How do you deal with stage anxiety? What are the effective methods? How to learn to deal with anxiety?

The excitement that engulfs us can undermine our ability to communicate with the audience and nullify all our efforts. If you're feeling jittery before a performance, this is probably one of the most stressful situations for you.

The nervous reaction of the body to public speaking, whether it be giving a presentation to clients or colleagues, or even providing the necessary information in an internal meeting, if we allow it to get the better of us, can in just a few seconds rob us of the confidence and experience gained over years of professional activity.

If you are worried in certain working situations, do not despair: firstly, you are not the only one, and secondly, with the help of a number of simple tricks, you can cope with nerves.

One always likes to think that the problem will disappear on its own, but this is unlikely to happen; self-mastery will yield a range of positive outcomes, not only in participation in events, but even in the promotion you deserve. Overcoming anxiety is a giant first step towards gaining complete self-confidence.

  • I worry a lot and expect the worst whenever I have to perform in front of an audience. How can I be more positive in these situations?

It is always difficult to remain objective in the face of the excitement that has gripped you, but this is the first step towards gaining control over yourself. If you picture in your mind where you are failing, it is very likely that you will actually fail.

Try to take control of your imagination and imagine a picture where everything turns out just fine for you. Your body will follow the signals of your mind, so set it up for positive and ultimate success.

Don't let negative images or words infiltrate your presentation; if you feel that the positive charge is starting to dry up, pause and start over.

  • Sometimes I get so worried that words I didn't intend to say slip through my mouth, which puts me in a very awkward position. How can I deal with this?

This happens quite often. When people are worried, they lose control of themselves and say some things without thinking. If you're worried about saying the wrong thing during a presentation, try to control your breathing.

Most people aren't very good at this, and it gives you time to observe what's going on around you. So try to master it if you often have to participate in meetings or answer questions from the audience during the presentation - receptivity to the needs of others and different situations is an important element of the ability to say the right things at the right time.

If you are in an important meeting that you want to contribute to, give yourself some time to absorb necessary information and formulate what you are going to say. Take your time, breathe calmly and don't worry about short pauses.

Don't let shyness become a barrier. If you are a naturally shy person, public speaking can be a huge barrier for you. However, unsurprisingly, there are also introverts among those who are excellent at presenting, and many of them experience great excitement before going on stage.

A good way to alleviate the fear of speaking in public is to convince yourself that it is actually a communication with the audience, and not a monologue of the speaker. It also helps to de-stress by meeting with a few members of the audience before the start of the presentation: this will allow you to build a connection with them, which can be deepened as the presentation progresses.

Understand the physical manifestations of anxiety. Despite the fact that anxiety attacks have physical manifestations, it is our state of mind. Often referred to as the "fight or flight response," our nervous response is usually based on the fear of being fooled or not achieving our intended goals.

Thousands of years ago, when we lived in a physically hostile world populated by predators or enemies, our fight-or-flight response gave us the strength to deal with a beast or flee from impending danger.

At the right moment, adrenaline was released, the pulse quickened, the blood was saturated with oxygen and our muscles were brought to a state of combat readiness. This is what allowed humans to survive and build the safe (relatively), complex and intelligent world we live in today.

However, despite the fact that that primitive world was left far behind, our body still reacts to fear - justified or groundless - in the same way as many thousands of years ago.

When we give a presentation, our fear of failure triggers the fight-or-flight response along with the bodily responses, but these now have no application.

We do not flee and do not enter into a fight, but we stand still and inspire ourselves that it is simply stupid to react in such a way, trying to cope with excitement.

At this stage, you should not try to control the consequences of fear with the help of the mind, since our body has already taken control of the situation.

More adrenaline… faster heart rate… muscle twitches… and it keeps going. In order to break this cycle, it is necessary to cope with anxiety, and this can be done in two ways: with the help of the mind and the body.

How to deal with anxiety with the mind

You can get rid of fear by forming a visual image. Imagine that your audience perceives the information with enthusiasm, they are interested in what you are talking about, and they applaud you at the end of the speech. Reinforce this image with a sense of satisfaction, achievement, and pride. You walk off the stage feeling confident, and people come up to you and express their admiration for your performance.

Think over your presentation in advance in order to prepare for it both practically and psychologically. Analyze what questions you might be asked and prepare answers.

Try to collect as much information as possible about target audience. This will surely win her over.

The exercises described above will help you banish the perceived threat and fill your mind with positive images. Eliminating the hazard in any situation minimizes the likelihood of negative physical reaction on her.

How to deal with anxiety with your body

The well-known relaxation techniques described below will relieve your body of the “fear reaction”. Calm your breathing and try not to think about the upcoming presentation. Take a deep breath, hold your breath for a few seconds and exhale. Repeat this several times in a secluded setting.

Relax your body. Sit comfortably in a chair and mentally focus on each muscle group in turn. As you move from your feet to your forehead, contract your muscles and relax them. Feel the difference. If you find that individual muscles are tense again, return to the problem area and repeat this exercise again, breathing deeply and evenly.

Before your presentation, drink some water so that your throat does not dry out, and make sure that you have a glass of water at hand during the presentation. Managing your nerves is hard work, but definitely worth the time.

There are also two common mistakes when trying to solve the problem of anxiety.

