Public speaking is not a skill that is given to everyone automatically or naturally. Sometimes, those who have to expose in front of others are faced with terrible imaginary monsters that lead them to freeze, stutter, have nausea and even stomach aches.
These symptoms are known as stage fright and this is the great enemy of many speakers, even professionals.
Although it is true that feeling a little nervous is not bad, since when that happens the body begins to secrete adrenaline, which makes us stay alert, the opposite is also true. When these nerves are uncontrollable, they can become stress, something that we would not want to happen.
Since at some point in our lives we will have to speak in public, whether it is to make an exhibition in the place of study or work, to get someone’s attention and even to say our wedding vows, it is important that we know how we can overcome or deal with stage fright.
Would you like to learn some useful techniques to cope with stage fright? In this article we will be sharing with you a series of recommendations that will be very useful to you.
Therefore, if you want to learn to express yourself with greater conviction and that your words have the power to move others to action, you cannot stop reading it. Surely, here you will find tools that will make you the leader you want to be, since a good leader must know how to express himself correctly and, for this, he must learn to overcome stage fright.
But, before getting into the matter, we will be talking about what stage fright is, as well as the symptoms it produces and the function that fear plays in our body in general. Let’s see it right now.
Instructions to overcome stage fright
It is nothing more than an anxiety reaction that occurs before a specific social situation, such as speaking in public, playing a musical instrument, dancing, acting, etc, and it is more frequent than you can imagine.
It is a state of panic that reduces the effectiveness with which we communicate by blocking all or most expressive activities. In fact, in the field of medicine it is considered a disease, which has a recommended treatment. However, there are also different ways to overcome it.
Since it is an anxiety disorder, some may relate it to a lack of self-esteem , given that those who suffer from it are not capable of having a positive assessment of what they do.
Likewise, it has a lot to do with the level of security and trust that each person has. They constantly imagine what others think or say about them. However, not everything related to stage fright is negative, since it constitutes a part of the process and development of the person.
Your symptoms
In reality, many and varied symptoms can occur, so many that they can trigger anxiety attacks. Some of its most common manifestations are the following:
- Physically: there is a sensation of suffocation or difficulty breathing, tremor, sweating, tachycardia, nausea, dizziness, migraines, dry mouth, muscle tension, urge to urinate, etc.
- Psychologically: sensation of dispersion, confusion, lack of attention, concentration and memorization. Presence of negative thoughts about himself and his performance, fear of failure, negative criticism, ridicule, going blank, catastrophic thoughts, among others.
- Behaviorally: clumsiness, low voice, speaking very quickly, stuttering, being silent, tongue tying, the urge to avoid the stressful situation, wanting to run away from it, and more.
Since stage fright can be very limiting, what can you do to overcome it on your own? What do you need for it?
What do you need to overcome stage fright?
Although it is not an easy task, it is not impossible either. As already mentioned above, it is a condition that can be overcome. However, you need a lot of will for it. Some of the things you can do are:
Relax the body
This is ideal for every presentation you have. Before carrying them out, find a quiet and solitary place where you can perform some relaxation technique.
You can try practicing yoga, drinking citrus juices, which help lower blood pressure, or applying different breathing techniques .
No matter what it is, try to make it something that works for you and that helps you keep your mind and body relaxed so that you look fresh in front of the audience. Bearing in mind that not all forms of relaxation have the same effect on all people. Keep your mind at peace. It’s no use torturing yourself thinking all day that you’ll have to stand in public. This only makes you feel more nervous.
Know the subject and master it
Arriving in front of the public without knowing specifically what you have to do or what you are going to say is one of the most common mistakes and one of the triggers for stage fright.
This is a very common mistake in people who are overconfident in themselves. In general, they think that it is not enough to spend so much time studying and they feel satisfied with what they know. However, mastering the subject will make you express yourself with more conviction and poise.
In the event that it is a totally new topic for you or that it is very complex, investigate everything that is necessary, since if you arrive with doubts before an audience that knows what you are talking about, it is possible that you feel more nervous and you may even fall prey to panic.
