Techniques for Working Through Stage Fright

An engaged performer

Coming alive on a stage in front of a packed house! It's what all performers live for, but occasionally even the most professional artists suffer from some form of stage fright. How you deal with it is what separates the true performers from the dabblers.

Muscle Memory

Review your material so well that your muscle memory takes over. This allows your body to take over in a fight-or-flight response so that you don't have to think about what you are doing. Your body will do the thinking for you if you have trained it well.

Relaxation

De-stress. Use techniques that eliminate stress from the body such as controlled breathing, yoga and massage. This will allow you to perform at your best.

One Step at a Time

Focus your energy into one moment at a time. Often stage fright kicks in because a performer wants to be brilliant all at once. Instead, concentrate on doing each moment of your performance right. Moment to moment, you can build a strong performance.

Psych Yourself Down

Instead of hyping yourself up for a performance, treat the performance as just another part of your day. This will prevent your nerves from taking over and allow you to give a better performance

Convert the Negative into the Positive

Allow your nerves to spur you into your next action. Use the nerves to fuel you rather than halt you.

References

• University of Northern Iowa Communications: Managing Stage Fright