L4. Butterflies and Elephants
How to Overcome Stage Fright?
Even the most confident performers can suffer from stage fright. Stage fright is common for everyone from Broadway actors to professional presenters. If you have stage fright, then you may start to feel nervous, shaky, or even completely debilitated at the thought of performing in front of an audience. But don't worry -- you can overcome your stage fright by training your body and mind to relax and trying a few tricks. If you want to know how to overcome stage fright, just follow these steps. Before you read, make sure that you know it helps if you have somebody perform with you. Or it also helps if you have a lot of your close friends in the audience.
Method 1 of 4: Overcoming Stage Fright on the Day of the
Performance
1
Relax your body. To overcome stage fright, there are a few things you can
do to relax your body before going on the stage. Easing the tension from your body can help steady your voice and relax your mind. Here are a few things you can do to relax your body before your performance.[1]
Gently hum to steady your voice.
Eat a banana before you perform. It will lower that empty or nauseous feeling in your stomach but won't make you feel too full either.
Chew gum. Chewing gum a little bit to ease the tension in your jaw. Just don't chew gum too long or on an empty stomach or you may upset your digestive system a bit.
Stretch. Stretching your arms, legs, back, and shoulders is another great way to reduce the tension in your body.
2
take 15-20 minutes out of your day to meditate. Find a relatively quiet place where you can take a comfortable seat on the ground. Close your eyes and focus on your breathing as you relax every part of your body.
Rest your hands on your lap and fold your legs.
Try to reach a point where you no longer think about anything besides relaxing your body one part a time -- especially not your performance.
3
Avoid caffeine. Unless you're normally a caffeine addict, don't have extra
caffeine on the day of the performance. You may think that it will make you perform with more energy, but it will actually make you feel more nervous and jittery.
4
Set a "stop time" for your anxiety. On the day of your performance, tell
yourself that you can allow yourself to be nervous for a certain amount of time, but that after a certain hour -- say, 3 PM -- all anxiety will go out the door. Just setting this goal and making this promise to yourself will make it much more likely to happen.
5
Get some exercise. Exercise releases tension and gets your endorphins
going. Make time for at least thirty minutes of exercise on the day of your performance, or at least take a thirty-minute walk. This will get your body geared for an amazing performance.
6
Laugh as much as you can. Watch a comedy in the morning, put on your
favorite YouTube video, or just spend the afternoon hanging around the funniest person in your company. Laughing will relax you and take your mind off your nervousness.
7
Get there early. Show up to your presentation earlier than anyone in the
audience. You'll feel much more in control if the room is filling up after you arrive instead of showing up to a full house. Showing up early will also ease your nerves and will make you feel less rushed and more at peace.
8
Talk to members in the audience. Some people like to sit in the audience
and start chatting with people to get more comfortable. This will make you see that the audience members are just ordinary people like you, and will help you manage your expectations. You can also just sit in the audience as it fills up for a bit without telling anyone who you are -- this will only work if you're not in costume, of course.
9
Imagine your favorite person in the audience. Instead of imagining every
person in the audience in their underwear which can be a little weird --imagine that every seat in the audience is filled with a clone of your favorite person. That person loves you and will listen to and approve of anything you say or do. That person will laugh at the right times, encourage you, and clap wildly at the end of the performance.
10
Drink citrus juice. Drinking citrus juice half an hour before your performance
11
Recite the words to your favorite song or poem. Falling into a comfortable
rhythm will make you feel more at peace and in control. If you feel comfortable reciting the words to your favorite song or poem, you'll feel more comfortable about delivering your lines with ease and grace.
Method 2 of 4: Overcoming Stage Fright for an Acting
Performance
1
Visualize success. Before you get on stage, just picture yourself knocking it
out of the park. Imagine a standing ovation, picture the smiles on the audience members' faces, and hear the sound of your cast mates or director telling you what an amazing job you did. The more you focus on visualizing the best possible outcome instead of worrying over the worst case scenario, the more likely it is to happen. Picture yourself being amazing on stage from the audience's point of view.
o Start early. Start visualizing success from the second you're cast in the role. Get into the habit of imagining what a great job you'll do.
o As you get closer to the starting date, you can work harder on visualizing success by picturing what a great job you'll do every night before you go to bed and every morning when you wake up.
