Overcoming stage fright: how to stop being afraid in front of an audience, tips

Definition of stage fright

Public speaking causes anxiety for most people. There are professions whose activities require regular contact with the audience. Politicians, artists, lawyers, managers must be able to speak in front of the public. Oratory allows you to achieve good results.

Stage fright prevents you from speaking correctly and clearly. Even the most skilled speaker goes through a stage of fear and anxiety. Normal emotion forces you to carefully prepare for a performance, sharpens your attention, makes you more energetic and collected. This is an adequate reaction of students before exams, a novice artist, or any inexperienced speaker. A person who does not experience moderate excitement often loses his first public experience.

Fear due to traumatic circumstances can develop into a phobia. Sufferers of this disease experience an uncontrollable, constant fear of performing. It doesn’t matter how many spectators are in the hall, or whether they know each other.

Not everyone knows what stage fright is called and how it is recognized. This is a disease called glossophobia, or peiraphobia. A phobia can be recognized by the accompanying, pronounced symptoms.

Scarlett Johansson

Many outstanding personalities experienced stage fright at the beginning of their careers, but over time they were able to overcome the stressful situation. These are actress Faina Ranevskaya, Nelly Uvarova, musicians Pablo Casals and Glenn Gould, Barbra Streisand, Scarlett Johansson, Kim Basinger, Arnold Schwarzenegger and even the famous comedian Jim Carrey.

The reason for the fear of public speaking

To successfully fight fear, you need to understand its cause. More often than not, people are afraid not of the performance itself, but of the audience's reaction. It is important to understand here that people in the audience are interested in personal benefit and wish only good luck to the person on stage.

Creative crisis - what is it, how to determine its onset and overcome it

Fear of public speaking develops for two main reasons:

genetic inheritance;
social factors.

Due to an innate high level of anxiety, some individuals are prone to different types of fear. Of these, fear of society is the most common. A person is afraid of being an isolated, unaccepted and misunderstood unit. Temperament and the degree of anxiety can also be inherited; strong anxiety before public speaking is already programmed in the genes.

Social reasons have a greater influence on the development of phobias:

strict education with intimidation, threats, prohibitions;
insufficient level of education at school;
excessive sensitivity to criticism;
the presence of internal “censorship”;
low self-esteem due to criticism and pressure from adults;
negative childhood and youth experiences;
public installations.

Often the reason for the fear of performing on stage is the desire for perfection among people who value the opinion of the public. Poor preparation, low level of knowledge, and lack of experience among public figures also provoke the development of a phobia.

Fear can be rooted in childhood, when the child was persistently forced to read a poem or dance at a matinee or, conversely, was forbidden to speak loudly in public places, constantly pulled back and made comments.

Important! A negative assessment of one’s capabilities, uncertainty, and harsh criticism from other people perpetuate negative experiences.

LifeHow to overcome the fear of public speaking

Alexandra Savina

Fear of public speaking is a very common phenomenon: it seems that there is no such person who would not worry when reading a report or giving a presentation in front of colleagues. But it’s quite possible to overcome this fear, and even the most obvious introvert can become a good speaker. We offer 10 life hacks that will help you cope with anxiety and perform well.

Don't try to calm down

For those preparing for public speaking, it often seems that the main thing is to force yourself to calm down by any means possible. But research shows that this isn't the most effective strategy: Instead, openly admit to yourself that you're worried. Anxiety is a strong emotion, try to channel it in a positive direction and transform it into joyful anticipation of a future event. Study participants who reported feeling mildly but pleasantly nervous performed better on tasks than those who tried to force themselves to stop feeling nervous.

If you still can’t cope with anxiety, you can exercise before the performance. Even a short workout will help you relax, let off steam and relieve nervous tension. The main thing to remember is that the audience, as a rule, is friendly and does not want you to fail: even if there are mistakes and shortcomings in your speech, the audience will easily forgive you for them.

Know more about the subject than you plan to tell

Advice that seems obvious: speaking in front of an audience is worth it if you are good at what you are talking about. We think there is no need to explain that you need to prepare for a speech, and the content of your report is no less important than how you present it: frantically composing your speech the night before a conference or meeting is not the best idea. If you have a good understanding of the topic you are about to speak on, and have studied not only the content of your report, but also additional materials, you will feel more confident in front of the audience, you will be able to express yourself more clearly, and most importantly, additional questions will not take you by surprise. This technique works well in an academic environment: if you start to worry, remember that few people have researched the topic of your diploma, report or dissertation in as much detail as you have.