#1 You pretend not to worry. When people want to appear confident and competent, they often try not to show excitement, and end up playing a role rather than appearing as they really are. This is a common mistake, because at best it will give the audience the impression that you are suppressing the real you, and at worst that you are arrogant.

Such a mask can help in some situations, for example, if you are an actor and play a role, but in real life this is not The best way overcome anxiety. Sometimes it's best to acknowledge your perceived shortcomings and seek out a professional to help you get rid of them.

#2 You think the problem will go away on its own. Many people who are nervous about an upcoming presentation avoid confronting their fears, believing that they have to go through the test. This is true, but the ability to overcome fears will greatly inspire you.

Often, when we face our fears, they begin to dissipate, especially if we use techniques to help get rid of them. It is very effective to rehearse a presentation, whether in the presence of friends, relatives or just in front of a mirror. It's even better to record the rehearsal on video so that you can analyze everything in detail later.

Now you know two effective methods How to deal with pre-speech anxiety. Good luck!

Our nervous system is a complex mechanism that includes many components and even processes that are not always clear to us, and often not known at all. Some of them, such as fear, anxiety, anger or apathy, we would gladly get rid of. Fortunately, we can't turn off nature's carefully designed reactions. It is fortunately, and not unfortunately, because there is nothing natural and at the same time unnecessary. Each, even the most inappropriate, in our opinion, property has its own rational reasons and practical goals. Even uncomfortable, unsettling and forgetful excitement is not as destructive as it might seem at first glance.

It may be hard to believe, but it's actually true: the fear that paralyzes you before public speaking is not a sociopathy or a flaw in your upbringing. This is just an instinct, firmly sewn into the most ancient parts of the human brain. It works for all people, it’s just that some have learned to hide these emotions, and over time not to pay attention to them. great attention. And it doesn’t matter at all whether you are going to speak in front of a crowd in a square or take the floor at a close family meeting, how often you have to speak in public and how well prepared you are, glossophobia (this is the term in psychology for the fear of public speaking) will definitely remind you one way or another About Me.

You can fight it in different ways, but the fact that your negative emotions are not unique and most people experience the same sensations in similar situations, should at least reassure you a little. Coming to terms with your fear and accepting it as a given is the first step towards overcoming it. We will assume that it has just been done, and we suggest that you go through all the subsequent steps together, getting rid of the oppressive excitement before the performances with each item of our advice.

How to get rid of the fear of public speaking
You will need all your determination and a sincere desire to get rid of anxiety. Concentrate on this goal and try not to forget about it even in those moments when panic completely knocks out all coherent thoughts from your head. This is the main insidiousness of emotions: they interfere with thinking logically. But you are already armed with an understanding of what is happening and can prepare in advance for the test of excitement:

  1. Rehearse the upcoming performance to the conscience, whether it is a report, a reporting concert or a poem on children's matinee. You must be absolutely confident in your own preparation. If you are faced with the task of getting rid of the excitement of the speaker, do not children's holiday child, do not skimp on praise and instill in him the confidence that he knows the number perfectly. Very often, the awe of the public is caused by internal insecurity and guilt that they cheated, although they could have prepared better. Don't give fear a single chance to take advantage of this loophole. You can rehearse in front of a mirror, but it’s better to ask one of your friends to listen to you and watch your own reaction to a “live” audience.
  2. By the way, about the audience. Why are you afraid of them? These are exactly the same people as you. Yes, there are many of them, but each individually did nothing wrong to you, and most importantly, they are not going to reproach you or look for flaws in your performance. Perhaps they are also worried about something, most have their own fears and problems. Treat your audience with understanding - and you will feel that it becomes easier to find contact with these strangers. Think of them not as a hostile crowd, but as a collection of pleasant, intelligent, and benevolent individuals.
  3. You are lucky if you have the opportunity to visit in advance where the performance will take place. Be sure to take this chance: go on stage, walk along the ramp, go down to the hall. In general, properly master this unfamiliar territory, including psychologically. It is believed that familiar surroundings give more confidence than seen for the first time.
  4. Breathing exercises can quickly and effectively return the mood and help you feel more confident. Inhale as deeply as possible and exhale slowly and completely. Try to participate in breathing abdominal muscles. Such ventilation of the lungs will supply the brain with oxygen and streamline thoughts, even if a panic attack happened to you in the midst of a performance. Fulfill breathing exercises useful to everyone who regularly solos in front of an audience in order to easily master their frizzy nerves at the right time.
  5. Now for some unexpected advice: don't strive for perfection. Yes, yes, instead of trying your best to perform as best as possible, immediately admit to yourself that you have the right to make mistakes. Everyone has this right, and it's great to relax in stressful situations. And there is a hole in the old woman, and if you are not a professional speaker or just starting a career as an artist, then you are allowed to fall short of the masters in some way. Moreover: it is the mistakes that allow you to notice and correct your mistakes as early as possible in order to prevent them in the future. In other words, your current inexperience is the key to growth and improvement. And to please everyone present without exception is beyond the power of even celebrities and favorites of the public.
  6. Play for success. Mentally look ahead and imagine yourself having already completed the presentation, and completing it with a bang. Feel this satisfaction with your own achievement as if it were already accomplished. Often such a simple technique helps to get rid of the surging excitement both before the performance and during it.
How not to get nervous before a performance
A few tips on how not to behave and what should not be done in any case before the performance, so as not to aggravate the stressful state.
  1. Contrary to the great temptation to relieve stress with medication, give up sedatives. Sedatives do not work the same for everyone, and even if you take a proven drug, the effect may be unexpected. It is one thing to drink sleeping pills at night, and quite another - on the eve of a crucial event. You don't want to think slowly, be sluggish, or even fall asleep in the middle of a sentence, do you? So, you have to get rid of excitement on your own body.
  2. Excitement causes many people to act unnaturally, such as joking at the wrong time and in the wrong place. So, when a serious performance is on the nose, then this is just not the right time. In a tense environment, the brain seems to work convulsively, not keeping up with the language. Your forced jokes are likely to come out awkward and flat. As a result, you will not relax with the help of humor, but only get more upset. Do not provoke such a state.
  3. Naive school advice like mentally undressing those present, presenting them in comical situations can only distract you from the purpose of your visit to the stage. Few people are able to simultaneously have fun in this way, repeat the text and fight the excitement. So, if you are not aiming in Julia Caesar, it is better to choose a priority direction for thoughts and actions and follow only it.
And finally, simple, direct, but actionable advice: do not be afraid. During a performance, nothing so terrible will happen to you that it would be worth such throwing. Even if you stutter, stumble, and generally forget the whole script. But none of these events can compare with truly terrible things, and each of them can eventually be reconciled. And if so, then you should not worry about them.