Find focal points
Although eye contact is important in a presentation, if you suffer from stage fright, it can be the worst of decisions, since it can cause you distrust or nerves to see the reactions or gestures of people.
The best way to avoid eye contact, without appearing listless or distracted, is by finding focal points. Of course, this does not mean that you will look at nothing. You can look between people or over them. The important thing is that you can gain more confidence when speaking.
Record yourself
You can also ask a friend to do it for you. The idea of this is that you can visualize how you did it, which will give you a chance to see your mistakes and correct them before your final presentation. It will also allow you to know your strengths, which will give you more security.
Recording yourself makes it possible for you to identify how you move, how you speak, the fillers you use and even the gestures you make. Knowing your particularities will make you lose stage fright.
Best of all, you can repeat it as many times as necessary, so with each attempt you will improve your technique.
Know the opinion of others
No matter what activity you are going to perform in front of others, such as dancing, acting, singing, or speaking, always ask how you did it.
Of course, you should ask people who can give you an objective but constructive critical opinion, so that you can improve, but without demoralizing yourself.
Look for people who have both the ability and the knowledge and experience to give you an effective critique, this will help you improve and thus lose stage fright.
On the other hand, you can ask other people for advice on how they do it to benefit from their experience.
Keep in mind that these recommendations may work for others, but not for you. However, don’t be discouraged. Try something else, like listening to your favorite music, screaming into a pillow, jumping across the room, etc. But what other tips can you take into account?
Tips to overcome stage fright
- Try to see fear as a friend and not an enemy. He understands that anxiety symptoms can be a valuable tool that the body is responsible for sending and that you must learn to channel correctly.
- Face your fears so you can overcome them. If you avoid them all the time, you may get momentary relief, but before long, the fear and sense of inadequacy will return and you will never be able to get rid of them.
- Identify what your anxiety symptoms are and accept them. Remember that you can reduce its intensity if you put different relaxation techniques into practice, such as abdominal breathing, visualizations, among others.
- Remember your previous successes. By connecting to earlier scenes where everything went well, you’ll be more positive and gain self-confidence.
- Don’t be so hard on yourself. The more self-critical you are, the more pressure you are putting on yourself and the greater the chances of poor execution.
- Accept that not everything will always be perfect. You will make mistakes, learn from them. Laugh at yourself. If possible, admit them to the public, make a joke out of it, instead of feeling embarrassed or trying to cover up what happened.
- Focus on what you are doing instead of the audience. In this way, you will enjoy what you are doing more and you will worry less about what they will say.
- Practice enough to gain experience. Remember that the lack of habit, competence or knowledge increase the feeling of insecurity, which generates stage fright.
Despite all of the above, keep in mind that stage fright is not something that disappears overnight. For this reason, try to see its improvement as a process in which you can work progressively.
However, if you cannot overcome it by your own means and you feel that it is a real obstacle in your life, that it does not let you move forward or that it causes you a lot of suffering and anguish, it is best to visit a professional in the matter, such as a psychologist, to help you during this process, in case you have to face this situation throughout your life.
Try this
- Find a solitary place where you can do little hops or stomp with each of your feet to release tension so you don’t get too excited during the performance.
- Shake your hands. Clench and unzip your fists constantly, this will help you channel your energy. Also, if you feel like you’re going to start shaking mid-lecture, lean on the lectern or desk while you’re speaking.
- While you’re alone, stick out your tongue, open your eyes wide, as well as your mouth, as wide as you can, and then look backwards to make your face as small as possible. These exercises will help you relax the muscles in your face and make you feel much better.
- Take a deep breath. Take a deep breath and then hum your favorite song softly as you exhale. This way, you will not only relax, but you will also be warming up and relaxing your voice before going on stage.
- With your eyes closed, imagine that you are in your favorite place, where you always get peace and quiet. The place where you feel safest, where no one could hurt you and while you do it, fill your lungs with air and exhale slowly through your mouth.
These tips can help you deal with the physical effects of stage fright. To deal with the psychological part, when going out in front of the public, imagine that you are in front of a mirror doing a simple rehearsal. Suppress the public in your mind and you will feel how the tension is disappearing.