Rehearse

Long rehearsals are the key to a good performance. By repeating the report out loud many times, you willy-nilly learn its contents and remember well what you need to talk about: after that it will be difficult to unsettle you. They say Winston Churchill rehearsed every minute of his speeches for an hour - it may not take you that much time, but you're sure to feel more confident with each repetition. At the same time, you shouldn’t cram the report: a speech memorized by heart looks forced and unnatural.

You can rehearse in front of a mirror, or you can record your performance on video - at least with a smartphone camera. Watching the resulting recording will be awkward and perhaps unpleasant at first, but it will help you analyze the way you speak and highlight what still needs work - including facial expressions, posture, gestures and the way you carry yourself.

Shortly before the performance, you can rehearse in front of a group of friends and colleagues: there is a high probability that you will be nervous before this first “practice” run, but by the time of the performance you will already be calm. It is worth asking friends or colleagues to ask you tricky questions - this way you will understand what may interest the audience and what topics are worth studying in more detail while there is still time.

Don't sight read or rely on notes

Good speakers tend to speak as if they had not prepared their speech in advance - but at the same time they clearly understand what they need to talk about. Small notes are said to help with your presentation - but they can also throw you off track and distract you from the audience and their reactions. You can print out the text of your speech, but it is better to use it only as a safety net. You shouldn't read the entire text from the page: listeners may get bored, and you will look and feel less confident than if you told the information in your own words. The text should be understandable to both you and the audience: formulations that are well perceived in writing may not be understood by the audience when heard. Pay special attention to the beginning of your speech: this is the most difficult moment in your speech, and when you cope with it, you will feel much more confident.

In addition, it is important to work on the presentation, if provided. The presentation should not completely duplicate the report you are reading - the audience will simply not be interested in perceiving the same information in double volume. There should not be a lot of text on the slides - it is better to put succinct theses on them. This will also help in your speech: short tips will guide you on what to talk about and in what order.

Work on speech speed, volume and articulation

It is very important to work on the speed at which you speak. We tend to speak faster when we're nervous, so if you feel like you're reading a report at a normal pace, you're probably speaking too fast, and if you feel like you're speaking too slowly, that's probably the right speed. . When you speak measuredly, it is easier for you to control your speech and you have time to correct yourself if you make a mistake, or quickly adjust your report to the reaction of the audience - for example, by asking the audience a question.

Your presentation will be more likely to engage the audience if you speak loudly and clearly. This skill is easy to develop: you can record your performance on camera or on a voice recorder and analyze how you sound from the outside and what can be improved. And of course, working on articulation is much easier if you already know your report by heart.

Watch your breathing and posture

“If you can control your breathing, you can control how you speak,” says coach Christine Schaeffer. According to her, short or difficult breathing is a sign that you are worried, and your body has decided to respond to a stressful situation in a “fight or flight” model. She says that shortly before a performance, it is worth monitoring your breathing and breathing evenly and deeply: this will help you distract from anxious thoughts and concentrate on what is happening here and now.

It is equally important to work on posture and gestures: this affects not only how others perceive us, but also how we perceive ourselves. Social psychologist Amy Cuddy, author of the famous TED talk, believes that so-called power poses influence us at both a neuroendocrine and behavioral level. So, even if you don't feel confident when performing, choosing an open pose with relaxed shoulders and arms will not only make you look calmer, but you'll also feel more confident.

Inspect the room where you will perform in advance

It's great if you have the opportunity to rehearse in the hall where you are supposed to perform. If this is not an option, it will be useful to at least simply look around the desired audience or hall: reading a speech in a familiar environment is much easier. While looking around the room, think about what difficulties might arise here (will the equipment suddenly fail? Will it be hard to hear you in the back rows?) and how they can be prevented.

In addition, many people find it easier to cope with anxiety if they know a little more about the audience they will be performing in front of. The more you know about your audience, the less they resemble an abstract crowd—and the easier it will be for you to tailor your material and communication to suit their needs and interests.