Many people confuse anxiety with fear. These are different things. I wrote about the fear of public speaking and how to overcome it.

In this article, we will talk exactly about how not to worry before a performance and what to do with it. I share my 15 years of experience, so take it into service.

Excitement is a feeling familiar to all beginning speakers. But in fact, there is nothing wrong with the fact that you are worried. On the contrary, the presence of excitement is an indicator that you are responsible for your performance. If you didn't care, you wouldn't be so worried. I am sure that all great speakers are nervous at the beginning of their speech. And the bigger the audience, the more excitement. Despite the fact that I often have to perform, I feel nervous every time I go out. Personally, my knees tremble. But this trembling passes in 3-5 minutes after entering the stage. One speaker said about this: “Two minutes before going on stage, it’s easier to shoot me than to go out into the public, but five minutes before the end of my speech, it’s easier to beat me with a whip than to kick me off the stage.” The excitement passes as soon as we start performing, we start talking. The main thing is to withstand the first 3-5 minutes. Then it becomes much easier. But more on that below.

Why do we get nervous before a performance?

At one of my trainings, I heard a story about how in one city he announced recruitment for a group for oratory. Two people came. One of them later became prime minister, the second - a millionaire. Of course, I'm far from under the illusion that they achieved such results solely due to oratory skills, but many entrepreneurs note that it was the ability to speak on stage that allowed them to achieve high results.

So, one company executive whom I once interviewed, to my question: “How did you manage to build a huge organization?” replied, “Thanks to the presentations.” This is my favorite way of working. It’s very easy for me to “go contracts” precisely at presentations” Many successful people they say that the ability to work with the audience contributed to their success.

As you know from the books of Dale Carnegie, Philip D. Armor, already a millionaire, once said: “I would rather be an outstanding orator than an outstanding capitalist”. Chauncey M. Dapew states: “No other ability available to anyone will allow you to make a career and achieve recognition so quickly as the ability to speak well”.

Anyone who has read Frank Bettger's books will remember what he advises: “If you want to overcome fear in yourself, quickly develop courage and self-confidence, sign up for good public speaking courses”. But while the ability to perform on stage can lead to success in business and in life in general, many people avoid situations where they need to be in the spotlight and perform in front of an audience. The reason for this behavior is not fear, as most people think, but excitement.

Reasons for excitement

Consider the two main causes of anxiety before public speaking:
1) focus on yourself;
2) not self-love.

Focus on yourself or what will they think of me

The reason for the emergence of excitement is focusing attention on yourself at the moment of speaking. What happens when a person enters the stage? At this point, he begins to realize that he is being watched. And the speaker begins to smile embarrassedly, laugh, hold his breath, experience desire to do something: chatter, gesticulate, wink, comment on what is happening, although there is no need for this. He has nowhere to put his hands (where to put his hands during a speech, I will tell in a separate article). It seems to him that he needs to fix something in his hair and clothes. In a word, there is unnecessary tension or fuss. "They look at me, they evaluate me." And then the speaker begins to think about himself, and not about the audience.

Once I met a girl who works in a large publishing house. She said that once a week they have meetings at which everyone makes a report on a specific topic. “When my performances come Chief Editor publishing house, - my friend admitted, - I think, how could I not say some stupidity, and I will definitely say something that the editor-in-chief is confused ... "

At the moment of focusing attention on oneself, all the symptoms of discomfort that we have listed appear. We suddenly start thinking about hands, and because of this we do not know where to put them; we begin to think about how smart we are talking, and this makes us even more confused.

As you know, in nature, animals look into each other's eyes only when they want to attack or defend themselves. It turns out that when we collide with the views of the listeners, the biological nature wakes up in us and adrenaline is released. As a result, our hands begin to shake, we jump from one thought to another, and so on.

