Maintaining energy levels after adrenaline rush
February 22, 2018 2:01 PM   Subscribe

I get adrenaline rushes at work when conducting interviews. Afterwards I am exhausted, but need to continue working. Is there any way to come-down after a rush and still have energy left to to work?

I'm a field producer, I conduct interviews both in-house, and when traveling. I get super hyped-up, which I'm trying to control, but once I start to come down I just want to lay down and have a nap. Are there any meditations, snacks, exercises that will help me transition with a shorter/easier recovery time? This is exhausting!

Extra: I am sensitive to caffeine, so that's right out. :(

PS. New to this job, perhaps things will settle down, after I get used to it.
posted by haunted by Leonard Cohen to Health & Fitness (3 answers total) 7 users marked this as a favorite
 
Best answer: Making sure to breathe helps- step into a quiet area for a bit before & after the interview (restroom, car, hallway, etc) and just close your eyes, relax your shoulders and belly, and breathe. Even 30 seconds will help.

Go for a brisk walk around the block after an interview if you can. Think about how it went, praise yourself for what you did well, think about what you'll work on next when you get back to your desk.

Make sure to eat well (protein and fat will do you good; avoid sugar and sugar-water like pop or juice as they can cause blood sugar spikes'n'drops), get sleep, exercise- healthy lifestyle in general.

Prepare diligently and keep improving your preparation. Worrying about messing up will add to the mental load and adrenaline spikes. Keep improving your preparation. If you notice that, say, your notes were illegible, make it a best-practice to use a bigger font next time, etc. If your shirt got sweat stains, never wear that shirt again. If you mangled a name, make a practice of checking pronunciations on YouTube and taping them on your phone to remind you before each interview. Etc. Never let the same silly little mistake happen twice- improve your process with each interview until it's a thing of perfection that helps you feel calm.

I have a similar job and found it similarly exhausting when I started. After a while you just get used to it.
posted by pseudostrabismus at 3:08 PM on February 22, 2018 [3 favorites]


I used to give a lot of presentations. Whooo boy did I have this problem. A couple sun salutations in my office post presentation helped. Also breathing meditations before and after the presentation.
posted by songs_about_rainbows at 5:52 PM on February 22, 2018


Best answer: The more interviews you conduct the more your system will adjust. I do public speaking and used to be completely wiped after a presentation, now the nerves are usually less apparent so my energy is better after.

I try to eat healthily but lightly when I'm doing that sort of work, your body can't digest a big meal while you're working like that anyway. So I focus on getting up early and eating before the nerves kick in, staying hydrated, maybe a walk or some yoga to help balance out the nervous system beforehand, and definitely some belly-breathing.

Alternate nostril breathing is a wonderful and simple practice for balancing your stress response too - you can google how to do it. Do a few minutes and see how you feel. If you do a bit of that every day in the morning your stress response will improve and you can do it immediately before an interview.

During these situations I try to stay connected with my breath and try to smile and belly breath while pacing around, that gets easier with time. Smiling, humor, being a bit playful all help to keep the stress response in check. A good mindset shift is to try to focus on the person you're interviewing and being helpful so that your thoughts aren't so self-focused (which creates more stress). I like to meet with the people I'll be speaking with beforehand and get settled in a bit, remind myself they are people just like me, remind myself of why I'm doing what I'm doing (which is never about "wanting to be the best or the smartest or be perfect/never make mistakes).

Afterwards I reduce how much talking I have to do if at all possible (to conserve energy), go for a walk to get some of the adrenaline worked out, eat something if I'm hungry (again nothing too heavy or greasy). I see nothing wrong with a small nap if at all possible, like 10-20 minutes after you do the above, it's amazing how helpful a little rest can be. If no one is watching you can lie down with your legs up against the wall and close your eyes for a few minutes, hugely restorative.

I try to clock off or do busy work after events like this, maybe that's not possible for you but things like going through the calendar, seeing what's coming up, catching up on emails, things that don't require a lot of stamina or focus. If you're also traveling that is a big drain on energy. The truth is if you've had a big stress response your body needs to recover.
posted by lafemma at 6:45 AM on February 23, 2018


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