Choose comfortable clothes and shoes

This advice seems obvious, but it’s still worth saying. For a speech, you need to choose clothes that you will be comfortable in: in comfortable clothes you will feel more confident and will be able to fully concentrate on your speech. It is better to refuse new clothes and, in particular, shoes: just imagine how much more difficult it is to perform on stage in shoes that rub your feet. You may also want to avoid overly bright decorations: they can distract listeners' attention from your presentation and the essence of your words.

Don’t forget about the dress code: if your clothes match the location and topic of your speech, it will be easier for you to win over your audience. At the same time, you shouldn’t sacrifice your style, comfort and freedom of expression either: you will be more comfortable performing in clothes that you like, so feel free to give up heels if you get tired of them.

Make eye contact with the audience

Many people, speaking in public, prefer to look into the distance, above the audience, but it is better to try to establish eye contact with the audience, looking into the eyes of one or another person in the audience. Sandy Eifion-Jones, of Toastmasters International, an organization that helps people hone their communication skills, recommends practicing at home by cutting out a few large faces from newspapers and magazines and sticking them around the room, and then, repeating the speech, looking from one face to another. .

Another useful technique is to look for a friendly person in the audience (this could be, for example, a colleague with whom you are on good terms, a friend who came to listen to your report, or a stranger who is interested in the topic of your speech), look at him and imagine that you are performing only in front of him. It may be noticeable from the outside, but it will be easier for you to relax.

Imagine the worst case scenario

This advice is useful not only for preparing for public speaking, but also in any other stressful situation. If you can't cope with worry and anxiety, imagine the worst case scenario. As soon as you imagine a specific situation, you will almost certainly understand that everything is not as scary as it seemed, and that you can find a way out of any situation. It's worth thinking about what situations make you nervous and how you can handle them - feeling like you have a plan of action for even the most difficult situation will give you confidence.

Symptoms of a phobia

Fear of crowds - what is this phobia called and how does it manifest itself?

The causes of phobic disorders are different and are accompanied by certain symptoms. While waiting to go on stage, emotional tension increases and the functioning of internal organs changes. Due to the release of large amounts of adrenaline, the following symptoms appear:

muscles tense;
Gestures and facial expressions change;
hands and feet become cold;
the timbre of the voice changes;
speech becomes incoherent;
discomfort in the heart area;
The heart rate may increase, sweating may occur, and blood pressure may increase;
headache;
involuntary urination.

Symptoms of a phobia

People with increased nervous excitability may experience dizziness, accompanied by weakness and nausea, which will lead to fainting. The manifestation of the listed symptoms, their strength and quantity depend on the condition and characteristics of the body at that moment.

Additional Information. Panic stage fright can provoke the development of a speech disorder - logoneurosis (stuttering). Only timely comprehensive treatment will relieve serious problems.

Symptoms and signs

Glossophobia provokes a certain biological reaction in a person. The degree of intensity of the symptoms of a phobic state depends on the individual characteristics of the psyche.

In the presence of severe forms, the phobia can cause disruption of the functioning of internal organs.

Somatic signs in this case will be supplemented by vegetative signs.

If a glossophobe has serious neurotic disorders, then the fear of public speaking can cause a panic attack.

Before the performance and before it begins, a glossophobe exhibits the following conditions :

redness or pallor of the skin;
nervous gestures;
disturbance of intestinal tone;
inappropriate laughter;
excessive sweating;
dry mouth;
attack of nausea;
increased heart rate;
voice trembling;
severe muscle tension;
fainting;
change in facial expressions;
feverish condition;
increased blood pressure;
sensation of a “lump” in the throat;
speech and voice disorders;
involuntary urination;
tremors or numbness of the limbs.

Read about who xenophobes are here.

Is it possible to learn not to be afraid?

Fear of people and society - what is this phobia called and what is it

A person suffering from glossophobia must understand that he is not the only one with such a disease. More than 90% of people in the world experience stage fright, and almost everyone is nervous.

You can get rid of the fear of public speaking on your own using possible methods of resolving the problem. They include four stages:

recognition of the problem;
identification and analysis of causes;
consideration of solutions;
application in practice.

