Butterflies

New and seasoned performers alike know the familiar feeling of a fluttering stomach before a performance. The eyes begin to blink uncontrollably. Everything starts to sweat. The other performers aren't ready! You're not ready! The audience is going to laugh!

There are only a few choices in this situation. The anxious performer can either run away to a waiting taxi and ignominy, or they can swallow their fear and go out on stage.

Stage performers have many ways to deal with their paranoia of the audience. Some theatrical people like to turn it into a monologue of their own, either making themselves more anxious by berating themselves endlessly or trying to reassure themselves. This often brings in another fellow performer to reassure them, so that they can play a role themselves to manage their stage fright.

Some choose to make use of various clichéd mental tricks like imagining that the audience is naked or visualizing a good performance. It can work, but everyone has their own way to prepare.

Other performers conduct rituals before every performance, like eating the same meal every time or repeating a prayer or poem to themselves. Meditation has become very popular.

Professionalism balms anxiety more than any other technique. Only endless practice can build confidence and self-esteem to the level that performing to an audience of thousands is as easy as getting out of bed in the morning. Actors and musicians are notorious for self-loathing, so it can challenge a hard-working performer to really build up confidence in an environment in which everyone in their company is attacking themselves and sniping at one another.