The house manager peeks her head in the backstage area. “You guys ready? You’re going to have a big audience this evening.” You cradle your guitar close to your chest and smile. But you’re not feeling prepared. You’re feeling like you want to run away.
Perhaps you’re about to audition on The Voice. You’ve been waiting for hours in line, and now you’re the next to go. Just a few minutes before, you’d been cool as a cucumber however, now your breathing has accelerated as your heart is beating as your stomach starts to churn while your hands are starting to sweat.
You’re feeling dizzy and your legs are turning into numbness. What’s happening?
There’s a stage fright problem often referred to as anxiety during performance. If you’re a musician, whether singer or instrumentalist, you should be aware of ways to conquer fear of performing on stage so that, when it does strike you, you’ll be prepared.
What Is Stage Fright?
What exactly is it exactly that stage fright is? Stage fright is a type of anxiety. Like many anxiety-related disorders, it’s about your body and brain believing there’s a danger to your life. Humans are incredibly skilled at fighting and fleeing from dangers that could harm us. Even when there’s no real threat, when you feel nervous, your body is compelled to fight, flee , or stop, which can hinder the progress of everything which includes doing.
How To Overcome Stage Fright
The first (and possibly the most important) method to overcome the fear of performing is to let yourself go. It’s not an uncommon experience and it’s not uncommon for having pre-show anxiety. John Lennon, for example was well-known for throwing up prior to when his performance.
Adele once fell through a fire escape, rather than perform. Eddie Van Halen, Ozzy Osbourne, Rod Stewart, Carly Simon, Rihanna, Katy Perry… the list of well-known, successful artists who had to overcome and overcome stage fear in order to perform what they love long indeed. It’s not an isolated case. And now that you’re aware that you’re not alone Here are some helpful tips for how you can overcome anxiety on the stage.
Stage Fright Tips Before The Day Of Performance
Set a time limit for when you are feeling anxious
It’s normal to be anxious prior to performing but the more you allow yourself to freak out in the moment, the more nervous you’ll become. Set yourself a timer of time during which you feel anxious–set the timer to ensure you don’t overdo it. Then go on to do something vigorous like sipping tea or get warm with your body and voice.
Imagine your perfect performance
Shut your eyes for a second and visualize your self singing. You’re playing every note, making connections with everyone in the audience. Positive visualizations don’t just make you feel more calm, but also prepare you to be successful. Your brain is incredibly capable. Let it do the work for you.
Exercise to let endorphins go
If you’re a performer you’re probably working out regularly So don’t allow your routine to slip during the time of an event. It’s important to get those endorphins. Go to the gym or go for a exercise, join a dancing class, whatever works for you. Exercise is among the most effective anxiety management tools available. Be careful not to overdo it and get exhausted. Make sure you have energy left to show off.
Find something funny to bring you to laughter
Check out YouTube videos of puppies enjoying a snowy romp. Send texts to your friend who is always making you smile. Laughter releases endorphins (like exercise as mentioned above) and they help to combat anxiety.
Stage Fright Tips For The Day Of Performance
Eliminate your adrenaline excess to relax and feel peaceful
If you’re stressed your body is brimming with adrenaline. So make use of it. Do jumps and falls. You can shake your legs one at a time. Jog with your feet in the same direction. A little movement can aid in calming.
Breathe slowly
The way you breathe is naturally faster when you’re fighting or fleeing So making yourself breathe more slow and slowly can make your body believe that it’s at peace and not under threat. Breathe in and then breathe out with closed lips. Create a routine in which your out breath lasts twice longer than your in-breath because this is natural and beneficial to your nervous system.
Avoid caffeine and other stimulants
When you go to an audition or a the performance, your body will be filled with adrenaline. You don’t need to fill yourself further. In fact, drinking too much caffeine (like the three-cup of coffee) could make you anxious, so take some tea with herbs, and keep the latte in the fridge for later.
Smile to feel better
Even if you’re not feeling like smiling, try it. Making your face happy (crinkling your eyes and letting your smile ooze out of your cheeks, and the entire nine yards) can make you feel more relaxed and happier since your brain believes when you smile you’re likely to be satisfied. The brain-body connection runs both ways.
Be confident in yourself
Don’t ramble about how anxious you are. This will increase your anxiety, and easily let your nerves spread to the rest of the audience. You can tell your bandmates that everything is going to be fine and that you’re going to do your best tonight, and that the crowd will be amazed.
Develop A Performance Routine To Overcome Any Stage Fright
You can practice singing or playing guitar each day
The more well-prepared your are for the event, less stressed you’ll feel. The practice builds confidence and repetition gives your body with a sense memory to count on, even when you’re becoming sluggish. Actually, School of Rock instructors advise practicing for at minimum 30 minutes each day.
