Manage your anxiety and nerves during the IELTS speaking test

There are few things in life that give people more anxiety than exams.

For many of you, the IELTS speaking test will be very important and as a result, you may find yourself feeling understandably anxious.

Don’t be though, because there are many strategies you can use to reduce your nerves in the speaking test.

1. Drink a beer or a glass of wine before the test

Wait…did a teacher really just tell me to drink alcohol before the exam?

I have to admit, it is not the most professional thing for me to do. Please only drink before the test in moderation — do not under any circumstances turn up drunk. There is, however, good evidence to support the fact that alcohol, in small amounts, can help you to speak a foreign language. It can lower inhibitions, which may make it easier for some students to overcome nervousness or hesitation. Now….where is my beer?

2. Power poses - can work in as little as 2 mins!

Power poses are a simple strategy that you can use to reduce anxiety, improve your ability to deal with stress, and boost your confidence.

The best thing about them? They start working immediately and only take two minutes to do!

I don’t want to go too deep into the science here, but many Universities including Harvard have found that confident people do not only have similar mentalities but similar hormone levels. More specifically, they have higher levels of testosterone and lower levels of cortisol.

Amazingly, if you understand how to better your body language, you can make your body produce more testosterone and less cortisol. As a result, you will feel far more confident and tolerant of risks.

Below, I have included a picture that outlines the main “high power” and “low power” poses according to a groundbreaking Harvard study. Typically, “high power” poses are open and relaxed whereas the “low power” poses are closed and not relaxed.

In the study, participants were asked to stand in one of the power poses for 2mins and their testosterone and cortisol levels were measured both before and after. The researchers were amazed by the link that they had found between body language and hormones.

Standing in a “high power” pose boosted testosterone by 20% and decreased cortisol levels by a stunning 25%.

In the week before your IELTS exam - practice standing in one of the poses for 2 mins twice a day. It should help you to feel more confident and less stressed.

A hedgehog

Practically speaking, you may not want to do your IELTS exam with your hands on your hips like Superman. But, there is a general principle here that we can exploit.

WHEN YOU ARE NERVOUS - MAKE YOURSELF BIG

We all have a tendency when feeling anxious to curl up in a ball like a little hedgehog. But…if we decide to stretch out instead and take up some space we can in turn relax our bodies and minds.

3. Change your goal in the exam

Last year I was playing guitar and singing in a local pub. All-day I had been very nervous about giving the best performance I could possibly give. So much so that when I arrived on the stage my hands were shaking and I ended up playing the songs twice as fast as normal to a very confused audience.

Me performing at Le Pub 2019

I got off stage, sat down, ordered a pint of beer, and wondered why I had gotten so nervous and why it had gone so badly.

I decided to ask other performers how they dealt with their nerves.

“What was your goal?” - Said, one local musician

“To play the best show of my life” - I honestly replied.

“Ohh that’s where you went wrong” - Said the musician, satisfied to have found the problem so quickly.

When it comes to certain types of performance, the more we care the worse we perform. It is an inconvenient paradox — particularly when we want to do our best.

So here is the solution…

Don’t try to perform well… try to enjoy it as much as you can.

By redirecting your focus to ENJOYING the test and not on achieving a particular grade or score we can massively improve our performance.

Now, I know that doing an IELTS test is not most people’s idea of fun. But, try to treat it like you’re going to see a friend for a friendly chat. Make sure you smile and make small talk with the examiner. Try to plan a day that you will like, do something fun in the morning, and plan a reward afterward.

Enjoy it for what it is because you cannot control the outcome, you can only control the process. And as you are there anyway….you may as well enjoy it.

NEXT STEPS?

I hope that you have enjoyed reading this blog.  If you have any questions regarding the test or would like to inquire about my writing correction services or IELTS online classes please email me at info@lovetolearnenglish.com.