Stage fright is often accompanied by severe stress and the development of various mental disorders. Experienced specialists tell us how not to be afraid to speak in public. For this purpose, various modern psychological techniques, trainings, and master classes are offered.

Why do people have stage fright?

With glossophobia, the fact of genetic predisposition cannot be ruled out.

This nuance characterizes the predominant number of phobias.

If parents suffer from a fear of public speaking, then the child may have a phobic condition at the genetic level or imposed by the behavior of adults.

For example, if a baby sees mom or dad worrying too much before a report , then the feeling of potential danger can trigger the development of glossophobia.

Possible causes of glossophobia may include the following factors:

Children's fears (fear of public speaking can be triggered by situations that caused psychological discomfort in childhood, for example, children's ridicule when reciting poems or singing a song).
Development of neurotic diseases (the main manifestation of diseases in this category is the lack of control of one’s own emotions in certain situations; the consequence may be the development of glossophobia).
The presence of complexes regarding one’s own appearance or speech (a person thinks that his appearance or speech will definitely cause ridicule or excessive criticism from the public).
Peculiarities of upbringing (if parents pay excessive attention to the ban on leading a public lifestyle, then it may become a problem for the child to take photographs, speak in front of the public and perform other actions of a similar nature).
Excessive strictness in upbringing, threats and frequent punishments, as well as constant criticism from parents (these factors provoke self-doubt in the child and are the main reasons for the development of phobic conditions).
Excessive shyness (this character trait is one of the main reasons for the development of fear of public speaking).
Excessive fear of criticism from the public (this factor can be both a character trait and an accompanying symptom of certain neurotic deviations).

How to overcome the fear of open space? Read about it in our article.

How to overcome stage fright

If a person does not know how to overcome anxiety and fear of speaking in public, special exercises to relieve nervous tension will come to his aid.

Positive attitude

We need to prepare ourselves for a positive result in advance. Take critical comments, if any, calmly, understanding that it is impossible to please everyone.

Breathing exercises and support from loved ones will help you calm down and relax. Understanding your right to make mistakes will help reduce your anxiety, because everyone makes mistakes, even the most seasoned and experienced.

Visualization for success is useful and effective. Imagine how satisfied spectators applaud, give flowers, congratulate, and express approval. Positive affirmations will help you get rid of worries and tension, and create a sense of personal value and uniqueness.

Planning your speech

High-quality preparation of a speech is very important. When everything is under control, a person feels more confident, nervousness and fear disappear. To do this, you need to draw up a plan with outlines, theses, and thoughtful remarks. You should think through possible questions and approximate answers to them.

The topic should be carefully studied; the prepared speech should not be replete with complex terms and bureaucracy, but be informative and simple. A preliminary rehearsal in the presence of at least one listener will not hurt. Perhaps he will give useful comments. The filmed video will help you pay attention to facial expressions, gestures, posture and gait, work on voice intonations and improve your appearance. All these actions at the preparatory stage will help you overcome muscle tension and learn to relax.

Before the audience arrives, it would be a good idea to inspect the performance space, assess the size, lighting, location of the rows and steps leading to the stage. You can choose some object in advance to fix your gaze on it, if you are afraid to look at the audience, stand on the stage to get used to it. Developing the territory will make the process much easier and eliminate unwanted punctures and overlays. A well-prepared action will reduce anxiety about its success.

Constant practice

You can improve in oratory and artistic art only by constantly practicing. Lack of information and experience gives free rein to the imagination. Everyone once did not know how to swim, ride a bike or skate, but they continued to act, coped with the adrenaline, and all fears remained in the past. Listening to and evaluating other people's performances is also a unique experience.

You can improve your communication skills by interacting with more people every day. Constant practice will yield positive results, and performing on stage will no longer be so intimidating.

Important! The idea that light doses of tranquilizers, stimulants or alcohol will help cope with performance anxiety is wrong. These remedies can only ruin everything.

There are different ways to stop worrying and being afraid of speaking in public. First of all, you need to determine for yourself the purpose of the speech and not deviate from the main topic. The desire to talk about many things will confuse your thoughts and inevitably lead to failure.

Short stories on the topic, taken from personal experience or world practice, will be a good motivation for listeners. It is recommended to use quotes and aphorisms and joke a little - this will enliven the atmosphere of the hall and win over the audience.

