Dealing with nervousness and anxiety pangs: A primer for aspiring fashion models

Here are few tips that can help you in overcoming your nervousness so that you give your best performance.

Time to get rid of these sweaty palms

Being a model is not everyone’s cup of tea and we really admire your guts for choosing this profession. But, models too get the jitters sometimes. Let us look at some of the ways by which a model can do away with her anxiety and shyness and be her confident self in front of the camera:

Mental Preparation – The reason why grooming is not just about learning catwalk and postures is because a major part is about confidence building. Work closely with your groomer to develop confidence for your first outdoor shoot. You’ll get a lot of pro tips about handling common problems during outdoor shoot as well. Use them to your benefit.

Belief – Nervousness is a very common thing in life, especially before a performance. There are some models who believe nervousness is a good thing as it keeps you grounded and this feeling keeps you away from being over-confident. But do not let nervousness get the better of you. Believe in yourself and try to forget the world outside. Concentrate only on the camera and your work, rest will automatically be taken care of.

Deep breath – Whenever a zillion thoughts are going on in your mind and you are going through a phase of adrenaline rush, take a deep breath and calm yourself down. Remember your training sessions and keep your focus on the job at hand.

Optimistic thought – Positive thinking helps a lot. Keep your goals fixated in your mind and do not think about the hurdles. Just be positive and give your best shot. There’s no point in feeling embarrassed or cautious when shooting outside if ultimately that is going to ruin your shoot.

Things to look out for

Now that you have overcome your nervousness, here are some tips which will help you in giving your best shot when you are shooting outdoors:

Wear shades: Do not let the sun harm your beautiful eyes. Bright sunlight can cause fatigue very quickly and give you dark circles. Wear sunglasses and stay under shade when not shooting.

Take proper care of your skin: You are always required to apply sunscreen while stepping out of your house, more so, if there is an outdoor shoot. If you have dry skin, it is of utmost importance that your face is well moisturised. Use a hydrating pack before sleep and after removing it, slather your face with a good moisturiser. If you have oily skin, ensure that your skin is well exfoliated so that oil is not clogging your pores. Use a light moisturiser particularly meant for oily skin. It should get absorbed quickly without leaving a residue.

Be hydrated: The greedy sun is there to snatch all the nutrients from your body, making you feel dehydrated and lethargic. Keep on sipping fruit juice or lime water at regular intervals, when you are shooting outdoors. For a few days before the shoot drink at least 3 litres of water everyday.

Keep yourself properly covered during winter: If there is an outdoor shooting during the winter season, you have hardly any choice in the range of clothing you have to wear as a model. But as soon as the photo shoot is over, wrap yourself up in comfortable and cozy clothes so that you are spared of the winter chills.

Have a good sleep the night prior to shoot – Models often overlook this. In excitement for their first shoot models tend to sleep less before shoot, which proves to have disastrous consequences. Put up all the makeup you want but freshness is something you cannot fake. Sleep deprivation shows through layers of makeup. Eyes look tired and sunken. Hopefully you’ve got the gist, so just finish all that you have to do early and sleep for a good eight hours before shoot. If your pickup time is early in the morning, adjust your bedtime accordingly.

Visit a parlour two days before – Models often go for waxing and threading just the day before shoot. Not only does it prove to be quite hectic (since the day before shoot you’ll have many other preparations to make), it also provides too little time to take care of any rash or adverse reaction you might have. Best practice is to visit the parlour two or three days before shoot.

Pack your things early – In order to avoid last moment rush it’s better to pack everything you need to carry by the first half of the previous day. You might think this is too early, but if you are a beginner you’ll have lots of tension and anxiety to deal with already, best to keep other things sorted.

Distract your mind from over thinking and do not make a big issue out of it. You are going to be fine. Have proper sleep the night before and the next morning when you wake up, let the world meet the confident you!

(Article courtesy: MODELSMUST)