Guide to Overcome Stage Fright

Stage Fright is
nervousness or panic that may
beset a person about to appear
in front of an audience.

10 Tips to reduce your stage fright:

Shift the focus from yourself and your fear to your

true purpose—contributing something of value to your
audience.

Stop scaring
yourself with thoughts about what might go
wrong. Instead, focus your attention on thoughts and
images that are calming and
reassuring.

Refuse to think thoughts that create self-doubt and low

confidence.
 Practice ways to calm and relax your mind and
body, such as deep breathing, relaxation
exercises, yoga, and meditation.

Exercise, eat well, and practice other healthful lifestyle

habits. Try to limit caffeine, sugar, and alcohol as much as
possible.

Visualize your success: Always focus on your

strength and ability to handle challenging
situations.

Prepare your material in advance and read it aloud to hear

your voice.

Make connections with your audience: Smile

and greet people, thinking of them as friends
rather than enemies.

Stand or sit in a self-assured, confident posture. Remain

warm and open and make eye contact.
 Give up trying to be perfect and know that
it is OK to make mistakes. Be natural, be
yourself.

What Causes Stage Fright and Fear of Public

Speaking?
Stage fright and fear of speaking in public are triggered by two things –
expectation of perfectionand fear of judgment. We are expecting ourselves to be
perfect (and we know we can’t be) so we think we are not good because we aren’t
perfect. We are also afraid that offers will judge us harshly as not good enough. Either
way there is an element of not good enough involved in stage fright and fear of public
speaking.
In reality, fear of speaking in front of others is simply high intensity emotion or passion-
energy that is trying to flow through the body when we become the center of
attention. It is not a sign that you are a bad speaker or presenter. Rather it is a sign
that you have a ton of creative emotional energy you just don’t know how to express
yet. When you can get the blocked energy to flow through your body and out towards
others, then you can transform the tension and anxiety into a presence that is palpable
and into passionate expression.
In my next post, I will explain what happens inside your body when you are gripped in
stage fright or fear of speaking. You may find it helpful to understand the inner
dynamics of this issue. Once you understand what is happening inside, you can start to
release the physical sensations and unlock the emotional energy, allowing yourself to
melt into a flow state that both feels good and compels others to pay attention.
These are the examples: