What to Do Before Meeting Your Boss

Experiencing a little anxiety before or during a one-on-one meeting with your boss is utterly normal. After all, this is one of the most important work meetings. If you aren't at least a bit worried about what might happen, you probably aren't paying the meeting the attention it deserves.

Feeling a bit of pressure is a good thing if you can use it to positively motivate you to do better. But if you start to feel overwhelmed and the pressure makes you perform worse — or, worse still, makes you avoid one-on-ones — then your anxiety could have a negative effect on your performance. So what can you do beforehand? Here are some ideas.

Take a deep breath

Take two or three quiet minutes with your eyes closed, seated in a chair, and focus on your breath. Take a deep breath, and then take twice as long to exhale. The lengthened exhale is key to calming your heart rate, and thus your nerves.

Feel your feet on the ground

Focus on your toes: scrunch them up, then release. Whether standing or sitting, wiggle your toes and feel the weight of your feet on the ground (keep your knees soft if standing).

Focus on your strengths

Sit on a chair, take a deep breath, then exhale slowly to calm yourself. Now focus on your strengths — what are you good at? Think about that and recall an earlier achievement. That will boost your confidence.

Positive self-talk

Take a seat and breathe deeply, then close your eyes. Make your mind believe that you can do it. Say it aloud so you can hear it — say "I can do it" as loudly as you can hear, repeating it 8 to 10 times. That will reduce your anxiety.