Stage fright, also referred to and I will interchange them, as ‘Performance Anxiety’ affects people that have to perform some form of activity before an audience, usually making them the centre of attention for the purpose. Some examples of these are musicians/singers, actors, sports people, and also presenters. This is also covered by the term ‘Public Speaking’ of which is said to be the number one fear/phobia, which has been stated as more terrifying than jumping out of an aeroplane or even death itself!
Symptoms that are suffered include anxiety, shaking, blushing, stuttering, sweating, dry mouth, and a sudden need to rush to the toilet. In some cases, the sufferer will also endure broken sleep leading up to the event. In severe instances, this can also affect the appetite for food and increase consumption of alcohol or drugs etc.
Why do we suffer from stage fright?
It has been claimed that there is an inborn fear that we all have in relation to a group of people staring at us (think of many faces and many sets of eyes). While this is somewhat true, it does not explain why people also suffer from stage fright when performing in front of a camera as opposed to a live audience. It is more about the fear of not being good enough, and in cases where the performing act is live – you only get the one chance.
The sad thing is that stage fright can sabotage the performer for days or weeks ahead of the event, when they should really be focusing or training in a positive mindset. Instead they are worried endlessly and this can increase to the point that when they are called to perform – they end up crippled and unable to display the true talent that they possess. Once this has been experienced, it creates a vicious circle, whereby the process is reinforced the next time around and self-confidence starts to diminish further. Moreover, the more one tries to bury the issue, the more it seems to return.
Famous Performers
If it helps to know, be assured that it is not only amateur or semi-professional people that suffer from stage fright. The truth is that every performer of any type suffers from performance anxiety to some degree, and believe it or not there are a bunch of famous performers that publicly admitted to battling performance anxiety. Some of these are: Mariah Carey, Rod Stewart, Barbra Streisand, Adele, Lady Gaga, Rhianna, John Lydon (all world famous top level singers) Hugh Grant, Michael Gambon, Laurence Olivier, Ewan McGregor (actors) and Al Jolson, Frankie Howard, Mike Yarwood (stage performers).
Very often, people that suffer with stage fright think that its just ‘part of the job’ and do their best to live with it. Others try different methods of control (including drug use). Some keep walking through like wading through concrete or quick sand and hoping that as time goes on, things will get better. Maybe this is because they think that there is nothing much else they can do.
Help is here:
The good news is that help is available and I have had good success in treating performance anxiety. Fortunately my tool box of strategies stemming from a range of applications helps me to tackle stage fright from a wide range of perspectives. Please be assured that these are not just a conventional approach of identifying the stress triggers and learning relaxation techniques and coping mechanisms. My applications are proven to hit the disorders at their root causes and help eliminate the suffering as opposed to just managing symptoms.
Furthermore, I can offer to add on strategies that will actually enhance your performance, meaning that not only are you free from the previous performance limiting issues, but you are now excelling your previous level and now achieving better results that you ever thought were possible!
If you would like to find out more, please connect with me.