When preparing to go on stage to perform, we all have butterflies in our stomach. While for some, the thrill and joy of performing might be invigorating, for the others, it might not. For them, just the thought of going onstage is a cause for palpitations and sweating, that can at times be quite debilitating as well. This fear of performing in front of everyone (also known as stage fright) and being the center of attention can take a heavy toll on some people. It might affect their self-confidence to the extent that they consciously and actively take steps to avoid such situations where they might be judged.
While practicing beforehand is a good way to get prepared for performing in front of people, it is not enough to reduce your fear. In order to overcome your fear, you need to work on and change your beliefs, negative thoughts, assumptions, and preconceived notions that you have related to performing.
Try the following tips to overcome your fear:
- Avoid too much caffeine, sugar or alcohol.
- Focus on the value that your act will add for the audience instead of focusing on yourself.
- Stop yourself (by saying out loud if needed) from having self-doubting thoughts which may evoke low self-confidence.
- Practice relaxation methods before you go onstage, to calm yourself down.
- Establish some connection with your audience. Greet, smile, and establish eye contact.
Dr Prerna Kohli India’s Top Psychologist Talks about How to Overcome Your Stage Fright - Focus on your strengths. Think about the consequences in case your performance goes really well, rather than preoccupying yourself with scary thoughts about all the things that might go wrong.
- Do not panic in case something goes wrong. Prepare yourself for things that could possibly go wrong, in advance.
- Most importantly, understand that making mistakes is normal.
Do not aim for perfection, but at giving your best.
