Why Treating Nerves Like a Problem Makes Interviews Worse

I’m standing in front of the microphones, waiting for my cue to start talking.
Cameras are already rolling.
A reporter adjusts their earpiece.
An onlooker stops to see what’s happening.

There’s a familiar rush.
A quick tightening in my chest.
Everything narrows.

I’ve done hundreds of media interviews - and nerves are still part of the moment.

What often gets in the way during interviews isn’t the nerves themselves.
It’s what people assume those nerves mean.

When spokespeople decide nerves are a problem, they start trying to fight them. Under pressure, that effort usually backfires. Telling yourself to “calm down” or “relax” often adds tension instead of control, because your nervous system reacts before your thoughts do.

The most effective spokespeople don’t aim to feel calm.
They aim to feel stable.

Stability comes from structure: slowing your pace, giving yourself permission to pause, and knowing exactly which message you want to return to when pressure hits.

Nerves don’t stop you from communicating clearly.
Losing structure does.

When you stop treating nerves like an enemy, you can use that energy instead of fighting it. Your delivery becomes more deliberate. Your voice steadies. Your answers stay anchored.

Confidence doesn’t come from the absence of nerves.
It comes from having a structure you can rely on when they show up.