10 Strategies to Conquer Stage Fright
“The brain starts working the moment you are born and never stops until you stand up and speak in public.” Anonymous
Bold Body Alignment: Look confident, feel confident!
Begin by stretching your spine down from the tailbone and up from the top of the spine, which is at the same height as the top of your ears. Release and soften your back muscles and triceps (back of the arm). You will feel the core muscles taking over the job of holding your body open and erect. Think superhero: strong and confident. Lift the collarbone keeping the chin level to the ground.
Looking confident will make you feel confident!
#2 Dispel the Myths
Do not picture your audience naked. They won’t appreciate it and you might not either. It does not help you to put your audience at a disadvantage to your position as speaker. Include them in the story of what you have to share. They want you to be successful – they are rooting for you! Give your audience what they came to experience – you!
#3 Use It!
Stage fright is an over abundance of adrenaline running wild through your brain and body. Trying to suppress it will only make it more insistent on taking over. Accept the adrenaline rush. Welcome it to your body and brain. This will diffuse its’ power.
#4 Be Prepared
Ben Franklin wrote, “It takes about three weeks to prepare a good extemporaneous speech.” Wise man, our Ben. Be over-prepared with your subject matter without over-preparing every little thought and move you will make. Practice taking questions – no matter how off the wall. Practice as though the person who makes you the most nervous is in the room. Practice welcoming that person and accepting their presence.
#5 Practice Out Loud
Saying your speech in your mind is entirely different from saying it out loud to others. Out loud uses a different configuration of mind, body and voice coordination. Trust me, if you do not practice out loud, the sound of your own voice will startle you. Also, the written word has a very difference cadence and sensibility than the spoken word!
#6 Establish a Pre-performance Routine
Maybe you’ve seen the baseball player who has an elaborate ritual of gestures that he makes every time before he swings the bat. That is a pre-performance ritual that keeps him focused on his performance. Find something that calms you and focuses your energy and thoughts. Tapping a complex rhythm, send roots out of the soles of your feet into the ground, count your breaths, etc. Remember that the audience is cheering for you to be great!
“According to most studies peoples’ number 1 fear is public speaking. Number 2 is death. That means that most of us would rather be the guy in the casket than the one giving the eulogy.”
~ Jerry Seinfeld
#7 Move!
It is tempting to remain very still physically to keep the adrenaline rush from getting the upper hand before you hit the stage. However, that is like trying to contain a basket of frisky puppies – they have to work out their energy! Same with your stage fright. Figure out where in your body the energy is causing tension and wiggle it until you feel silly and can laugh. Now you are ready to speak!
#8 Keep Your Sense of Humor
Anyone who has performed a lot knows that anything and everything that can go wrong, will. We’ve all seen a president of the US vomit while speaking, performers trip and fall off the stage, “wardrobe malfunction” and the list goes on. Keep your sense of humor alive and well for those mishaps and enjoy the surprise. Acknowledge it when something goes wrong. Make a joke and continue with your presentation. It makes you more human and makes for a great story to tell later on.
Breathe: Nature’s Valium
Never, ever take drugs or alcohol thinking that you will be calmer! You won’t. Instead, breathe. Follow your breath as it flows in and out of your body. Feel it open up your airways and bring calm to tense places in your body and mind.
#10 Listen!
Stage fright originates with those negative voices inside your head. “The audience will think I’m stupid.” “No one wants to hear this!” “I’m going to make a mistake.” The voices inside your head are ancient history and they are not the truth. They are your fear talking. Instead, make a choice to listen to “breathing in I calm, breathing out I smile” “I am prepared and I’m going to have fun” and other positive messages that you can develop for yourself and practice.
Listen to the sound of your own voice. Do you sound clear in your thoughts and diction? Listen and enjoy!
** Always remember that the performance is not about you! It is about your audience – their comfort, their edification, their entertainment. Your focus needs to be on them at all times. **
Claim your vocal power. There is value in your words. Make every one count!
Singer-songwriter, musical theater singer, pop singer, or shower singer, this post has the keys you need to become a better singer.
Sally Morgan, NYC voice teacher, wrote the book on contemporary vocal technique — literally. Sing Like You Speak™ is specifically designed to restore the effortless vocal production that is natural to the human instrument making your singing powerful, joyful and free. Sally has been successfully teaching people how to sing for more than 30 years.
You can see and hear some of Sally’s clients on Broadway stages, Off-Broadway, in Musical Theater – Regional, on Major Label Recordings, the Conan O’Brian show, A Prairie Home Companion and in Federal Courts, the PA House of Representatives, and the U.S. Senate.
Sally teaches singing voice lessons in NYC and worldwide on Skype. Online voice lessons http://SingLikeYouSpeak.com
Ask a question or leave a comment: