Overcoming Stage Fright

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Rachel Udin

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... of the different types.

Mine is, though I've worked on and off with this...

I can do fine. I want to go. I should go. Hey, I know what I'll say. I have it picked out. I can go. I'm going. I'm going. I can do better. I'm going to be picked. Yay! Picked.

____flatline___

Something like that. So prepared, have it rehearsed, confident, even cocky, and then go on stage, heart is racing, no words left. Nothing. I can't even remember what I said two seconds ago. All my words are completely lost and where I'm usually thinking of 3-4 options off stage, on stage I have only one... and I think that one must be wrong.

I used to also get that white noise and detachment effect too.

I envy the people who have their minds racing during the performance too.

I don't freeze so much with say, notecards or a teleprompter, but sometimes I don't have that option.

Flatline, empty, nothing.

How do you get past that?

Also, I've heard of the other manifestations too.... anyone want to share and share how they got past it? Or do you just cope?
 
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Bufty

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There's stage fright because one is unprepared, and the remedy for that is to rehearse and do one's homework.

Then there's stage fright at the realisation that there are hundreds or thousands of faces staring at you, and the remedy for that varies - some folk swallow and get on with it, others crumple.

What type of stage fright are you talking about?

Is this public speaking? TV?

There's plenty of threads in this Forum on this topic.
 
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PrincessFiona

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I'm no help. I practically pass out in public speaking situations!
 

J.S. Clark

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For me, I start by remembering who I am. For me as a person of faith, I can remember that I'm made in God's image and so who are these people out there that their judgment could define me?

And that's the basis for me. Even if I wasn't a person of faith, the audience cannot define you. Their praise will not add to you and their criticism will not take anything away from you. The fear, imo, comes from the belief that these people somehow hold my destiny in their hands, and it's not true.

I guess what I'm saying is that when I meditate on the fact that I am just me then I can't be threatened by someone else's opinion. Kind of like changing a cloth diaper. I can waste time running lots of hot water over a poopy cloth diaper, but when I just accept that I'm going to have to put my hands on it, when I accept that its necessary, I can get it done a lot faster and the gross goes away because it's what I have to do.

Maybe that doesn't help. Just focus on your identity and what you need to do. The audience doesn't matter.
 

Edward_R

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A few ideas

A few ideas:

If you're nervous:

Deep breathing:
There are plenty of complicated methods out there but it doesn't have to be difficult. Breathe in for a specific count--say to 5. Then exhale for that same count. Repeat. The whole point is to calm down your heart and breathing rate.

Progressive muscle relaxation:
Do this right before you go on stage. The underlying principle is to squeeze a muscle for a count of 5 seconds and then release. Most progressions go in the following way: make a fist, hold, and then release. Tense your bicep and release. Shrug your shoulders and release. Do this for any muscle you can throughout your body. I know it sounds weird but it works. I tend to hold a good amount of tension in my shoulders and upper back. If I get rid of it, then I am more relaxed when I talk.

The two techniques above are meant to calm down your "fight or flight" reflex. When we feel threatened, it's more difficult for our brain to focus and process new information.

If it's a matter of performance:
Practice giving your speech in the location where you will give it. This gives your brain one less thing to worry about when you give your speech. You'll be far more relaxed when you give the real thing.

Give yourself permission to fail. Sounds weird but people tend to hold themselves to an unreachable idealistic standard. The audience will forgive any small mistakes and many not even notice them. Tell yourself, "It's OK that this isn't 100% perfect, it's still going to go well." Working from an outline or set of main points helps this too. Don't worry about getting every single "and," "the," and "then," in the exact right places. If you say "um" a few times, no one will really notice or care.
 

RedRose

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I used to do drama, participate in community plays etc. Thing is I always get nervous, but I guess the training in drama helped me speak and move beyond that. Standing up in front of your class, in front of people who will use anything to criticize you, well then, hundreds of strangers don't seem too bad. And, I get focused in the role, become who I'm playing and I can't ever see the audience anyway. All I see is that bright light shining on me while on stage.
 

Faded Ego

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A few things

1. Practice, practice, practice. Even if this means choking a few times. It will get easier and you will grow in confidence. Stage confidence is much different than the confidence you feel before you get on stage.

2. The audience wants you to succeed. And not necessarily because they want to hear what you have to say. They want you to succeed so they don't feel uncomfortable with your failing. They are basically cheering for you to not make them feel uncomfortable.



I say this as a person who used to freeze just like you do. I was so confident in what I had to say and was extremely prepared to make a splash. Then I would get a microphone in my hand and I would freeze. It would just get worse the more I was on stage.

Finally, I just realized I had to push through and keep going. The more I spoke, the easier it got. I still get nervous til this day, but people tell me they have no idea I am nervous. People actually say that I am a natural (lol) and can not believe how much confidence I have when speaking.

I know this not to be the case, but it seems to be perceived that I am now this confident public speaker. It must be the practice practice practice.
 
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