Maggie suffered from chronic blushing. It made her hesitant about meeting new people or speaking in meetings.
Blushing is quite a common problem. It’s often linked to social anxiety or stress. Maggie had heard that Neuro Linguistic Programming (NLP) can help prevent unwanted blushing. She came to Think Learn Succeed for help with her problem. Working with coach Eleanor Shakiba, Maggie mastered four techniques for beating the blush. These were based on tools from NLP and Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT).
You can use the same strategies to stay calm and unflushed when coping with tough situations.
1. Blush on demand
Maggie felt out of control. It was important that she gain some sense of personal power. Her coach asked Maggie to blush deliberately. She couldn’t. Maggie soon realised she could use this fact to her advantage. Instead of dreading the next blush, she could consciously try to produce it. She ended up blush free in situations which had previously left her scarlet-faced.
2. Use mental rehearsal
Maggie learned to ‘program’ her mind to stay calm, cool and collected. She did this by using self-hypnosis techniques. Every morning, she spent five minutes imagining getting through her day without blushing. Focussing on being calm, cool and collected and made Maggie ‘forget’ to blush.
3. Speak up confidently
Maggie claimed she had always been shy. Her coach taught her to how to use questioning and self-disclosure to keep a discussion going. This helped Maggie create a balanced conversation. She found that paying attention to others (by asking questions) helped her become less self-conscious. It was then easier for her to talk about herself (self-disclosure). As Maggie became more relaxed in social situations, she blushed less often.
4. Learn to relax
Maggie was hard-working and highly disciplined. She also suffered from stress and anxiety. Her coach taught Maggie how to use progressive relaxation techniques. These involve deliberately tensing and then relaxing your muscles in a specific sequence. This month’s podcast, Total Relaxation, will help you use progressive relaxation to achieve a calm and relaxed state.
Book a personal coaching session with Eleanor. Contact us now.