When I conduct a training in public speaking “Learning to speak in public”, I ask the participants “Please tell me if you are busy with something and no one is looking at you, how do you feel?” Usually they answer: “Good, confident, comfortable.” In this situation, we feel confident: there is no reason for fear.

Next question: Tell me, please, if you are busy with some business, and they start looking at you, does something change in your state? The answer is, as a rule, something changes. In this situation, there were reasons for excitement: “What will they think of me? And suddenly something is wrong?

The third question: "Tell me, please, if you are busy with some business, and they look at you, but you do not know about it, is something changing?" As a rule, they answer that nothing. In this situation, there is no reason to worry, and we feel confident.

AND last question: “Tell me, please, if you are busy with some business, and no one is looking at you, but you decided that they are looking, is anything changing?” As a rule, they answer that it is changing: in this situation, we begin to experience excitement.
Thus, it turns out that we ourselves create the ground for the manifestation of excitement. And since we know how to bring ourselves into a state of excitement, then, most likely, we will be able to get ourselves out of a state that holds back our actions and deeds.

Not self love

Another cause of anxiety before performances may not be self-love. Many evaluate themselves for the result, for what they have done, and not for the process itself. If I did the job, well done. If you didn't, well done. Handed over the waste paper, well done. Did not pass, not well done. Passed the test, well done. Did not pass, not well done. So, it is important to learn to appreciate yourself not for the result, but for the actions, for the process.

Love the process of performing, love yourself for getting on stage, performing, getting ready to perform, and so on. And the result from the performance will appear immediately, as soon as you start to enjoy the process itself and stop depending on the result. Remember, behind the excessive desire to get a result, there is actually a fear that it will not work out. And the law of cause and effect works: "What a person is afraid of, he gets from life."

How anxiety manifests itself before performances

Let's list the external and internal symptoms that a person experiences before going on stage and at the beginning of a performance:

    • Redness of the skin of the face
    • Shiver
    • Sweat palms, forehead, back
    • Dry mouth
    • Sensation of a "lump" in the throat
    • Cardiopalmus
    • Extra movements, fussiness
    • serfdom
    • Irritability, anger, aggression
    • Fast text pronunciation
    • The desire to run away and not perform ...

These are the main symptoms of anxiety that participants note in public speaking trainings. It is interesting that experienced speakers also experience such sensations. Anyone who has read Dale Carnegie will remember the story of how Mark Twain first stepped onto the podium. It seemed to him that his mouth was full of cotton, and his pulse was like that of a participant in the race for a prize cup.

When the British Prime Minister Lloyd George spoke for the first time, he was in a terrible state: his tongue "stuck" to the larynx, and he could not utter a word.

Disraeli, for example, admitted that it was easier for him to raise the cavalry on the attack than to decide on the first public appearances. His debut was very unsuccessful.

I remember very well my very first performance. There were twenty people in the hall. I greeted everyone, said what I would talk about, and ... safely forgot the rest of the text.

One of the participants of my training had a similar experience of the first performance. When she worked as a nurse in kindergarten, the manager asked her to give her parents a lecture on hardening. She was well versed in the topic, but when she saw on stage that the attention of the audience was aimed at her, she forgot everything.

Hello duke

There is a funny acting story on this topic.

For an aspiring actor who has just graduated Theatre Institute were given a tiny role. He was supposed to go on stage and say: "Hello, Duke!" While the performance was going on, the newcomer stood backstage and continued to search for the image, intonation of this phrase in every way. Suddenly they suddenly shouted: "Vasily, your way out." The actor stepped onto the stage, approached the duke and stopped.
"Hello, Duke," whispered the prompter.
The actor looked with crazy eyes and was silent.
— Hello, Duke! the prompter hissed irritably.
Vasily looked at him like a beaten dog and was silent.
— Hello, Duke! The duke sighed, covering his face with his hand.
— Hello, Duke! boomed the fireman from backstage. The actor turned backstage and smiled stupidly.
And then a theater regular rose from the front row, straightened his pince-nez and barked:
— Hello, Duke!

As you can see, anxiety is inherent in everyone. The first speeches could be unsuccessful even for people who went down in history as outstanding speakers. The difference is how they behaved after these unsuccessful performances.

Frankly, I have not met people who are absolutely not worried. And the sages say that brave people are not afraid to be afraid. And do not imagine that your case is one of the most difficult. Even the one who later became a recognized orator, at the beginning of his career, experienced fear and suffered from shyness. And Demosthenes, as you remember, generally burred. But did this prevent him from becoming a great orator? The presence of the above symptoms in a person only indicates that he is a living real person.

If you have thin and crooked legs, if you have three hairs and bulging eyes, if you have no voice, be proud - you are MASYANIA

I also experienced and experience some of them even now, although I have been performing for more than 15 years in a row.

My first big fail

I remember very well my first performance in front of a large audience. I went on stage and barely found the microphone. Although on stage, as it turned out later, there were four of them. I tried to take the microphone out of the tripod. After 2-3 minutes, I realized that I was not getting anything. I left this business and looked into the hall. Despite the fact that there were seven hundred people in the hall, there was a continuous fog in front of me, I could not see anything further than the first row. And this is not the worst thing that happened to me during that performance. 9 minutes after I started my speech, I realized that I had said everything, although my speech was designed for an hour and a half. Despite the first unsuccessful experiences, I continued to conduct trainings and give lectures, and the result of my further speeches exceeded all expectations.