10-15 minutes before the start of a report or concert, severe fear sets in.

Life hacks on how to not be afraid to go on stage and feel more comfortable:

adequate sleep will allow the body to rest before a busy day;
A nutritious breakfast wouldn’t hurt, an hour before going out – a couple of glasses of cool water;
deep breathing, focusing on inhalation and exhalation, for five minutes will relieve tension;
fingering a rosary or a Rubik's cube is a good way to calm down for introverts;
A few simple physical exercises alternating tension and relaxation of muscles can help;
An extrovert can be distracted by a conversation with someone, hum a favorite melody, make a phone call;
a good luck amulet will strengthen faith in success.

The path of self-improvement is endless and will definitely lead to success.

March 22, 2019

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Maria Masycheva Concert pianist, winner of international competitions, graduate of the Moscow Conservatory and Berlin University of the Arts, certified musical physiologist and founder of the Classica Viva Academy.

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Fear filled my stomach, crept up into my chest, constricted my throat... I couldn’t help myself. I hated myself and this situation. "Don't want! I can not!". But it was too late to retreat: my exit was announced, people in the hall were waiting for my speech.

Did you know that most musicians have stage fright? It's like an installer who has a fear of heights. Or a pilot who is afraid to fly.

The topic of performance anxiety is a taboo subject in the classical music world. Our generation of teachers—those over fifty—were raised to see admitting fear as weakness. Fear was stuffed into a box called “Costs of the Profession,” where other things imposed by upbringing were also kept: “Classics are only for the elite,” “You work for an idea, not for money,” “Music is hard labor,” and the like. This box was removed far into itself so that it would not interfere with life. However, every time during preparation for a performance, its contents strangely floated to the surface, taking over the body and thoughts, preventing sleep at night and enjoying the performance. These attitudes were passed down from generation to generation without changes and reached me.

First attempts to cope with fear

It all started in adolescence, when you seriously begin to wonder whether you are even capable of anything useful. By that time, compared to my peers, I already had enormous experience in performances and solo concerts in the largest halls of the capital.

At the music school, I tried to find out from the teachers what to do with paralyzing stage fright. And although they were all experienced teachers with many years of teaching experience, they could not help me. As I now understand, both from ignorance of the nature of this condition, and from my own unprocessed fears.

Many wonderful books and articles have been written about fear. In the 2000s there were some fragmentary translations of Western publications and crumbs of ours, written in the harsh professional language of learned psychologists. There was no special literature for musicians, and there still isn’t.

Hoping that fear would recede before my professionalism, I diligently prepared for each performance, be it a small test or a performance in the Great Hall of the Conservatory. It didn't help. My body was still paralyzed, my arms were paralyzed, and it was as if a black hole was opening in my head, absorbing everything I was working on.

No, I played until the end, and even without mistakes. But to play in such a way that the listener is involved in the process and experiences emotions from my music - before that it was like reaching the moon. I cried from powerlessness, resentment and anger at myself: what’s wrong with me? After all, at home I could play really wonderfully: music flowed from my heart without barriers, I felt free and was completely confident in what I was doing. I—not fear—was in control. Over the years, he tormented me so much that I seriously thought about changing my profession. I could count on one hand the times I myself had great pleasure sharing music and saw the impact it had on listeners. These episodes prompted me to analyze.

Is there life without fear?

Feeling in my gut that the fear of performing is not a “cost of the profession”, but a barrier that prevents talent from revealing itself in full force, I decided to change the situation at all costs.

I read accessible literature on psychology, textbooks on acting, books on eastern practices, and practiced yoga. Step by step I figured out what was happening; Slowly but surely I was able to overcome my psychological fears and physical blocks. Just like a blind kitten pokes its nose into surrounding objects, trying to find milk, so I walked by touch, getting bumps and trying on myself all the techniques and exercises I had read.

Looking ahead, I will say that I successfully dealt with fear and was able to transform it into excitement. It, in turn, allows me to be collected and give the maximum of everything I am capable of.

Thanks to this transformation, I was able to win eight prestigious European competitions and captivate a crowd of sixty thousand spectators at an open-air festival with my performance. However, this took years. Years of searching for solutions, techniques, the right attitude and constant work - sometimes interesting, sometimes boring, but almost always scary. A job that no one else will take on and no one will do except you. Work on yourself .

