How to Conquer Stage Fright
“HOW TO CONQUER STAGE FRIGHT?”
Stage fright or performance anxiety is the anxiety, fear, or persistent phobia which may be aroused in an individual by the requirement to perform in front of an audience, whether actually or potentially (for example, when performing before a camera). In the context of public speaking, this fear is termed glossophobia, one of the most common of phobias. Such anxiety may precede or accompany participation in any activity involving public self-presentation.
Performance anxiety may often be observed among such public performers as athletes and musicians. Here, it is manifested as a fear of "underperforming" (whether in the estimation of the viewing public or that of later critical reaction). In some cases stage fright may be a part of a larger pattern of social phobia or social anxiety disorder, but many people experience stage fright without any wider problems.
Quite often, stage fright arises in a mere anticipation of a performance, often a long time ahead. It has numerous manifestations: fluttering or pounding heart, tremor in the hands and legs, diarrhea, facial nerve tics, dry mouth. Stage fright may be observed in people of all experience and background, from beginners to professionals. Some musicians use beta blockers to avoid stage fright during auditions, and performances.[1] In other cases, performers use alcoholic beverages to ease their stage fright. There have been many cases in which this habit has led to alcoholism.
Causes and solutions
Anxiety causes negative effects of the performance quality in many different situations: examinations, job interviews, athletic performance.
In the 1980s, Barrell, Medeiros, Barrell and Price conducted an experiment on performance anxiety, employing the methods self-observing, self-reporting and self-discovering.[2] This way, five causal elements were found to be present in the experience of performance anxiety:
(1) I perceive or imagine the presence of significant others who are
Stage fright or performance anxiety is the anxiety, fear, or persistent phobia which may be aroused in an individual by the requirement to perform in front of an audience, whether actually or potentially (for example, when performing before a camera). In the context of public speaking, this fear is termed glossophobia, one of the most common of phobias. Such anxiety may precede or accompany participation in any activity involving public self-presentation.
Performance anxiety may often be observed among such public performers as athletes and musicians. Here, it is manifested as a fear of "underperforming" (whether in the estimation of the viewing public or that of later critical reaction). In some cases stage fright may be a part of a larger pattern of social phobia or social anxiety disorder, but many people experience stage fright without any wider problems.
Quite often, stage fright arises in a mere anticipation of a performance, often a long time ahead. It has numerous manifestations: fluttering or pounding heart, tremor in the hands and legs, diarrhea, facial nerve tics, dry mouth. Stage fright may be observed in people of all experience and background, from beginners to professionals. Some musicians use beta blockers to avoid stage fright during auditions, and performances.[1] In other cases, performers use alcoholic beverages to ease their stage fright. There have been many cases in which this habit has led to alcoholism.
Causes and solutions
Anxiety causes negative effects of the performance quality in many different situations: examinations, job interviews, athletic performance.
In the 1980s, Barrell, Medeiros, Barrell and Price conducted an experiment on performance anxiety, employing the methods self-observing, self-reporting and self-discovering.[2] This way, five causal elements were found to be present in the experience of performance anxiety:
(1) I perceive or imagine the presence of significant others who are