Do you get the butterflies in your stomach, sweaty palms, a climbing heart rate, and a feeling of dread and anxiety before going onstage or stepping into your judges' interview? If so, CONGRATULATIONS YOU'RE HUMAN!
But these days, our trusty fight-or-flight responses don't exactly help us in our hour of need. It's always when we need to be the most calm, cool, and collected that we get stage fright...ugh! It's the worst! I know.
Fortunately there is a tried-and-true method of overcoming stage fright and performance anxiety. It's by creating safe and numerous opportunities for yourself to repeatedly experience that feeling. Over and over and over again. It sounds like it sucks and it kind of does BUT IT WORKS. Like eating your vegetables, it's good for you.
Doing it in low-stakes setting like singing at a karaoke bar, making a speech at a birthday party, or assembling a mock pageant with family and friends as judges are all examples that let you embrace a similar feeling to whatever it is that makes you nervous when it's time to step into the spotlight.
This video centers around themes of repetition, breath, practice, and repeated exposure to train your body into letting go of pre-performance anxiety. The strategies and tips I share here will take the edge off of even the worst cases.
Quick navigation:
1:59 How to overcome stage fright
3:08 Tactical suggestions for how to practice (karaoke, Toastmasters)
3:42 The importance of putting in the work
4:24 The positive feedback loop that reduces your anxiety over time
4:43 Why you'll never fully get rid of ALL nervousness
5:20 Why you must practice like CRAZY
6:39 Shutting down negative thoughts
7:16 Nobody wants you to fail - in fact, audiences are supportive
7:38 Have some fun, geez!
8:09 Reinterpret your nervousness into excitement
8:38 Center your focus with this breathing technique