Wiggle Your Toes

With the start of anything new may come fear and trepidation. A new school, a new position, or a new season in life can create some anxiety as you try to adjust and find your groove. How do you create calm amid angst and stop those butterflies from doing their happy dance in your tummy? Well, when you must do something that you have never done before, and you feel the pangs of fear begin to unsettle your gut, take a deep breath and wiggle your toes! You read that correctly. Wiggle your toes and just like that, you shift your focus.

It’s silly, I know, but that is the point. You need something silly to lighten the mood. It literally takes the heaviness out of your situation and is something only you know you are doing. I like to think of it as purposeful fidgeting. No, it won’t necessarily make you feel less afraid but maybe you will smile as you consider the ridiculousness of the movement and the humor of your personal “inside joke”. Your smile invites others to relax with you and a relaxed audience is a more engaged audience.

Try it. The next time you must go before a panel of executives or a classroom full of students, simply wiggle your toes before you open your mouth to speak. No one will notice your toes moving but they will notice a change in your demeanor. They will see that glint in your eyes as the stress leaves your face. It’s not about the specific movement as much as the act of redirecting your attention away from your fears and onto something else within your control. I’m sure you could use the reprieve.

©2023 Tasha D. Manigo-Bizzell