(AKA How Not To Throw Up When Putting Your Stuff Out There)

It’s THE day. The one you’ve been waiting for. You told all your friends, family and current clients to put it on their calendars:

YOUR BIG LAUNCH.

You should be popping champagne. Throwing a party. Getting ready to bust-a-move in all the cashola sure to be rolling in now that you’ve finally GONE LIVE.

That’s what you SHOULD be doing. Instead, you’ve got a serious case of this:

When I launched Banyan and Finch’s new site last month (indeed, when I’ve pressed ‘send’ on every story, article and client project I’ve ever finished), I felt a little…well, sick.

Launch day jitters are no joke.

And, sneaky buggers they are, they can take a giant bite out of your much-deserved celebration-elation.

Thankfully, over time, I’ve found five sure-fire ways to keep calm (launch on!) and reel in the inevitable butterflies that go along with putting yourself out there.

1. JUST BREATHE. Inhale. Exhale. As ridiculously big and deep as you can muster. Breathing in, consciously, deeply, holding, and then exhaling, slowly, gets your over-stimulated brain oxygen. It also doubles as a trigger to your parasympathetic system, producing an overall, physiological calming response. Need a more in-depth guide to deep-breathing to bust stress? Check out this article by The American Institute of Stress, and get your Zen on.
2. EMBRACE YOUR FEELINGS. Your jitters are the surest sign you CARE. That you’re invested, fully and truly in your project. That it matters to you. And that’s a good thing. A great thing. Recognizing (and accepting) the why of how you feel – that your nerves are a natural by-product of your emotional investment – can help nip nerves in the bud before they overwhelm you.
3. DITCH PERFECTIONISM. Ah, yes, the dreaded “P”. Often, nervousness is actually perfectionism in disguise. If your stomach’s in knots because you might’ve missed an embarrassing typo, your landing page isn’t as great as Jim Carrey’s (whose is???) or you were having a really bad hair day when you did that prominently featured headshot, chances are, Perfectionism’s in the house. Kick that mofo to the curb by re-visiting #1.
4. LOOK BACK. It puts everything in perspective. Take a moment to think back to when your big idea first took shape. Remember when the website, product or service was just a pipe dream? A teensy flicker of inspiration floating around in your grey matter? Look at that bad boy now! It – and you – have come a long way, baby! You’ve put your thoughts and intentions into ACTION. Made connections. Done your research. Marketed. Put in a hearty helping of blood, sweat and tears. (Or at the very least, heart, soul and hard w-o-r-k). Now, you’re getting ready to push your passion-project out into the world as a real, TANGIBLE, thing. Something that’ll light up the brain-circuitry of others. That’ll get ‘em just as stoked as you were not so long ago. That’s bad-ass. Remind yourself: I DID THAT. From nebulous idea to what’s sitting in front of you, shiny and ready to be shared, YOU CREATED. It is time. YOU GOT THIS.
5. LOOK AHEAD. Take a moment to bask in the gloriousness of what you’ve launched, then gather up the glitter, stockpile the momentum and use it. As motivation. Courage. Fuel to plan your next steps. You’ve got a launch under your belt, amigo! Learned some big lessons along the way. And you’re more prepared than ever to take on the next bigger, badder challenge. That’s a big, honkin’ deal. So get excited! You’re future’s bright and wide open for the taking.

Peace & lovely launches,

WHAT ARE YOUR FAVOURITE STRATEGIES TO BEAT LAUNCH DAY JITTERS?

SHARE THEM BELOW, OR ON B & F’S FACEBOOK PAGE.