Dealing With Performance Anxiety

The lights dim; the stage is dark; millions of eyes are watching you; and you suddenly can’t breathe. If you have experienced this feeling before, you know exactly what performance anxiety feels like. This type of anxiety effects even the best performers, but there are some ways to help you conquer your fears.

While the old “picture the audience in their underwear” trick may not work all that well for you, experts have come up with some other ways to get over stage fright. One of the best pieces of advice that you should consider is to simply allow yourself to recognize your fear. Instead of trying to tell yourself that you are not afraid, allow yourself to become consumed by your fear .. and then conquer it. Once you have realized that you truly are afraid, you can then start to deal with the audience. Focus upon the performance that you are about to give, try and contact the audience, and allow yourself to really become the scare and timid performer ... this could work to your advantage. Finally, talk to yourself (well, not on stage, but before a performance). Tell yourself that you are afraid, and try to identify what, exactly, you are afraid of. When you start to personify your fear, you will then be able to shape and mold it.

If you are determined to become a performer, you will have to conquer your anxieties. However, this does not mean that your performance anxiety will completely disappear. Some of the best performers throughout history had extreme anxiety before they took the stage ... but they still performed. Remember not to fight your fright, and accept your fear as a part of you instead. After you learn how to become a performer that has been shaped through anxiety, you will find a whole new stage presence that will work in your favor.