By Essie Bester
Public speaking is regarded as the number-one skill necessary for success in today’s world of business. And yet, the mere thought of having to stand before a group of people to say something makes us break into a cold sweat.
The fear of performing in public, also called stage fright, is a common fear that affects almost everybody to a certain extent. It can have a negative effect on your self-image and self-confidence. If it is left unchecked it can derail even an otherwise promising career.
Although it is impossible to completely overcome performance anxiety, there is a lot you can do to control your emotions and reduce anxiety. However, you need a strategy:
- Reframe anxiety as positive energy
The physiological reactions we experience when we have to perform in front of people is the result of a reaction to a threat captured deep in our brains. When we have to make a presentation our brains handle the event like a threat and the fight-or-flee reaction that served our ancestors so well is activated.
Cognitive psychologists say the secret is to reframe the reaction and see it as a challenge. Understand where those feelings come from – your body is preparing to perform at its best.
Some studies show that people who report that they feel anxious before writing a test or giving a speech often do better than those who say that they feel no stress at all.
The lesson to take from this is that we must recognise the feelings of anxiety as a positive, natural reaction and celebrate it because it is there to help us, but that we should not stop there.
- Talk to yourself in the third person
A study by the University of Columbia indicates that using your first name to talk to yourself leads to better emotional regulation. In other words, anxiety goes down and self-confidence goes up. Therefore, replace the “I” with your name when you talk to yourself again and so distance yourself mentally from the event you fear.
- Use tactical breathing
Military instructors teach elite military commando members to remain calm under pressure by teaching them the box-breathing technique. This technique, which controls your brain’s fight-or-flee reaction, tells your brain to stay calm and will take you to a peak performance state.
It works like this: First breathe in deeply through your nose for four seconds. Secondly, hold your breath for four seconds. Then exhale for four seconds. Repeat four times.
Other hints include the following:
- Be prepared by practising, practising, practising.
- Limit caffeine and sugar intake the day of the performance. Eat a sensible meal a few hours before your performance so that you have energy and will not get hungry. A low-fat meal with complex carbohydrates such as whole-grain pasta, lentil soup or yogurt is a good choice.
- Shift the focus from yourself and your fear to the pleasure you are going to give the audience. Close your eyes and imagine that the audience is laughing and cheering and experience how good you feel about it.
- Do not focus on what could go wrong. Rather focus on the positive. Visualise your success.
- Avoid thoughts that cause self-doubt.
- Go for a walk, jump up and down, stretch your muscles – do whatever feels right to relieve your feelings of anxiety before the performance.
- Take care to follow a healthy lifestyle through regular exercise, a healthy diet and good sleeping habits.
- During your performance you should smile, make eye contact and think of your audience as friends. Act naturally and be yourself. The good news is that stage fright or performance anxiety is usually at its worst before your performance and that it often disappears once you’ve started.
Confronting your fears and finding ways to relieve and manage them can be empowering. The above-mentioned hints could be helpful. However, if this does not help, talk to a counsellor or therapist who is trained in the treatment of anxiety issues.
Sources
https://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/psychpedia/performance-anxiety
https://www.webmd.com/anxiety-panic/guide/stage-fright-performance-anxiety
Foto krediet: Karolina Grabowska | Pexels
