Overcoming Stage Fright is not any easy task but it can be done!
Help yourself overcome stage fright by practicing your song, dance, monologue, scene or whatever you are performing…to the point where you no longer have to think about the action itself…in other words, it becomes “second nature”.
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Rehearsing both mentally and physically will help you to know and understand your own talent. This is important as you need to know that you are capable of performing the task at hand. Practice to gain confidence in your own abilities and try to do this is as close to the real circumstances under which you will perform. This will help to “desensitize” you to the experience.
All performers experience some degree of performance anxiety. Do not ever think that you are alone in this experience!
The trick is to channel your nervous energy into positive energy which helps you to perform at your best.
What are some of the symptoms of stage fright you ask? Everyone will experience it differently, some of the things it may include are; giggling, nervous talking, rapid heartbeat, frequently running to the potty, quick short breaths, withdrawal from conversation, dry mouth or throat, sweating and becoming short tempered. These are many of the same symptoms that people with general anxiety experience.
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Overtime you will develop your own methods for coping with performance anxiety. For now, you can try some of the following methods:
- Positive Self Talk
- Focusing On The Character You Are Portraying and Not Yourself
- Meditate and See Yourself Having a Positive Experience
- Write It Down to Make It Real…a great technique for making things happen in your life.
- Imagine yourself auditioning or performing while having a positive experience…say getting cast or hearing the applause as you finish. Do this on a daily basis.
- Keep in mind that it’s good to be a perfectionist and set high goals for yourself, however, don’t set the standard so high that is is unattainable, which leads to setting yourself up for failure and disappointment.
- Read a book written about how to cope with teen anxiety
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The majority of actors and actresses find that with more performance and audition experience things do become easier. Everyone learns to overcome their anxiety at a different pace. Be patient with yourself and others.
