Stressed before your interview? Don’t be! Follow these 5 Tips to “D-Stress” before your Pageant Interview.

Our Miss New York 2010: Claire Buffie

1. Breathe: Take in slow, long (Not shallow!) breaths through your nose, hold for 5 seconds and out your mouth to allow oxygen to your brain to clear your mind. Remember to hold the air with your diaphragm, not your throat, this slows down your racing heart rate and decompresses your body.
2. Stretch or run in place- exercise releases endorphin which greatly diminish your perception of pain and not only boosts your overall mood but (referring back to tip 1) allows more oxygen into your bloodstream and can balance out all the adrenaline and anxiety running through you pre-pageant! A good stretch for pageant girls is shoulder rolls. We tense up when we’re nervous, so rolling your shoulders back a couple times can release that tensions and shift them back instead of forwards.
3. Review your paperwork but don’t over analyze it- Looking over your paperwork and refreshing what’s on your fact-sheet will give you a good frame of mind what will be asked and your answers will be fresh if you forget!
4. Listen to music or practice your talent- Put on your favorite song and jam out! Make the most of the free-time you have or listen to tunes while doing your makeup or hair so you’re in a good head-space and feel at home!
5. Have fun!- You’ve probably heard it 1,000 times before a pageant but having fun helps you deal with the stress. If you’re extrovert, socialize! Talk to everyone and make friends! If you’re introverted (like me) give yourself the alone time and space from others you need as well as slightly socialize (Pageant girls will be the best friends you’ll ever make!). If you’ve ever competed with me you’ll see I’m in my “own little world” most of the time, I’m finding my balance between happy energy and nervous energy and that’s okay! Do you!

And most of all, focus on yourself! You know yourself best, and whatever will make you happy and comfortable during the pageant is perfectly fine: get some fresh air, take a deep breath, stay warm and relax. Take some time to read-over your paperwork and practice but don’t get overwhelmed. Just “D-stress” and everything will fall into place.

First thing first: All bodies are beautiful. The score you receive in Lifestyle & Fitness has no actual bearing on your status. The only person that can judge your lifestyle and fitness on a personal level is you. Your doctor can give some insight, but in the end it is you and you alone that decides the status of your body image. Not the number on the scale. Not the number on the score card.

Too often when we hear about preparing for the Lifestyle and Fitness with diet and exercise. You are, after all, going on stage in a bikini. So many contestants talk about losing weight, and how great they feel when they lose those pounds. But what is the first thing every contestant does the night of the pageant? She goes out to eat. How can we argue the stereotype that pageant girls don’t eat when every new titleholder mentions greasy food in her post-crowning interview?

Thankfully, slowly but effectively, a new trend is coming into style: Healthy. Girls with curve, girls with muscles, and girls with self respect. Point blank: Healthy is the new skinny.

Skinny bodies are skinny. But healthy bodies from healthy lifestyles have so many benefits, such as…

1. A Feminine Body. When you eat a restrictive diet and work out with the sole purpose of losing fat, that’s exactly what you do. You lose fat. But there is no such thing as spot reducing, meaning you lose fat everywhere, including your lady lumps. Sometimes just a little fat on your body is enough to pull you from an athletic boy status to an elegant woman. That’s the body that looks good in a gown.
2. Thick Luxurious Hair. Do you ever wonder why pageant girls wear extensions? Even if their hair isn’t that short, they need the added hair to add volume. That’s because a poor diet without enough fat or folic acid prevents the growth of hair and nails. Some try supplements like biotin to improve their hair and nails, but if you aren’t getting enough nutrients from your food these supplementary nutrients are going to go to daily requirements instead.
3. Food Freedom. This doesn’t mean you can eat whatever you want. A healthy diet is 365. But, when a person is on a highly restrictive diet a single cheat meal or even one “bad” item could destroy their entire system. Sodium could suddenly cause her to retain water, and dairy could suddenly cause the runs. Who wants that? By eating healthy, not restrictive, during the entire year your body will not react with knee jerk responses. If you want that cookie or bowl of ice cream or plate of cheese fries- go for it.
4. Bright and Shiny Skin. One of the benefits of beauty sleep is the regeneration of collagen in your skin, but this can also be improved with a healthy diet. Staying hydrated will help to prevent wrinkles and give a natural glow to what was a faded and grey skin tone. Adding healthy fats to your diet can do the same thing!

Obviously no one wants to gain weight with the goal of being overweight. The point is not to gain weight to exceed the healthy range for your height and body type. But remember that everyone’s body is different and its important to focus on the benefits of being healthy, not skinny.

Nine minutes and thirty seconds into the interview and the head judge thanks you for your time and asks if you have anything else you’d like to say. You have 30 seconds to summarize everything- your marketing plan, your goals, your platform, your talent. What sets you apart? Why should they choose you?

A strong closing statement is the secret to sealing the deal in the interview room. It is the last thing the judges hear before they move on to the next girl. You have 30 seconds to make a lasting impression. There is plenty of advice for a strong closing statement, but sometimes you just need a few more tips to bump it up a level and seal the deal.

1. Reiterate Who You Are. Don’t let the judges question who you are, what you stand for, and what sets you apart from the other girls. Just saying your name will trigger an extra memory censor in their mind that will help them remember you.
2. Set Yourself Up for the Title. They already think you’re a great person. Go the extra step by expressing your impact as a titleholder, not just a contestant. “As Miss Local/State, I will…(ex: bring in new sponsors, raise the scholarship funds, connect with civic organizations that will stick with the org in future years).” Show them your value as a titleholder.
3. Use Sound Bites. We all know not to ramble. Keep your response short and sweet, and filled with intention. But going the next step and using sound bites or action words will make sure the judges do not forget you. A soundbite is a quick quip that sticks in a person’s mind. Using Jamie Lynn Macchia‘s platform, an example of a soundbite she uses is more than four. She can say “Only 4% of cancer research funding goes to pediatric cancer. Kids deserve more than four,” during her interview then reiterate the more than four soundbite in her closing statement. After she leaves the interview room the judges will remember kids deserve more than four. 
4. Use Action Words. Anyone can tell the judges what they want to do, what they can do, what they’d like to do. Set yourself apart and use action words. With or without the crown what are you going to do? Use words like I will or  I am. In the interview you will give examples of actual events you have lined up, and the goals you have for them- to fundraise, educate, raise awareness. When giving a closing statement, tie it all together. “As Miss Local/State I will (action verb).”
5. Consider a Personal Slogan. Before you ever step foot in the interview room you should have something that helps them remember you. Whether it is about you, your platform, or your plan as a titleholder, use a soundbite so they remember. This could eventually because a hashtag for your titleholder branding campaign! Think about your favorite company or organization. What makes you remember their commercials over their competitors?

Some people think that the first impression is the most important. The interview is 10 minutes of first impressions that impact your entire night. It is so important that the last impression, that closing statement, is strong and solid and seals the deal.