Breathing Exercise to Help Anxiety Before Pitch or Audition

Breathing Exercise to Help Anxiety Before Pitch or Audition

Breathing Exercise to Help Anxiety Before Pitch or Audition

Sara Quiriconi
Sara Quiriconi
3 years ago

We prep. We plan. We come up with moments before, inner dialogue, the character back history and emotional ties. We’re off book, the pitch deck is set, and then…wait, what!? Plot twist.

Something interesting happens the moment we step into the audition room, or the camera hits record. Any of our prep or scene-work often times goes out the window and fear sets in. Instead of letting anxiety get the best of the opportunity at hand, or what could happen into the future — which is the cause of anxiety, hint hint — keeping present in the moment and knowing we’ve already got this can be incredibly useful and various situations.

I believe an audition to be metaphorically like mini job interviews — you're just doing them over and over again, finding what’s the right fit. And, hopefully, learning how you can improve along the way as well. This breathing exercise I use helps to calm my mind. However, more than that, it's further calming my body. When we're presenting ourselves for acting or for whatever it is, when we come across from a place of not being at ease, I promise you, the other person can see it.

There’s a video to follow along as well, which showcases an audible and visual guide, and for those who learn by reading, the breathing exercise is outlined below to follow along.

Breathing Exercise to Help Anxiety Before Pitch or Audition

BREATHING EXERCISE

Disclaimer: I taught yoga professionally for around 8 years living in both Boston and Miami prior to going back into production, content creation, and acting. I don’t believe in yoga or meditation “gurus” or masters, but I do believe this stuff has really helped me managing my anxiety in my life and can potentially help you too.

To begin: You do not need to be seated or cross-legged. You can even be standing for this too. Options to either close your eyes or keep them open with me. Take a deep breath in, and let all the air go. That probably already helped. Do it again: inhale, and then full exhale, letting all of that go.

Continue counting the breathe: Inhale to the count of 4-3-2-1, and hold your breath here for 3-2-1. Exhale, 6-5-4-3-2-1.

Inhale, 4-3-2-1, Hold your breath at the top for four count. Then exhale, 6-5-4-3-2-1.

Repeat, inhaling to four, hold for four, exhale for six. It’s a soft, controlled breath, repeating for six rounds, or as long as you desire. I’ve gone as long as 5 minutes or more doing this exercise.

After, release the counted breathing and allow it to return back to natural, inhaling and exhaling.

If you have time, observe how you feel now. Your mind was completely focused on your breathing. If you're not thinking of what will happen, you're feeling what is happening. Remember that as you go into this audition or interview.

YouTube Video

BONUS TIP: VISUALIZATION

A bonus tip, visualize the audition or the event already happening in the best case scenario.

Athletes often do this, going through the actions in their mind, which helps to rewrite the neurological story that we’re telling ourselves in writing for the future.

Sounds Yogi trippy, but there’s actually science behind it. Give it a go, and break a leg!

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About the Author

Sara Quiriconi

Sara Quiriconi

Actor, Host/Presenter, Producer

My name is Sara! I’m a curious kid at heart and a business-savvy sage in mind. I’m happiest near the ocean. My favorite movie theatre is on an airplane. My ideal dinner out is a fresh meal prepped at home or in the premiere lounge access in any airport. My most comfortable place is in front of the c...

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4 Comments on Sara's Article

Ryan Cho
Director, Actor
Love this article and video. I've done this exercise very often during my times in college and several+ months before moving to LA. Visualization is also an excellent tool to change your psychology and the way you move, feel, etc. The manifesting of opportunities propel after visualization. Thanks for sharing! 
3 years ago
Ryan Cho
Director, Actor
Sara Quiriconi Yes, definitely helped to create a lot of milestones in my early/mid 20s. Keep on inspiring! 
3 years ago
Sara Quiriconi
Actor, Host/Presenter, Producer
Wise for you to use this through such a young age — absolutely, so helpful for your psychology! 
3 years ago
Curtis Kessinger
Comedian, Director, Screenwriter
Great Post Sara.  I use this breathing technique at night in order to calm my mind to sleep.  Too many scripts, ideas, etc. racing through my mind at night so I have to put them to bed so I can sleep.
3 years ago
Sara Quiriconi
Actor, Host/Presenter, Producer
VERY wise, same, me too! The creative mindset that keeps on, good point and note. 
3 years ago
Karen E Ross
Filmmaker, Producer, Screenwriter, Script Consultant, Voice Actor, Actor
This is a fantastic coping strategy, thank you for sharing! Actually, the video was very helpful because sometimes we need a real-time explanation to walk us through the exercise. I feel like that was 80% of my job as a massage therapist - just prompting people to breathe LOL The note behind the note, for me, is if you can learn to coach yourself through these moments of tension, not only will you calm yourself but you'll improve your relationship with yourself. In a way, the exercise requires you to trust yourself and your technique in order to accept the effort. Fantastic blog, and thank you for the reminder!
3 years ago
Sara Quiriconi
Actor, Host/Presenter, Producer
Beautiful message, and thank you for sharing the personal reference as well, Karen. So true, would imagine as a massage therapist a lot of it IS the psychology! Glad to connect. 
3 years ago
Joanna Karselis
Music Composer, Musician
Thanks for this Sara! Going to be trying this before my next big meeting, sounds like a very useful tip.
3 years ago
Sara Quiriconi
Actor, Host/Presenter, Producer
Glad to share and that it resonates for you, Joanna! 
3 years ago
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