How to Appear Calm

The main trick to appearing calm is to be aware of the body signals you're giving off. This is crucial when you're being interviewed, meeting new people or you find yourself in other stressful situations. Body language is key. Practice following key calmness habits, and appear calm during extremely emotional times.

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

1. Relax your face and practice an easy smile. We all tend to clench our jaw when we're nervous or tense. This is a sure giveaway that you're not feeling calm. An easy smile conveys contentment and confidence.
2. Make eye contact by using a steady gaze that includes everyone present. Darting eyes shows nervousness or fright, while staring expresses hostility. A steady gaze sends the signal to people that you're interested in both them and your surroundings.
3. Control your body language. Keep your posture correct, with your shoulders back and your head held high. If you tend to tuck your head in or down you may appear timid or stressed.
4. Use your hands to convey your feelings or speech. Relax your hands and keep them open and even with your shoulders. Shows other people that you're relaxed and comfortable. Steady your gestures instead of jerking motions or hand wringing.
5. Breathe deep and loosen your body and your hands. Fidgeting conveys stress and nervousness to others.
6. Speak clearly and confidently and make an effort to avoid word bridges such as "um," "urrr" and "like."

Tips & Warnings

• Practice by looking in a mirror for 5 minutes each morning. This helps you look natural when making eye contact.
• Ask a close friend to help you analyze your body language and assess your calm signals. You might have unconscious habits that make you look tense to others.