5 MORE tricks to help you manage stage fright
STILL struggling with stage fright?
Here are 5 MORE tricks to help manage your nervous reactions in the spotlight:
Tap into your Inner Introvert / Extrovert: When you’re stressed or dealing with stage fright at an event, it’s great to connect with your inner Introvert / Extrovert. If you’re an Introvert (like me!) you might need to find a quiet spot to recharge your batteries (I can usually find an empty room or hallway to go over my notes and relax). If you’re more of an Extrovert, chat with other people at the event and get some energy from these new connections.
Find a friendly face in the audience: If you can, invite family or friends to your next gig...because having a friendly face in the audience can really help make you feel at home. If that’s not possible, try focusing on a few faces of people you know (the event organizer, even that nice sound tech who helped you with your microphone). Knowing there are friendly faces in the crowd can help you relax, and feel like you’re having a conversation with someone you care about.
Practice, practice, practice: Rehearsing is probably the biggest confidence booster ever, and preparation is essential to help you feel comfortable before you step on stage or in front of the cameras. Take the time to rehearse OUT LOUD (and in front of an audience is even better). Grab your family and friends, and entertain them with some impromptu performances. You’ll immediately notice where you need more practice, and what parts might be distracting or need editing.
Laugh a Little: Humour is one of my favourite ways to take the sting out of my stage fright. By detaching a little and recognizing how ridiculous it is, you can take a step and control your nervous energy. This is my favourite way to survive my bouts of stage fright. Instead of groaning about my bad moments on stage, they’ve become some of my funniest stories to share (who knew my nose would start running under the spotlight? So weird.) Laughing about our nerves is a great way to ease the pressure (and get a little friendly support from our loved ones).
Flip this upside down: appreciate stage fright and nervous energy as a little bolt of electricity that can power you to do a better job. The benefit of nervous energy is that it is WAKING YOU UP and forcing you to take this seriously. Use that energy and electricity! See it as a benefit.