How to manage TWO types of stage fright fears

With stage fright, you’re getting double trouble. 

Because being nervous in front of an audience isn’t just as simple as a rapid heart rate. For many of us, stage fright means struggling with TWO different sets of nervous reactions…and they're both challenging to deal with.

And sure, this sounds like terrible news. We’re dealing with TWO types of nerves? Yikes, I’m outta here. But there is some good news here. When we understand our reactions, we’re better able to manage our nerves more effectively. Which is the ticket to helping us feel more confident in front of audiences.

So, what are the two different reactions? Let’s dive in.

Nervous reaction #1: “Pre-event” nerves

“Pre-event” nerves is my name for the discomfort and anxiety we feel BEFORE we speak at an event. It doesn’t matter if you’re booked to speak in two days or two years...a good dose of pre-event nerves will make you feel uneasy and nervous.

How do you recognize your “pre-event nerves”? 

In the days and weeks before a speaking gig, you might feel:

• generalized anxiety 

• some nerves or nausea

• concern or fear about your upcoming event

We all react a little differently, but maybe you’ll recognize some anxious feelings. For me, my “pre-event” nerves gives me stress that I just can’t shake, because I know have a speaking event coming soon. 

Nervous reaction #2: “Spotlight” nerves

“Spotlight” nerves is what I call the nervous reaction we get when we’re actually ON STAGE, facing the audience or the TV camera. When we’re in the spotlight, we’re suddenly hit with waves of sweat, nausea, and nerves. It happens to everybody…and it’s anything but comfortable.

This nervous reaction is our body’s “fight or flight” response, a physiological reaction triggered automatically when there’s a perceived threat or danger. 

Also known as the “acute stress response”, this reaction is what helps us react to real physical threats and danger. When our “fight or flight” response is triggered, our sympathetic nervous system is activated, unleashing a flood of hormones (like adrenaline) that cause unexpected physical reactions.

Common physical symptoms of a “fight or flight response” include:

•   Heart rate increases (it can feel like “hammering in my chest”)

•   Blood flow and oxygen moves to your brain and the muscles of your legs and arms

•   Breathing increases rapidly

•   Pupils will dilate

•   Skin may get pale, or flushed

•   Thoughts can race (which can trigger more discomfort and anxiety)

Years of evolution has created this response to help us react quickly and get out of dangerous situations. But…since our brains can’t distinguish between real physical threats and simple tasks that are just uncomfortable (like giving a TED talk), we get “fight or flight” responses whenever we’re out of our comfort zone. 

Like giving a presentation in front of an audience. 

Basically, if we're doing something unfamiliar and risky, it's ALARM BELLS. 

And when you’re trying to stay cool in front of a crowd, managing a rampaging heart rate and shaky voice becomes really difficult. 

How to manage BOTH types of nervous reactions

So, we’ve got TWO different nervous reactions. Now what? 

The first trick to understanding our nervous reactions is to remember that both responses are common to all of us. Sure, it may feel different, but we all get nervous when we’re out of our comfort zone. Even confident A-list performers (like Adele and Barbara Streisand) struggle with stage fright.

And feeling apprehensive, scared and freaked out is absolutely NORMAL.

The good news?

When we understand what’s really happening, we can cope with our responses more easily. For “pre-event” nerves, we can keep our anxieties at bay by focusing on preparation and keeping our brain locked in trouble-shooting mode with rehearsals and practice. 

And, on stage, practice and calming techniques can help us manage the worst of our “spotlight” nervous reactions. The more time we spend speaking in front of an audience, the more comfortable we’ll be adjusting to our nerves and calming ourselves down. 

As uncomfortable as these reactions are, they don’t last long. It’s kind of amazing that evolution has given us this “holy crap” response to tricky situations. When we stand on stage and feel our hearts racing, we can rest assured that this is absolutely normal, and celebrate that our body is doing exactly what it’s trained to do: trying to keep us safe in a complicated world. 

So, learn how to manage your nerves before AND during the event…and appreciate the millennia of evolution that makes us sweat in front of a crowd.