I want to share with you the methods that helped me achieve the desired result in working with fear of speaking.

I have identified three main blocks for myself that answer my question “Why does fear arise”:

1. Due to difficulties with self-esteem.

2. Due to incorrect or insufficient preparation for the performance.

3. Because of the stress caused by the performance situation itself.

In all three blocks I had flaws or huge gaping holes.

Self-esteem

Desire for praise

It's not that my self-esteem is below par. I trusted myself and believed in my ability to play well. That's why I stepped into fear. However, I was very concerned about what others would say about my game - the teacher, parents, friends and the granny in the fifth row. I understood that all people are different, and I thought about what they wanted to hear in my playing. I was in a stupor because I had no idea how to play to please everyone. Relief came when I realized that this was impossible in principle. A weight lifted off my shoulders - I took a deep breath and allowed myself to be myself. And then a breakthrough happened. I was able to see the situation from the other side. Indeed, there are people whose opinions I trust. If they didn't like my game, it doesn't mean I'm bad. This means that I was unable to convey my ideas or emotions convincingly without a shadow of doubt. This means you need to work and make it convincing. Improve there, be clearer here, better structure and show development.

In a good way, I no longer cared what others thought of me. I began to perceive the assessment of others not as praise or condemnation, but as a way to understand where and what I need to “tweak” in order to be more convincing. The judgments of others now did not affect my deep core - self-esteem.

If we act out of a desire to earn praise, we are not taking into account our own deepest desires. But it is they, like a compass, that lead us to freedom of expression and realization of our talents. To our ability to be ourselves. Don't be afraid of them. Ask yourself again and again - what do I really want? All external factors - money, envy, resentment - will fall away like husks, and the Answer will emerge. He will give you direction and strength to set out on a path that you will follow with pleasure, despite the obstacles.

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Does it matter what others say as long as you feel your talent is changing the world for the better?

Fear of making mistakes

The fear of making a mistake is the leading fear among classical musicians. And the point here is not only that we often have to play by heart. Even with sheet music, you are always afraid of making a mistake. “What if this happens? What if I forget the text and get confused?” My brain was racing these questions in circles, driving me crazy. Then I decided to imagine the most terrible scenario, saying it out loud so that it would not be so scary.

Yes, I will be very embarrassed. I will be embarrassed and blush from ear to ear, run away from the stage, hide in some corner to cry.

What will happen to people who hear how wrong I was? Nothing special. They will sympathize or gloat and move on to something more important in their lives. In a couple of days I will still feel hot from the memory. In a month I will be able to tell my friends about this, and in a couple of years I will write an article. I realized that I and the people in the room would be okay whether I made a mistake or not.

Visualizing the worst-case scenario is a great way to understand that everything is not so scary. In addition, we learn to anticipate a negative outcome, which gives us the opportunity to be as prepared as possible to prevent it.

The fear of making a mistake is one of the most insidious, as it has a poisonous aftertaste. A single negative experience of a mistake poisons the entire subsequent process of the game. The brain gets stuck on the mistake, replaying the unpleasant moment over and over again and reinforcing the negativity, preventing you from focusing on the present. Instead of treating a mistake as an annoying oversight - it happens to everyone! — and moving forward, you essentially end your performance there. The autopilot guides you further.

In working on this fear, I had to develop such a property of thinking as neutrality. It is an observer position in which we notice and celebrate the good and the bad without making judgments.

Imagine a tornado: a huge funnel that picks up and sweeps away everything in its path. Its inner part, called the “eye,” is a place of stability and calm. Imagine that inside us there is also such a place - a point of absolute peace. Despite the hurricane of our thoughts and emotions, the whirlwind is not able to capture this point of peace. It is in it that you will find the absence of: reactions, judgments and condemnations. Your observer lives here.

Thanks to yoga and breathing techniques, I was able to strengthen my observer, learned not to succumb to mistakes and not to be fooled by brain provocations.

The shadow side of your self

I have also noticed that our inner critic is often unfairly merciless and cruel to us. Not noticing anything good, he reproaches us for the slightest shortcomings, remembering and counting only negative experiences. Mistakes for which we would easily forgive others with an encouraging gesture or word remain in the memory of the inner critic as a reminder of our imperfections.