2
Practice as much as possible. Do this until you memorize it. Remember the words of the person who speaks before you, so you recognize the cue for you to speak. Practice in front of family, friends, and stuffed animals and even in
front of empty chairs, so that you are used to performing in front of people.[3]
o Part of the fear of performing comes from thinking that you'll forget your lines and won't know what to do. The best way to prepare against forgetting your lines is to be as familiar with them as possible.
o Practicing in front of others helps you get used to the fact that you won't be reciting your lines alone. Sure, you may know them perfectly when you're alone in your room, but it'll be a whole new ball game when you're facing an audience.
3
Get into character. If you really want to overcome stage fright, work on truly
inhabiting the actions, thoughts, and worries of your character. The more in tune you are with the character you're portraying, the more likely you'll be to forget your own worries. Imagine that you really are that person instead of a nervous actor trying to portray that person.
4
Watch your own performance. Gain confidence in yourself by reciting your lines in front of a mirror. You can even tape your own performance to see how amazing you are, and to look out for areas of improvement. If you keep taping or watching yourself until you know you're really killing it, then you'll be much more likely to succeed on the stage.
o Being able to see yourself perform will also help you conquer your fear of the unknown. If you know exactly what you look like, you'll feel more comfortable on the stage.
o Watch your mannerisms, and look at how you move your hands as you speak.
Note: this may not work for everyone. This trick may
their bodies. If watching yourself starts making you more nervous, then avoid this tactic.
5
Learn to improvise. Improvisation is a skill that all good actors should
master. Improvising will help you prepare for a less-than-perfect situation on the stage. Many actors and performers are so worried about forgetting or messing up their lines that they often don't consider that other cast members are just as likely to make a mistake; knowing how to improvise will help you feel comfortable with performing on the fly and being prepared for anything that comes your way.
Improvising will also help you see that you can't control every aspect of the performance. It's not about being perfect -- it's about being able to react to any situation.
Don't act startled or lost if something unexpected happens. Remember that the audience doesn't have a copy of the script and that they'll only be able to tell if something went wrong if you make it obvious.
6
Move your body. Staying physically active before and during the
performance will help ease your tension and keep the audience's interest. Of course, you should only move when the character is supposed to move, but make the most of your movements and gestures so that your body becomes more relaxed by being active.
7
Turn off your mind. Once you're on stage, just focus on your words, your
body, and your facial expressions. Don't waste time over thinking it and asking yourself pesky questions. Just start enjoying your performance and inhabiting
the moment, whether you're singing, dancing, or reciting lines. If you've learned to turn off your mind and fully inhabit your performance, the audience will know.
Method 3 of 4: Overcoming Stage Fright for a Speech or a
Presentation
1
Make it interesting. This may sound obvious, but it's likely that part of the
reason you're having stage fright is because you're worried that everyone will think you're boring. Well, you may be worried about being boring because your material is boring. Even if you're speaking or presenting very dry material, think of ways to make it more accessible and engaging. You'll be less worried about presenting if you know that your content will be engaging.[4]
o If it's appropriate, make some room for laughter. Throw in a few jokes that will ease your tension and relax the audience.
2
Consider your audience. As you create and practice your presentation,
consider the needs, knowledge, and expectations of audience. If you're speaking to a younger audience, adjust your content, voice, and speech as necessary. If it's an older and more stern audience, be more practical and logical. You'll be less nervous if you know that you'll actually be able to reach the people who are listening to you.
3
Don't tell people you're nervous. Don't show up on stage and make a little
joke about being nervous. Everyone will assume that you're confident just because you're already up there. Announcing that you're nervous may make you feel better, but the audience will lose faith in you instead of paying
attention.
4
Record yourself. Videotape yourself as you give your presentation. Keep
presenting and taping until you can look at the recording and think, "Wow, that's a great presentation!" If you're not happy with how you look on tape, then you won't be pleased with how you appear in person. Keep doing this until you get it right. When you're up on stage, just remember how great you looked in the video, and tell yourself that you can do even better.
5
Move around, but don't fidget. You can blow off some nervous energy and
reach your audience by pacing back and forth across the stage. If you move around with energy and gesture for emphasis, you'll be overcoming your stage fright just by moving. But don't fidget by moving your hands together, playing with your hair, or fiddling with your microphone or speech or presentation notes.
o Fidgeting will only build tension and will make your audience see that you're uncomfortable.