Make positive words
Remind yourself. This isn’t the time to allow your inner critic to take over. Place that negative voice in a soundproofing box and assure yourself that you’ll be fine, the voice you use will be gorgeous and that you’re confident and competent. You can give yourself the encouragement you’d give your friend who you love the most.
Adjust your posture to reduce stress
In the same vein do not let your brain dictate to that your body is to slump down, drop your head down into your shoulders or play. Straighten up, lengthen your neck, and allow your arms to hang loosely. Correcting your posture could persuade your brain to believe there’s nothing else to be concerned about. Be the superhero you truly are.
Relax your mind by doing a meditation
It is possible to practice meditation before the show or for hours prior to the performance. Regularly practicing meditation can help you get past the immediate feelings and to connect with a quieter and more enlightened part of you.
Other Stage Fright Tips
Accept Your Anxiety And Manage Your Stress
You can tell yourself it’s normal to feel anxious Then, you can begin taking the stress out of your body. Try clenching your muscles. Start at your toes, and gradually increasing the intensity.
Talk To A Professional
If your anxiety about performing is especially severe, talking with a therapist may be very beneficial. It could also be worth talking about your anxieties with your music instructor If you suspect that they may be a cause for concern. They may have some suggestions that can help. Additionally, they’ll be able to calm you down because they’ve seen firsthand how hard you’ve worked. If you’re interested in more information there’s the best list of organisations and resources provided by the American Psychiatric Association.
A final thought: a tiny bit of stage anxiety can be beneficial. If you channel that excitement and adrenaline to your performances, you’ll notice that you reach new heights of enthusiasm and energy. This can be extremely enjoyable for you as well as your audience. Finding out how to conquer stage anxiety can be difficult but with the right tools you’ll shine as the star you were intended to be.
What Are The Causes Of Stage Fright?
There are a myriad of reasons for stage fright and they will differ between individuals. Certain people are more prone to anxiety around performance, but it is important to keep in mind that nobody is immune from it, not even the most experienced performers. Even if there’s been no any stage anxiety before, the there’s a good chance that one day you’ll notice a slight flutter in your stomach or notice the sound of a strange, unwelcome voice. So , what could be triggering your anxiety about performing?
Understanding the causes of stage fright will aid you in overcoming it. The most common causes are:
- A lack of preparedness:Â Let’s face it. If you’re unsure if that you’ve got the lyrics to your song , or are worried that you’ll make a mistake in the first bass riff then you’ll be nervous, and that can lead you to stage fear. Fortunately, this is a thing that’s completely in your hands. The answeris simple: Practice, practice, practice.
- A lack of experience: While anyone can suffer from stage fright however, the less skilled you are more likely you are to suffer from anxiety about performing because there are fewer experiences of your performances that you can draw upon. You’re less certain that there’s really no reason to be worried about So just keep on going. It’ll get easier.
- Fear of failing: There’s no avoiding the fact that speaking before an audience can be risky, in part because there’s always a chance that you make a mistake–and audience members will observe your mistake. Of course, the same audience members are also present to see your more likely success, so concentrate on that possibility rather than.
- Anxiety pre-exists: Some people are born anxious. It’s a part of their brain’s chemical. If you’re experiencing this in a strange manner, you’re lucky since most likely, you’ve learned to manage your anxiety in different situations and can use the same strategies to this situation.
- The stakes are high: The more important an event, performance or audition and the more likely to be anxious. It’s crucial to remain calm and in control. The body may think that it’s a moment of death or life however that’s probably not the case. The stakes could be very high however they’re not really that high, so keep your eyes open.
Stage Fright Symptoms
Because stage fright is the result caused by extreme anxiety and the signs of stage fright could cause you to feel as if you’re in danger. Your heart beats quickly, removing blood from your feet and hands. Cortisol, noradrenaline and adrenaline are pumped into the system and make you anxious or nauseated. You may even feel dizzy. You’ll breath faster when your body is preparing to flee or fight the danger you think that you’re facing. Your mouth becomes dry due to the body redirects its the resources away from digestion and to the pursuit of survival.
Here Are Some Stage Fright Symptoms:
- Rapid heartbeat
- Narrowed vision
- Dry mouth
- Tight throat
- Shaking or trembling
- Nausea
- Feet or hands that are sweaty
- Extreme cold
Being afraid of the stage doesn’t mean you’re not suited to perform, or that you’re not proficient in the things you are good at. If you practice, you’ll be able to manage your symptoms of stage fright and over time you may find that your fear of performing is less severe or it occurs less often. While you’re at it, be proud of the fact that you’ve overcome your fears. Your courage will show when you’re creating the music that you love and your fans will be grateful for it.