How to deal with anxiety

Confess to your excitement

The easiest way to reduce anxiety is to admit it. Tell the audience this honestly, because the most easy way get rid of something - allow yourself to do it. I once attended a lecture by a psychology professor. And at the very beginning, he warned the cadets: “Turn off your mobile phones or set them to vibrate, otherwise, when they ring, I get lost, I forget what I was talking about.” And indeed, when someone's phone rang, he got lost, jumped from one thought to another. But we took it for granted. He warned us right away. And those who forgot to turn off their mobile phone felt embarrassed as the lectures were very interesting and helpful.

As long as the speaker tries to hide his excitement, he is even more worried. He does not allow himself to relax, and the performance is worse. speaker's energy this moment goes not to the audience, but to "appear" self-confident. And it turns out the opposite. The more the speaker tries to appear confident, the more ridiculous he appears. But as soon as he confesses his excitement, he no longer needs to fight this state and waste his strength. He is free and internally liberated. The speaker can already pay attention to people, and not to his excitement.

For example: “You know, this is my first time speaking, and I feel a huge responsibility for today's event, it is possible that for the first 10 minutes my voice will tremble, and this is normal. I really want you to receive today maximum benefit from our meeting with you

It can be very difficult to tune in when something happened along the way: “You know, I just saw such an incredible thing on the way, so my reaction is inadequate now, but as soon as we start talking about the essence of today's topic, everything will be fine.” And let's move on. Moreover, when you confess your excitement, for some reason the people in the hall begin to support and cheer you up. You are being sincere at the moment.

Movement during performance

Excitement and some tension can be removed when you start moving. You can walk around the stage, you can write something on a flip chart, you can show something with your hands and depict it with your whole body. When you start moving during a performance, the clamps go away, you become more relaxed, and the excitement goes away. You start to feel comfortable in the spotlight. The main thing is not to fight with excitement. On the contrary, use it, it is your sincerity and naturalness. And that always wins over the audience.

If you are in front of the camera

If you're on camera and you're really nervous, that's fine too. What can be done to reduce the level of anxiety? Very simple. Start giving your speech to the cameraman who is filming you. Sometimes it gets ridiculous. The operator starts nodding at you. And he even forgets that he is filming you.

Anxiety pills

Some people ask if it is necessary to take any drugs or pills to reduce the level of excitement. Once again I want to emphasize that excitement is a natural process, and it should not be "hammered" with medicines and preparations. In this way you "kill" in yourself a part of the living, nature and Existence. Forget about pills and drugs. It's too much.

On account of alcohol

The same goes for alcohol. Some say: you need to drink for courage. You know, when a speaker smells of alcohol, it does not in the least increase the feeling of respect for him. On the contrary, it causes the opposite attitude. Forget alcohol too.

If you chatter

If you are chattering, saying a lot of words non-stop, then just start inserting pauses during speech. I will write a separate article on how to develop the ability to speak with pauses.

If the face, ears, cheeks, forehead and other parts of the body turn red or turn pale;
if knees, hands, voice tremble; if heart palpitations

You don’t need to do anything, this is your body’s reaction to stressful situation due to the release of adrenaline into the blood. It is necessary to direct the released energy into actions. Not on my feelings and thoughts, but what they think of me. Just speak up and say what you have planned, and think about how your information can change the lives of listeners for the better. After 3-5 minutes, the excitement passes. After the performance, you will be very surprised that you were so worried about this.

Summary

So, in this article, we talked about how not to worry before a performance. Once again I want to emphasize that excitement, unlike fear, is something superficial and fleeting. After the performance, you even wonder why I was so worried. It turns out that everything is not so scary, which means that this excitement you had was excitement, and not fear. Fear is deeper and more lasting. But I have not met people who really experience the fear of public speaking in their practice. 99% of people experience excitement! So boldly go on stage, observe your excitement and be glad that you are a living person. Remember about MASYAN!

Watch your excitement right during the speech and this will give you more awareness of what you have just read and when you notice, realize and see it, then the excitement dissolves. The main thing is to get on stage and start talking and acting.

Add this article bookmark so as not to lose it on the Internet, share it with your friends using the buttons social networks below, and if you still want to practice to stop worrying about public speaking, then go through my training video course on how not to be afraid of public speaking at this link:

P.S. Remember, speakers are not born, they are made!

How to stop being afraid of public speaking? - a topical issue for people of all ages and professions. For the first time, we are faced with the need to speak to a serious audience already at the institute or at work. And if at school, speaking in front of classmates made you feel uncomfortable, and you caught yourself thinking - “I'm afraid to do this,” then work assignments where you need to convey certain information to professionals most likely terrify you.

But all this fear of public speaking is only in our head, so you can easily get rid of it by first explaining to yourself how it arises and what ways to overcome it exist.

The excitement before performing on stage is different, but we feel the same state, which is extremely difficult to overcome: hands and knees are shaking, the mouth dries up, the voice sounds as if from the outside, the audience turns into one frightening mass. To understand why fear controls us so much and how to deal with it, let's find out its causes.

