Pre-Performance Regulation Stack
Combine preparation, breath, posture, and imagery before pressure
- Difficulty
- Starter
- Time to result
- ~days to results
- Steps
- 5
- Confidence
- 91%
The Pre-Performance Regulation Stack layers morning preparation with immediate physical regulation. First, meditate on the day of the event to lower the baseline stress response. During the manifesting portion, rehearse the interaction in a dream-case form so the desired experience feels familiar. Immediately before performing, use balancing breath, which Fletcher describes as alternating or closing the right and left nostrils to balance the brain's hemispheres. Add an expansive power pose, a smile, open shoulders and chest, and energizing breathwork. Each input addresses a different part of readiness: meditation settles accumulated stress, visualization primes expectations, breathing regulates the immediate state, and posture counters contraction. The intended output is not the absence of nerves but an energized, open, and available state when the event begins.
Origin
Fletcher describes the stack from her preparation for speaking to 3,500 people in Toronto and extends it to a dream-job interview scenario.
Core principles
- 01Regulate before the pressure peaks
- 02Combine long-horizon preparation with an immediate state shift
- 03Use body position and breath to influence readiness
- 04Mentally rehearse the best-case interaction
How to run it
- 1
Meditate that morning
Begin the day with meditation so the event is not approached from an already elevated stress baseline.
Pro tip Do it first thing rather than waiting until nerves peak.
- 2
Rehearse the best case
During the manifesting section, imagine the speech or conversation unfolding with ease, engagement, and kindness.
Pro tip Picture the flow of the interaction, not only the final applause or offer.
- 3
Balance the breath
Immediately before the event, use balancing breath by working with the right and left nostrils as taught by a qualified source.
Watch out Learn the breathing technique correctly before relying on it under pressure.
- 4
Expand the body
Stand with feet wide and hands on hips, smile, draw the shoulders back, and open the chest and heart. Add energizing breathwork if it is familiar and appropriate.
Pro tip Use a private space where you can commit fully to the posture.
- 5
Enter available
Carry the open posture and regulated energy into the room or onto the stage rather than monitoring fear.
In the wild
Before addressing her largest audience, Fletcher meditated that morning. Right before taking the stage, she used balancing breath or combined a superhero-style power pose with breathwork, a smile, open shoulders, and an open chest.
→ She entered the stage energized, open, and available despite the event being nerve-racking.
Use the same breath and posture routine, then add a morning visualization of an engaging and elegant conversation in which the interaction flows naturally.
→ The candidate enters having already mentally experienced the desired conversation.
Common mistakes
Waiting until the last second
The stack starts with morning meditation and rehearsal, not only a panicked breath at the door.
Using posture without substance
Regulation supports preparation; it does not replace knowing the material or researching the role.
Is it for you?
Best for
Speakers, interviewees, and performers who need a repeatable routine immediately before a demanding event.
Not ideal for
People who use a pre-event ritual instead of preparing the substance of their presentation or interview.
From the transcript
“what i do is i definitely meditate that morning so i wake up and meditate first thing”
“i will do power poses while also doing breath work”
“i would imagine the interview going dream case magic wand scenario that it's funny engaging kind the conversation flows”
From the episode
Emily Fletcher on Mindfulness, Meditation and Manifesting