How to Mentally Prepare for Pageant Week (Without Losing Your Joy)

Pageant week is a lot.
It’s a rollercoaster of emotions, adrenaline, logistics, and beautiful chaos. Whether you’re competing for the very first time or rounding out your final season before aging out, the days leading up to competition (and the moments during it) can bring on a tidal wave of feelings.

Let me start by telling you this:
Whatever you’re feeling is valid.

You’re not broken if you’re feeling calm.
You’re not behind if you’re feeling unprepared.
And you’re definitely not alone if you’re waking up three weeks before competition thinking,
“Did I do enough? Am I enough?”

This post is your mindset toolkit.
Not a timeline. Not a checklist. Just a set of tools you can use, before and during competition, to stay grounded, present, and in your power.

Let’s dive in.

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Before Competition: Build Your Energy Bank

🧠 1. Practice Real Self-Care (Not Performative)

Yes, get your brows done. Get your hair freshened up. Buy the cute robe for competition morning.

But more importantly, check in with your body:

• Are you drinking enough water?
• Are you nourishing yourself with food that feels good?
• Are you moving your body gently – not just for performance, but for energy?
• Are you resting enough?
• Are you speaking kindly to yourself?

We call this your “Glam Plan” inside Fearlessly Authentic. Not because glam is the goal, but because honoring yourself is. And trust me, your energy bank will be grateful you did.

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✅ 2. Get Your Checklist Done Early

Don’t wait to order your shoes.
Don’t assume your earrings will “just work.”
Don’t forget to rehearse in the actual wardrobe you’ll wear on stage.

Scrambling creates stress. And unnecessary stress pulls you out of your joy.

If you need help knowing what should be on your checklist – ask. Whether it’s your director, your coach, or someone you trust, get the support you need. That is not weakness. That’s wisdom.

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🧘‍♀️ 3. Set Intentions, Not Expectations

Intentions are about how you want to feel.
Expectations are about what you want to happen.

Here’s the difference:

• ❌ “I don’t want to feel anxious.”
• ✅ “I want to feel grounded, present, and powerful.”
• ❌ “I hope the judges ask me about my CSI.”
• ✅ “I want to speak from my heart and trust the conversation.”

Intentions reconnect you to your purpose. Expectations tie you to outcomes you can’t control.

One of my favorite intention visuals is this:
I imagine walking into the interview room and filling every inch of it with light from my chest.

Beautiful, right? Because at the end of the day, this is about connection, not performance.

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🔌 4. Limit Social Media and Comparison

Social media is not real life. And what you see is not the full story.

So before competition, I encourage you to:

• Mute accounts that trigger insecurity
• Post what you need, then log off
• Remember that you win with who you are, not what you post

You don’t owe the algorithm your peace.

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🧳 5. Fill Your Toolbox (Not Every Tool Will Fit Every Day)

No competition week looks the same.
No set of emotions will follow a schedule.
So instead of trying to follow a day-by-day prescription, fill your mental health toolbox with strategies that you can pull out as needed:

• Deep breathing when you feel overwhelmed
• Journaling when you need clarity
• Visualization when you want to feel empowered
• A playlist that brings you joy
• Texting a trusted coach or mentor when you need support
• Taking a 5-minute walk in silence

You don’t need to do them all.
You just need to know which “tool” you need, and when.

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During Competition: Stay Present, Stay Powerful

You’re packed. You’re there. Now what?

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🎯 1. Focus on the Big Picture

• Why did you sign up?
• Why does this matter to you?
• What kind of experience do you want to have?

Don’t let a wrinkled sash, forgotten earrings, or a rocky rehearsal shake your entire purpose.

If your mission is to serve with your platform, focus on that.
If your goal is personal growth, lean into that.
If your dream is the job of Miss XYZ, trust your preparation.

You can’t be rattled by the small stuff when you’re rooted in the big stuff.

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🔄 2. Compartmentalize

One of the most powerful mindset practices you can develop is compartmentalization.

Translation:
You don’t need to think about talent while you’re doing interview prep.
You don’t need to relive interview while you’re waiting for gown.
You don’t need to dissect your on-stage question while you’re in the dressing room eating dinner.

Set your intention → be present → and when it’s done? Onward and upward.

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💬 3. Be Intentional With Your Phone

Use your phone for:

• Posting with purpose
• Sending one or two quick updates
• Music or meditation apps
• Reviewing notes (briefly)

Do not use your phone to:

• Text every detail of what just happened to five people
• Overanalyze a moment that’s already done
• Compare what others are posting
• Spiral about outcomes

Protect your energy. Protect your peace.

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🧠 4. Remember: Nerves Are Normal

Don’t make anxiety the enemy.

Let the nerves in.
Let the excitement buzz.
Let the emotion move through you, and then move forward.

You’ve done the work. Now trust it.

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Final Thought: It’s Not About Winning

Seriously.
Read that again.

This is not a list of strategies to help you win.
This is a guide to help you experience the competition fully – with clarity, grace, and power.

You might win. You might not.
But either way, the real crown is this:

• You showed up fully.
• You embraced the process.
• You honored your growth.
• You kept your peace.
• You discovered something new about yourself.

That’s the real win.
And the rest? That’s just icing on the cake.

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With love and authenticity,
Raeanna