Perhaps the very first and underestimated reason that provokes the fear of public speaking begins in childhood. When Small child speaks loudly in a public place for the first time, then the parent will silence him. In the future, this will be the explanation of why a person has a phobia to express thoughts loudly in front of an audience.

When the voice is clamped, it leads to excitement, and ultimately to fear. Add fuel to the fire, of course, will not be forgotten by school teachers who belittle abilities, and classmates who can hurt feelings without thinking about the consequences. These moments are the causes of social phobias, including provoking fear of public speaking.

The second reason why fearless public speech bypasses us, refers to the psychological component of fear. In the past, fear was synonymous with danger. I felt cold - I tried to warm up faster, went to the edge of the abyss - I was afraid of heights and walked away. Under the influence of everyday stresses: work, study, economic and political change in society, the instinct of self-preservation has undergone changes. As a result, we begin to worry in unjustified situations, including before performing on stage. The reasons that awaken this fear in us are the following:

  • Fear of people as such due to low social activity.
  • Fear of saying stupid things or making a reservation.
  • Constantly winding up the idea that the audience is negatively disposed towards you, and will closely evaluate the performance.

Another reason is not having the information necessary for the performance. And the last one is agoraphobia, or the fear of crowds. Unlike the fear of people, which is written above, this fear is deeper, and people do not even realize that they are afraid of large crowds of people and suffer from this type of phobia.

Why you shouldn't be afraid to perform on stage

Having understood the sources of the formation of a phobia for stage performances, you must first of all convince yourself that this fear does not exist, that we are starting to worry in vain.

The main point on the way to overcoming fear, which you need to realize and feel - public speaking is an opportunity to express yourself with better side and evaluate your audience skills. This is important because every day, at work or school, we communicate with people, and when this discomfort brings us, our productivity drops, our mood worsens, etc.

Fearless public speaking is the key to your self-confidence. By practicing skills by presenting information in front of other people, you bring actions to automatic execution, and over time, you will no longer feel uncomfortable when communicating with people. We summarize the useful aspects that can be obtained from performing on stage:

  • Experience in communicating with a large audience, which will help develop communication skills.
  • In the process of preparation, you will deepen your knowledge related to the topic of the speech.
  • At work conferences or student summits, your speech will be noticed influential figures which may be of service to you in the future.
  • With proper preparation for reports, soon your speech will become more literate.

How to overcome stage fright

If you apply the above tips too late - the performance is already on the nose, and the phobia haunts you, and you cannot get rid of it, then use the following tricks:

  • Relax. When the body is tense, you involuntarily want to shrink and not be the center of attention. Relax your body so as not to reinforce psychological discomfort with physical tension.
  • Your posture on stage should be confident: both feet are on the ground, arms are not in a closed position, and your back is straight. Place your supporting leg forward for stability. This will allow blood circulation to circulate better, deliver more oxygen to the brain cells, and you will become less worried.
  • It is important to normalize breathing so that the body is not under stress. To do this, inhale, count to 4, then exhale sharply. Repeat 10 times.
  • If you feel that your voice breaks with excitement, do speech gymnastics in advance. Tell the speech without opening your mouth. Speak the letters as clearly and expressively as possible. This exercise will relax the muscles of the face and larynx and help to cope with anxiety. Take water with you, otherwise at the wrong moment you will lose your voice and have to interrupt the performance.
  • If a fearless public speech for no reason is accompanied by trembling in the knees, then try mentally directing attention to them. Or fool your brain and consciously make your knees tremble. After that, the trembling often stops.
  • Make eye contact with your listeners to keep in touch with them. This is how you show that the performance is aimed at their interest and return.
  • If you make a mistake, the right decision is not to focus on it, and continue speaking. In addition to the task of presenting information, it is important to be able to focus on the main thing. Therefore, if you succinctly omit the error, none of the listeners will even notice it.

The recommendations in this article will help overcome fear, and fearless public speaking will become a constant companion of stage performances. You will never say - "I'm afraid to perform on stage, I can't handle it." When you feel confident in front of an audience for the first time, you will realize that in life you have become much more liberated, and the phobia that haunts you has receded.

Once upon a time, and the Master lived in this world. What kind? Business master. What the matter was, we do not know. He knew a lot - he was a real craftsman ... Oh, yes! He worked at the forge.

- So he was a blacksmith?

- Yes! Glory went throughout the district, they say, any animal can shoe, even a flea.

- Oh, damn it!

And a crowd of students gathered around that Master: “Tell me, tell me, uncle, how did you shoe a flea ?!”

The Master posed proudly. He wiped his hands with a grimy rag, clasped his beard with his hand and took the position of a teacher. Looked around at everyone... I saw a lot of eyes, curious and asking, interested and inquisitive ... and was a little dumbfounded: how many of you! He breathed in again - there is not enough air. I would like to say that my voice is trembling. The legs felt like cotton. What a responsibility! God forbid to blunder and not to tell! Then after all, they will smash it all over the wide world! ...

STOP! My friend storyteller, let's leave the poor Master alone for a while and turn to the audience ...

A familiar situation, isn't it?

In our business, you and I can often shoe any flea - but to tell about it in public - God forbid! Let someone else go.

Yeah. And someone else instead of you will acquire fame, money, success.

