How to Reduce Social Anxiety and Stage Fright

Social anxiety and/or performance anxiety and/or stage fright are common symptoms of many social situations and performance-type situations. While a certain degree of social nervousness and social anxiety is normal, excessive social anxiety can impede normal social function and ability.

Things You'll Need

• Practice
• Knowledge
• Effort
• Open mind
• Imagination

Instructions

1. Prepare and rehearse. Social anxiety and performance anxiety is fueled, in large part, by overwhelming feelings of inadequacy and uncertainty. Preparing yourself for a social situation or a performance-type situation -- what to say, what to talk about, possible topics of discussion, etc. -- is a great way to calm your social nerves and also a great way to make you feel more confident and capable.

2. Picture a confident you. Using your imagination, sit back and envision yourself being strong, confident, and socially vibrant and powerful -- blasting away any social anxiety and stage fright. Imagine a bright, warm light permeating your body and fueling you with positive social energy as you speak, talk, and move in your intended social situation. Use your mind to plant seeds of social confidence and social ability.

3. Adopt a who cares mentality when faced with a socially threatening or arousing situation. Nobody is perfect, and perfection is not realistic. Social anxiety and social fears are fueled by ideals of social perfection. You and your audience are only human and are fallible. Adopting realistic and rational views about social situations greatly reduces social anxiety.

4. Use a public speaking model to help reduce social anxiety and stage fright. Model the public speaking style and ability of a public figure that you like or admire. How do they speak? What type of tone and/or voice inflection do they use? How do they stand, use their arms or time the emotion in their voice? Modeling your public speaking style on an effective public speaker is a great way for you to improve your public speaking abilities while reducing your public speaking fears and anxieties.

Tips & Warnings

• Practice speaking in front of a mirror

• Vary your speaking tone -- form low to high to in between

• Practice your speech in front of family/friends

References

• University Center Rochester: Dealing with Communication Anxiety And Public Speaking