6
Slow down. Most public speakers manifest their stage fright by talking way
too fast. You may be speaking fast because you're nervous and want to get the speech or presentation over with, but this will actually make it harder for you to articulate your ideas or to reach your audience. Most people who talk too fast don't even realize that they're doing it, so remember to pause for a second after every new thought, and to leave room for your audience to react
to important statements.
o Slowing down will also make you less likely to stumble over your words or misspeak.
o Time your presentation beforehand. Get used to the pace that you need to finish your presentation at the appropriate time. Keep a watch handy and glance at it from time to time to make sure you're on track.
7
Ask how you did. If you really want to improve your stage fright, you should
ask your audience how you did by asking for feedback afterwards, handing out surveys, or asking colleagues in the audience to give their honest opinion. Knowing what you did well will build your confidence, and knowing how you can improve will help you feel more confident the next time you get on stage.[5]
Method 4 of 4: General Strategies for Overcoming Stage
Fright
1
Fake confidence. Even if your hands feel like silly putty and your heart is
racing, just act like the coolest person in the world. Walk with your head high and a big smile on your face, and don't tell anyone how nervous you are. Maintain this posture when you get on the stage and you'll actually start to feel confident.
o Look straight ahead instead of down at the floor.
o Don't slouch.
2
performance. This could be a three-mile jog on the morning of your performance, the same "last meal" before your performance, or even singing a certain song in the shower or putting on your lucky socks. Do whatever it is you have to do to gear yourself toward success.
o A lucky charm is a great part of a ritual. It could be a piece of jewelry that's important to you, or a silly stuffed animal that cheers you on from your dressing room.
3
Think positively. Focus on all of the amazing results of your presentation or performance instead of everything that can go wrong. Combat every negative thought with five positive ones. Keep an index card with motivational phrases in your pocket, or do whatever you need to do to focus on all of the benefits that the performance will give you instead of honing in on all of the fear and anxiety that you may be feeling.
4
Get advice from a pro performer. If you have a friend who is a knockout
performer, whether it's from stage acting or giving presentations, ask for their advice. You may learn some new tricks and will be comforted by the fact that almost everyone gets stage fright, no matter how confident he or she may appear on stage.
Tips
Some of our greatest performers get stage fright. Don't think you are alone. Just get on with it, and soon you will be so engrossed that you will forget you are on stage.
Remember, the audience won't eat you! So relax and have fun. Acting is serious, but you can still have a good time.
First practice in front of family and then friends, soon you will be on the stage making everyone cheer and clap!
Sometimes it's okay to be a little nervous. If you are so paranoid you are going to make a mistake, then you will be more careful. It's the overly confident people that make the most mistakes.
Remember, fear and exhilaration are the same thing. It's just your attitude to it that decides whether you dread it or are excited by it.
If you mess up a step when dancing, no one will ever know, unless you stop. Continue and they will think it is part of the dance. Same with the script, the audience doesn't know it, so don't worry if you miss one line, and have to improvise, just keep going.
If you forget a word, don't just stop, continue. Try to use other words that weren't in the script. If your scene partner makes a mistake, don't react to it. Simply ignore the mistake, or, if it was too large to let pass, improvise around the error. Ability to improvise is the mark of a true actor.
If you feel nervous about eye-contact with the audience, stare at a wall or a light while performing.
Practice with small groups and move to bigger groups.
Show 6 more tips
Warnings
Make sure you go to the bathroom before getting up on stage!
Don't eat too much before going on stage or you might feel really nauseated. It will also zap your energy. Save the meal for after the performance.
Unless you are costumed as a character, make sure to wear an outfit that you feel comfortable and relaxed in. You don't want to be self-conscious of your appearance when you are on stage. Also, be sure to wear something that isn't too revealing, and is suitable for your performance. You don't want to be caught up in a wardrobe malfunction while performing! Wear something that you feel you look good in and that you're proud to wear. It will make you more confident about your appearance.
Be as prepared as you possibly can. Practice is the key, and the more you practice the more confident you will feel. Not to mention the quality of your routine, speech, or performance will also improve.
Remember your cues! One of the most common mistakes of inexperienced actors is knowing their lines, but not when they come in. You could be left with a very awkward silence, if your cues are not memorized.