Not tired? It's time to forge your fear with the Master!

10 simple tricks to reduce anxiety

We work with the body

Reception 1. Release the flea.

Let's answer a few questions:

What is fear? How does it feel? In what? Where is it located in the body?

Yes, yes, something like this: somewhere in the throat a lump, legs are shaking, hands are trembling, breath catches. Everyone can have their own way, but the fact remains: there is no time for persuasiveness. We very often hear such phrases: fight, win, overcome!

Friends, who said that you need to fight fear? Does the fight against bad habits? For example, you show willpower, proudly announce to everyone that you have enough patience and diligence. And you break down often. Not just often. Constantly.

It’s the same with fear: if you stay on one willpower, fight it, forbid yourself to worry, keep YOURSELF IN THE FIST - and everything is under complete control - it will take immeasurably more strength and nerves than if you just master your fear. To meet him. Describe it and mentally greet it (“Hey, hello, flea! You are very small, albeit unpleasant!”). And don't fight, just let go.

What to do when fear does not allow you to relax before public speaking?

Reception number 2. Shake off the flea.

Remember: fear sits in the stomach. Gets by the collar. Runs down the legs. A thin string trembles in the back. Brrr! Giving you a physical boost! To remove any clamps in the body that prevent us from thinking sensibly and speaking normally, it is useful to give the load even more and then relax. Therefore, tension-relaxation of large muscle groups (calves, knees, hips, buttocks, abdomen, back, chest, shoulders, neck, face - and dropped!) Will be most welcome. You can squat or do push-ups behind the scenes, yawn widely.

Reception number 3. Add energy.

But fear is not enough. It runs along the skin, treacherously cooling the skin, creating an atmosphere of thickened tension around. What to do? You need a simple energy charge that anyone can do. Spread your legs shoulder-width apart, feel how the flow of Earth energy rises from the bottom up, flows through your body and bursts out like a fountain. In the same way, imagine the downward flow of the energy of the sky penetrating you from top to bottom and fountaining out below. Stay like this for a while. Soaking up the energy that releases the clamps. Connect the energy of the fountains around you, condense mentally. Forward - to the performances!

Reception number 4. Breathe freely.

What is the breath of a person whose excitement takes by the throat? Right! intermittent. Fear, with a slippery hand, gropes for something else to cling to. Everything is ok with the body, he takes his breath ... But it wasn’t there - we resist in the most usual way = childishly “from the opposite”. Fear speeds up - we slow down breathing (a couple of deep breaths, double inhalation-exhalation). Fear interrupts us - we answer him the same. For example, using a great technique called Balloon Breathing.

Professor Herri Herminson from New Zealand was involved in preparing athletes for various extreme situations and offered this method to relieve fear and transfer from a negative future to the present. It was this technique that he taught the world famous climber Hilary, who was one of the first to conquer Everest. During the ascent to the top of the world, Hilary repeatedly used it to relieve fear. Close your eyes and imagine a light tennis ball in front of you. Inhale - and the ball slowly and smoothly rises from the center of your abdomen to your throat. Exhale - and the ball just as smoothly falls down.

When we are anxious or afraid, the ball either freezes at one point, or moves quickly, in jumps. If we are calm, confident, the ball moves smoothly, rhythmically. In a situation of anxiety, fear, it is necessary to ensure that the ball moves in this way.

In a word, it is WE who IMPOSE OUR BEHAVIOR ON FEAR. We are the ones playing with it. We don't fight. We just allow it to quietly leave the body.

Manage emotions

Reception number 5. Positive phrase.

I can!

I will do it!

I am the best!

I will succeed!

Charismatic speaker - that's me!(how not to praise yourself?)

Everyone succeeds. What am I, red?(pulling the competitive vein)

Stay calm and carry on!(could be tighter)

Everyone will applaud me!

Catchphrases:

Fate helps the brave.

Happiness is always on the side of the brave.

Song lines:

I drink to the bottom for those who are in the sea! For those who love the wave! Behindthose, to whomlucky!

We are the champions, my friend!

Such inner phrases are worth scrolling through in your head before a performance, before going on stage, and even during it. The name affirmation perfectly reflects the essence of the technique: toaffirm in English means “to affirm”. These positive affirmation phrases will help you tune into the wave of success and perform brilliantly! Create a piggy bank of the best for yourself!

Reception number 6. Positive gesture.

Paired with an internal phrase that helps you cope with excitement, with difficult situations when speaking (difficult question, difficult listeners in the audience, etc.), the so-called startling or positive gesture goes hand in hand.

Remember how joyfully you clasp your hands at the sight of a long-familiar person (cotton)! How deliciously you fix: “Yes!” When something was a success (the arm is bent at the elbow and sharply pulled down and back). How you rub your hands with pleasure, anticipating something delicious!

Our body remembers the pleasant moments associated with these and a dozen other gestures! Our body is like a mold for emotions, which we can release at the right moment by using these or those winding gestures!

Here are some similar ideas.

Slash the air with your hand like a saber.

Fix hands in the chest area with tightly clenched fists (For luck, they say).

shouting "Hhh!" throw your hand forward, then the second - and alternate this several times.

Sit back, put on the so-called. “corset of confidence”: straighten your shoulders, raise your head up, a smile on your face. Stay like this for a few minutes. And into battle!