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Damn imperfection! Everyone has the right to make mistakes! Everyone is imperfect and this is our value.

You are not a set of individual qualities and bad or good deeds, you are a single whole. To feel whole means to accept yourself completely. By allowing ourselves not to be ashamed of our weaknesses and vulnerabilities, we become stronger, freer and more open. When this happens, our uniqueness is revealed to everyone - our natural ability to create, coupled with our accumulated life experiences, values and worldview.

Creativity is not a flawless performance, it is our ability to see the beauty in the ordinary and share it with others. Isn't that what we want to convey when we go on stage?

Preparation

Thinking

Everyone knows that performances require preparation. As a rule, musicians practice a lot and persistently. With and without notes, with and without an instrument, in a state of wakefulness and sleep. We are very efficient. Music is constantly spinning in our heads: we practice passages while sitting in a cafe and test new fingerings while standing on an escalator. We are like athletes - we train tirelessly and take weekends off before our performances. With only one exception - all athletes know how important attitude is both in preparation and before their performance. They understand the importance of having the right mindset—a winning mindset. For them, working with their thinking is a natural part of preparing for competitions, where there is no room for uncertainty and fear. Athletes know how not to give up after hurtful falls and goals scored by their opponents, how to set the bar high and move towards achieving it. They're working hard on it.

Musicians do not train these skills and generally do not work on such things psychologically. Never. At the same time, admitting defeat occurs primarily in the head. Often even before going on stage.

I trained myself to have a winning mindset consciously and purposefully. I tried to communicate with those who have achieved significant results and professional heights. I attended trainings on goal setting and adjusting behavioral strategies. I learned not to focus on the negative and evaluate the situation not from the position of “I should have...”, but from the position of “What else can be done to achieve the result.” The second option involves active participation in changing the situation. For example, when on a live broadcast I was asked to play an unfamiliar piece in a duet with another musician, I could proceed from the position of the past: “I should have negotiated in more detail with the presenter” or “Why did I even agree to participate in the program!” However, this would not have saved the situation. I took the risk because I knew that I had enough skill and experience, and most importantly, I knew what to do in difficult situations. And she came out the winner!

Time management

The inability to properly allocate time for preparation is the scourge of modern society with its multitasking and frantic pace of life. Some people take rush jobs and last-minute preparations with ease, while others are unsettled by such situations.

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The time factor is something we cannot influence, so relationships with time need to be built gently and carefully.

I experimented, feeling for my optimal timing and preparation regimen. Preferring interesting rehearsals with other instruments, I often missed the mark and sat down late to work on solo works. And I was again in a fever from the realization that I was not ready. A haze before my eyes, a lump in my throat and a feeling of hopelessness of the situation - no, I don’t want to go back to this again!

I realized that quality preparation for a performance takes me at least a month. I began to count even a little more from the performance in advance - after all, there will definitely be urgent unscheduled matters that will not allow me to study. So let them be planned. This way I have a specific date when I should start working on a specific repertoire.

However, the general rule is that the less experience, the more time it takes to prepare.

Whether you have to give a presentation, give a concert, or talk about your business - in any case, for a successful presentation you need runs. Two or three times is enough: it doesn’t matter whether the listener is your grandmother, a neighbor, a friend, or all of them. Your presentation is important - not for yourself, but for others. In addition, record yourself on video. And even if you hate the way you look, this will be one of the most valuable lessons for you. You will see how you are perceived from the outside and will be able to adjust the presentation of information for better perception by the audience.

Stress

If you think about what public speaking is like for our body, it becomes clear why our heartbeat quickens, our palms sweat, and our breathing becomes shallow. Since the time of the caveman, people have banded together in groups to ensure their survival. Now imagine that you find yourself in front of a crowd of unknown-minded strangers. The brain reacts to this situation with fear and the release of adrenaline into the blood - the first warns of danger, the second so that they can act quickly.

Simple breathing techniques help me reduce stress levels at the bodily level: a minute of deep breathing alternately through the right and left nostrils. It lowers the heart rate and helps activate both hemispheres of the brain. Breathing is closely connected with our mind and body. By using it correctly, you can set yourself in the right mood.

