Conquering stage fear

Communication Getting the message across

Renee Fleming

In her autobiography, the celebrated soprano recalls her unexpected attack of nerves: "Nothing had happened to precipitate it, nothing had changed, but without warning, my throat closed up entirely." Though she recovered, the experience left her temporarily miserable, physically and emotionally debilitated, and pondering a new future out of the limelight.

Barbra Streisand

After forgetting the lyrics of one of her songs during a 1967 Central Park concert, Babs stopped performing live for almost three decades, fearing that she'd have the same problem again. "Some performers really do well when they forget the words," she told Diane Sawyer recently. "They forget the words all the time, but they somehow have humor about it. I remember I didn't have a sense of humor about it. I was quite shocked."

The better prepared you are, the less likely you are to suffer from stage fright.

If you are performing in a play, make sure you know your lines, your cues and where you're supposed to be on stage.

Ask any questions you have or iron out any difficult parts of the show before you take to the stage. Likewise, if you're giving a speech or presentation, make sure you practice with the props or gadgets you'll be using.

Make sure you know how to operate any slides, microphones or other technology you're incorporating.

If there are any words you routinely trip over, either master them or change them before you're on stage. Preparing in this way will leave you with little to be nervous about.

Visualization techniques can help prevent stage fright. Imagine that the audience is made of only your closest friends and family, who want you do well.

Picture the audience responding positively to you, and how proud you'll be once you've complete your performance or speech.

Another strategy is to visualize calming images that are unrelated to the task at hand, such as a loved one's face or a tranquil beach.

Deep breathing is a simple and effective relaxation technique. Before taking the stage, take a few deep breaths. Remember to breathe naturally while giving your presentation. Breathing can help ease stage fright and anxiety.

You've probably felt it before—your palms are sweaty, your hands are shaking, and you have a mild feeling of nausea. Whether you're about to rock the crowd with your band or speak in front of a large audience, stage fright has a way of getting the better of even the most experienced performer. So how do you overcome the potentially crippling effects of your own jittery nerves?

Step 1: Know the Symptoms of Stage Fright

Each person reacts differently to fear. What are your symptoms of stage fright? Think about it and identify them. This will help you to combat stage fear .

Step 2: Right Before You Hit the Stage

Be prepared! Make sure you're well rehearsed before

your performance. You will only be more nervous if you don't feel completely ready to go. You might even try performing for a couple friends beforehand as a sort of dress rehearsal.

Eat right. Don't consume any oily fast food at hand in a fit of nervousness. Go easy on your food. Choose something healthy and nutritious.

Warm up. Whether you sing, speak, or play an instrument, you should warm up before you perform. This will ensure you are comfortable and at 100% from the first note of the show (or the first word of your speech).

Listen to music. Listening to music that will pump you up can help get you energized, confident, and in the zone. Conversely, listening to soothing music might be best to calm your nerves down.

Meditate. With meditation, it's all about the breathing. Learn some basic meditation techniques or other relaxation breathing exercises. This can help you focus while relieving tension.

Think positive. There's no reason to worry about mistakes. The more you think about messing up, the more likely you are to do it. Picture yourself succeeding and executing your performance flawlessly.

Exercise. Doing some exercise can help you expend some of that nervous energy in a constructive way. Do some backstage push-ups or jumping jacks.

Do something silly. You're going to have to leave your inhibitions behind, so you can't worry about looking dumb. The best way to combat this insecurity is to do something that makes you feel silly or embarrassed backstage like making funny faces or dancing around. This can help you get over the feeling and realize that even making a fool of yourself isn't that bad.

Remember you are there to have fun : go ahead with confidence.

On the stage – make eye contact Loosen up your body and avoid nervous

action s like fidgeting with your fingers etc.

(1) Your Innate Potential Can Be Unlocked By Yourself

Practice in front of a mirror and record your speech so you can listen to it later. In a way, you're your own harshest critic...but you're also your easiest audience. Practice in front of a mirror. Listen to how the recording sounds. Don't worry about improving your technique or about how silly you sound. Do this over and over until you no longer are nervous about speaking to an audience of one--yourself.

Practice in front of a family member you're intimately close to. Choose your spouse ,your parent, a child, or anybody close to you as a family member could be. The only requirement is that you trust them and that they have patience. Then present your speech...and again at the next opportunity...and again...until you're no longer nervous. Then give it one more time to be sure. You may or may not ask for feedback...whatever you're comfortable with.

Practice in front of one friend with whom you're comfortable.

Choose one friend and practice in front of him or her. And do it again. Keep giving your speech. Once you no longer feel trepidation at the thought of speaking in "public" to one friend, then you can move onto the next step of increasing the number of the members in your audience.

Good Luck !!!

Rock the stage !!!