Reception number 7. Smile.

Tune in positive emotions You can also use facial expressions.

Among the best Taoist techniques there is a very simple and effective exercise: “Laughing Qigong”: start smiling at yourself in the mirror (at least a minute), then laugh merrily (even if you don’t feel like it), increase your laughter, let it be exaggerated (5 minutes), finish the exercise on a slight smile, which now will not leave your face until the end of the day!

Of course, the reader will say, it’s easy for you, you have such experience in speaking. What do I have to laugh about? But it’s worth starting with something, for example, with a smile! This technique will at least bring you good mood, as a maximum - a brilliant performance.

One day a man approached me at the airport and said that he was watching my emotions all the way. He was amazed that I kept smiling affably. "I will take an example from you!" - he grumbled, broke into a cheerful smile and was like that. I thought about the fact that I do not even control the process - a good mood comes with every new day. And, of course, with each new public performance!

Connecting the imagination

Technique #8: Rewrite the script in +

I went on stage. Everyone looked at me in amazement. appearance. Critically assessing that I am wearing a suit from last season's collection, and not the most expensive. Eyes narrowed skeptically. They began to whisper when I said the first sentence. Someone obviously yawned, someone frankly chatted on the phone, someone shouted rudeness from the audience. In the middle of the speech, they began to ask me confusing questions, inappropriate and indistinctly formulated, and then disappointed ones filed out of the audience in single file ...

Unpleasant? So why draw the worst performance scenarios in your head? Oh, everything will be bad, I’ll forget the text, I’ll lose the papers, I won’t answer questions!

It is positive scenarios that help to relieve excitement in the best way. And we are again mastering the technique of “turning over” upside down.

Now we will draw only rainbow pictures:

I went on stage. Everyone applauded me. Their eyes shone. The audience listened with bated breath. I answered questions with brilliance, giving a lot useful information even for professionals. A whisper of admiration ran through the hall when I finished my speech and summed up the results. Hooray! Shine! I did it!

It is worth noting that the scenarios given here are described as happening. Can be spoken in the present I take the stage...) and future ( I will take the stage...), but the effect of the fact that you simply dispassionately fix future success as a fait accompli is immeasurably higher! Having drawn such a positive scenario, you are already launching the mechanism for a successful public speaking. And take the first step on the stage.

Technique #9: Change your focus

What to do if the excitement does not let go at the very beginning of a speech or presentation? You look at the hall - and you meet the eyes of that very “difficult” listener who doesn’t care. He yawns, looks at his watch, crosses his arms over his chest ... Inexperienced speakers continue to look at this very face, sucking energy out of them.

The secret is simple: take a look at those who are currently positive, nodding, smiling, supportive. Maybe these are friends, acquaintances, or just those people with whom you managed to talk BEFORE the performance began.

A few minutes - and the whole room at your feet. Truly so. No wonder they say: “More often look into the eyes of people who are dear to you. You will find the answer in them." An experienced speaker looks for an answer in the eyes of grateful listeners.

Reception 10. Change the significance.

We are afraid of the public, because: "They are so cool (professionals, rich, experienced, etc.)".

We are afraid to go out in public, because: “I have little experience, I know less than them, I am so small man in front of these great people.

We are afraid of the performance itself, because: “This is such an important-important-important-important-important-important event for me!”. Exactly.

And on the triple lock of significance, we lock every opportunity to perform successfully, with dignity and with a buzz on stage. Why? Because we overestimate the significance of the event, the significance of the audience and underestimate our own.

Reception is at three simple steps: increase your importance, decrease the importance of the audience, decrease the importance of the event.

Who can I imagine myself? Say the phrase inside yourself: “I go into the hall - and EVERYONE listens to me very carefully!” Now make a riddle: “Who am I in this case?” Yes, yes, it is useful to imagine yourself ... the Queen of England, the Prince of Wales, the President after all. Or maybe Terminator or Batman? No matter who - the main idea: I'm more important!

How can I introduce the audience? Internal test phrase: "They are so cute, dear." Riddle-challenge: "Who are they?" Most likely children. In 100% of cases in all the trainings I conduct, people give this option. Children love to listen. Listen. Be interested. Laugh easily and naturally. In each of us, the most serious and businesslike, polished and expensive, well-fed or slender - there lives a child! We will use this image and henceforth we will not be afraid of the public!

And about the event: you know that the sun shines happy. But it also CONTINUOUSLY shines on those who did not complete something, failed something, did not perform very well. Take a look around: what terrible thing will happen if you step out of your hands? Someone will die? Skinny? Is it running wild? Will this passionate to life sun go out? No. So do not be afraid to move forward, having previously reduced the importance, and be satisfied with yourself and life!

When asked about my occupation, my answer is always this: “I help people have fun ...” The pause lasts about three seconds. The phrase intrigues and arouses interest, after which I modestly add "... on stage."

Therefore, our task, Master, is to shoe a flea. Curb your fear. And finally GET GOOD ON THE STAGE.

Results. How to shoe a flea

1. Acquaintance with fear.

2. Physical shake.

3. Energy charging.

4. Work with breath.

5. Positive phrase.

6. Positive gesture.

7. Smile.

8. Positive scenario.

9. Change of focus.