The “Secret Garden” exercise helped me find the inner peace that is so necessary before a performance: I find a secluded corner, sit down and, closing my eyes, imagine a place in my chest - an oasis of calm and serenity. I am in it, noticing the singing of birds, the quiet coolness and the soothing sound of the trees. I try to preserve this feeling of security that I just experienced in my garden for as long as possible.

Transformation instead of struggle

It is natural to feel fear. It is an inseparable part of our being. Instead of fighting with him, and therefore with yourself, it is better to turn him into your friend.

Thanks to fear, I recognized myself. And I realized that any situation, no matter how uncomfortable, is a chance to learn something new and grow.

Having gone through all the stages alone - from struggle to acceptance and transformation - I understand how important it is to find outside support. Therefore, I began to consult and give master classes not only to musicians, but also to everyone who needs to perform in front of an audience. How to deal with stage fright. How to make him your ally. How to convert a minus sign into a plus sign. And, most importantly, how to finally and irrevocably throw away that irrelevant box with all its contents.

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Life without fear exists, you just have to really want it.

Thanks to these methods, an audience of sixty thousand people no longer frightens me, but inspires me!

Self-development #Awareness #Psychology #fears #Emotions

What to do if fear cannot be overcome

Not everyone can cope with public fear on their own. If fears do not go away, but become an obsessive state (neurosis), professional help is needed. There are acting and rhetoric courses with experienced teachers.

The fear doesn't go away

Additional Information. Many successful individuals studied public speaking. Regular exercises with specialists relieved them of speech defects and helped them overcome anxiety and natural shyness. They became charismatic and courageous people.

Some tips for overcoming fear:

do not read the text, but talk to the audience;
draw up a plan for the speech, highlighting the main points;
avoid multiple terms;
take breaks, avoid monotonous text.

You should not attach great importance to critical remarks and poisonous remarks. A good lesson for such a skeptic would be to be invited on stage to have the opportunity to speak. You can be 100% sure that he will not risk going out and facing the audience.

Recommendations from a psychologist

Psychologists give useful advice and recommendations on how not to be afraid to speak in public:

You should be extremely sincere and avoid falsehood.
Make sure that there are no tables or podiums on the stage during the performance.
Do not take questions or comments personally.
Without knowing the correct answer, simply postpone consideration of the question or redirect it to the audience.
Invite your friends and acquaintances - making eye contact with them will help overcome anxiety.
Don’t forget about a smile - it helps relieve mental stress and encourages the audience to communicate with the person on stage.

Success

The public loves honest, open people. A sincere apology to the audience for your excitement will win over the audience, and a warm atmosphere in the hall will help in overcoming fear. If you do not deny fear, but accept it as a challenge and motivation, then it will be much easier to cope with it.

How to overcome a phobia on your own

If glossophobia is mild or moderate, the patient should think about how to overcome the disorder on their own.

There are a number of effective recommendations. In most cases they give pretty good results:

prepare for the performance. If this is a report, select as much information as possible on the topic being presented. Rehearse while looking in the mirror. Try to anticipate possible questions. Prepare answers to them. Practice the tempo and intonation of your voice. If you have to perform a variety act, perfect it so that you are satisfied with it first of all;
try to make eye contact with the audience, even if it's only for a few seconds. At least glance around the audience. If time allows, pay attention to your listeners. Greet, thank for coming;
If you are giving a presentation, initially determine the rules of communication - when you can ask a question or enter into a discussion. Some speakers prefer to leave this for the end of the speech so as not to get distracted or confused during the process;
no matter what thoughts come to you, smile. The mood of the lecturer “infects” the listeners;
Before a performance, use relaxation methods: breathing exercises, muscle exercises, meditation;
Affirmations are positive statements that act like self-hypnosis. “I prepared very well for the speech”, “My audience is very grateful”, “My listeners will be interested in my report”;
reconsider your attitude towards the audience. Many people are afraid of ridicule from the audience and unpleasant remarks. Understand that among the listeners there will definitely be a percentage of dissatisfied people, even if it’s minimal. The question is why they are unhappy. The speaker here may have nothing to do with it at all. Such people may be angry for a completely different reason, but it turned out to be a good opportunity for them to throw out negative emotions on the speaker.