be appearing on camera, so squeeze that ball or twiddle your toy below the frame to release any stress. Unless you’re really getting into the movement and obviously moving your shoulders and upper arms around (don’t do that!), it’s unlikely anyone will notice.

• Press one hand’s thumb tightly against that same hand’s index or middle finger

If your whole body is on camera, as in a late night show-style interview, forget the fidget toy. Instead, use your thumb and a finger to focus releasing tension. If you're concerned that it'll still be noticeable, lay your other hand on top of your "working" hand. If instead you’re sitting in an arm chair with your arms to either side, you can slowly do this exercise once or twice with either or both hands and then take a break. Relax your hands and when you need to release tension again, do the exercise again. If you can keep a relaxed expression and not overly tense the rest of your body, no one should notice your slight finger movements.

What NOT to do when you're on camera

You may think there's a long list of obvious "don'ts" - and you're right - but sometimes we don't realize when our bodies take to communicating without conferring with us first.

For example, do you tap your foot? Not a good idea. It just makes noise and is a telltale sign of nervousness and/or impatience.

If the framing is full body (i.e., you're shown head to toe), be careful how you sit. I'm not talking about the whole "ladies should keep their legs crossed at the ankles" advice from earlier generations. Do you sit with one leg crossed over the other? If so, keep the foot still that's on the crossed leg. It's not unusual for us to wag that foot or jiggle the leg itself. It's not only distracting (remember, small movements can look quite large on camera!), it may give the impression that you're nervous or impatient. As for the other “don’ts,” refer to the list above of telltale signs of nervousness.

Feedback is our friend

Oftentimes, we’re not even aware of our nervous habits, so consider asking a friend for some feedback. Chances are that our friends (or family) are already familiar with some of them. Or if you have a chance to record yourself for a video or while on an online call, see if you can spot them yourself. We all have at least one or two to some degree or another.

?A Final Word

If you’re preparing to speak on camera for the first time and are feeling nervous, unsure, and downright uncomfortable, I can help! I offer a free 15 minute consult and I’d be happy to share a few tips to make it a bit easier. I’d also love to work with you if you’re interested in longer 50 minute sessions. Just DM me or leave a comment below, and I’ll be sure to get back to you. You can also reach me at [email protected]

One last thing - did you know that I have a free library of videos to help you get better on video yourself? You’ll find everything on my YouTube channel, www.youtube.com/@lauradoman, in their respective playlists. If you want to go directly to the playlists:

• “On Camera Tips for Busy Execs” is the long form video series (2-6 minutes each) at: https://bit.ly/OnCameraTipsForBusyExecs
• “On Camera Confidence for Business” is the short video series (1 minute each) at: https://www.bit.ly/OnCameraConfidence4U

I also have an Instagram account dedicated to helping build your On Camera Confidence: www.instagram.com/learnoncameraconfidence.

But wait, there's more ... every week, I send out a blog with a useful tip or story to help you become better on videos. Occasionally, I'll share a behind the scenes look at film, TV, commercial, or voiceover projects I've been a part of. If you've ever been interested in knowing what it's like to work as a professional actor, my blog shares that real-world experience. Believe me, it's not at all as glamorous as some make it out to be! Subscribe at https://www.lauradoman.com/blog.

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