No matter how confident you are, how cool you look, and how much you have to stay, strutting your stuff, acting, performing, or presenting on stage can be nerve-wracking for the best of us.
Even iconic figures well-respected in their field will often say they feel a little worried before a big show. Of course, you would be silly not to given how many eyes are looking at you. That said, small pre-show anxieties are usually surmountable and even completely normal. However, it’s when the stage fright prevents us from performing or even having the confidence to head out on stage that such an issue becomes a problem.
In this post, then, we’ll discuss three simple but effective antidotes to stage fright that shouldn’t impede your performance. After all, unhealthy methods, like taking a quick shot of alcohol, are hardly helpful if you’re about to give a TED Talk presentation or discuss your business acumen in a forum of professionals. With that in mind, please consider some of the following tips:
Deep Breathing Techniques
You’d be surprised at how well breathing techniques can help you in this instance. Your breath is more than your respiratory system, but also your composure and sense of presence, there with you since birth. That’s why it’s good to learn breathing techniques, such as deep, slow-counted breathing, to feel more centered. When we’re anxious, our breathing tends to become quick, hurried and shallow. Five minutes of deep, controlled breathing before heading onto that stage can only be helpful and also helps you feel control of the situation.
Herbal Anti-Anxiety Helpers
Taking medication, unless prescribed by your doctor, is not always a good substitute for exposure therapy and being confident. That said, it may be that you have a healthier alternative. Some herbal remedies can help reduce anxiety and help you feel more alert and focused. While caffeine may help for some, jitters can only make you feel a little more anxious along with the euphoria. Instead, valerian root, which is known to calm anxiety, and CBD products can be a helpful natural alternative. You don’t have to use these all the time, but a little helper when you’re most nervous just to soothe yourself very lightly can make a huge difference.
Posture
Research suggests that dominant postures actually help you feel more authoritative and in-control. After all – what does an athlete naturally do when they win a race or come first in an event? They throw their hands up in an act of defiance, showing that they’re the victor, they’re capable, they’ve achieved their goal. That shows just how much posture affects our mood. As such, using “power postures” in our daily life, or at least backstage (or in the restroom where no one is looking), can help you snap out of your embarrassed, curled-in physical state and instead physiologically believe that yes, you’re worth it, and you deserve to express yourself on that stage.
With this advice, you’re sure to implement three simple but effective antidotes to stage fright. As time goes on, this should be less of a worry, and will always remain under control.