Music Madness Challenge: Struggling with Stage Fright?

Hi guys! You're reading this because you have Stage Fright, right? Or maybe you are unsure about the symptoms of it, and you want to know if you have it?

What is Stage Fright?

Stage fright, (also known as Performance Anxiety) is a state of anxiety which occurs when somebody is faced with the idea of performing, or has to perform. The person may have a low self-esteem, shyness, low in self confidence, may feel self conscious or may even suffer with social anxiety.

How do I know if I suffer from Stage Fright?

Picture this:

You are told that you are going to have to perform in front of, I don't know, let's say, 500 people. The stage is massive and you are performing solo. All eyes will be on you.

Are you trembling? Panicking? Is your heart racing? New fear unlocked?

If you are feeling any of these then you probably suffer from Stage Fright. But those are not all the symptoms: -Racing pulse

-Rapid breathing

-Dry mouth

-Tight throat

-Trembling

-Sweaty, cold hands

-Nausea

-Vision blurry or vision change

Everybody may have a small amount of stage fright, but others experience it a lot more in a more severe way.

How do I cope with it?

Overcoming stage fright isn't going to happen overnight. You have to be dedicated and put in a lot of work for you to get through it. But that doesn't mean its not possible.

1. Prepare

   As with anything, it always helps to have a plan and be prepared. Make sure you know the exact order of your performance, the lyrics, the routine, whatever you are performing. But you also need to make sure you don't over do it. As this can stress you out even more. You don't have to remember ever little detail, just make sure you have a good idea of what you are going to do. As well as this, over practicing for a singing performance can give you a soar throat, too much dancing can give you muscle pain, etc.

2. Mindfulness

   Be sure to steady your breathing, and know different breathing techniques. If you feel yourself getting overwhelmed on stage, then calm your breathing down. As well as this, practice grounding yourself, this helps if you ever have a moment where you zone out. Challenge your senses by naming 5 things you can see, smell, taste, touch and hear.

3. Research

   It may help to research famous celebrities who have had to overcome stage fright. This can help motivate you and reassure you that you are not alone, and that having stage fright doesn't mean you can't fufill your ambitions!

4. Embrace silence

   When performing, or addressing a crowd, don't fear a moment of silence. Don't assume that silence is a bad thing. Just take that moment to ground yourself and calm down.

5. Pace yourself

   When talking, don't rush and splutter out all your words at once. Act casual, and take small pauses, keeping a steady pace. Remember-Quality not quantity. The audience doesn't care how long you are talking for or how long your speech is, they care about the quality of how you talk and how you act.

6. Talk

   Feeling nervous? Talk to family and friends, and they will give you a boost!

7. Extras

   When I perform drums, there is always a spare set of drumsticks by the kit. So if I dropped my own or forgot them, I wouldn't have to stress because there would be a backup pair there. This can work with other things too. Only have one copy of the song lyrics? Keep one in your pocket, and have a spare kept at the actual venue of where you are performing.

   
   

I don't suffer from stage fright, so this blog post was quite hard for me to write up, especially as I haven't really experienced it so I struggle understanding it. But I hope these tips have helped you!

Thank you!

-Jasmine :)