How a speaker can get rid of presentation anxiety. How to overcome anxiety and fear of public speaking

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 about it. I’m sharing my 15 years of experience, so take it into account.

Excitement is a feeling familiar to all beginning speakers. But in essence, there is nothing wrong with being 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 worry so much. I am sure that all great speakers are nervous at the beginning of their speech. And the larger the audience, the greater the excitement. Despite the fact that I have to perform often, I feel nervous every time before going out. Personally, my knees are shaking. But this trembling goes away 3-5 minutes after going on stage. One speaker said about this: “Two minutes before going on stage it’s easier to shoot me than to go out into public, but five minutes before the end of the performance it’s easier to beat me with a whip than to kick me off the stage.” The excitement goes away as soon as we start performing and talking. The main thing is to endure the first 3-5 minutes. Then it becomes much easier. But more about this below.

Why do we get nervous before a performance?

At one of my trainings, I heard a story about how in one city they announced recruitment to a public speaking group. Two people came. One of them later became prime minister, the second a millionaire. Of course, I am far from the illusion that they achieved such results solely thanks to their oratorical abilities, but many entrepreneurs note that it was the ability to perform on stage that allowed them to achieve high results.

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

As you know from Dale Carnegie’s books, Philip D. Armor, already a millionaire, once said: “I would rather be a great speaker than a great capitalist.”. Chauncey M. Depue 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 and quickly develop courage and self-confidence, sign up for good public speaking courses.”. But although the ability to perform on stage allows you to achieve success in business and in life in general, many avoid situations where they need to be the center of attention and speak in front of an audience. The reason for this behavior is not fear, as most people think, but excitement.

Causes of excitement

Let's look at two main reasons for anxiety before public speaking:
1) focus on yourself;
2) not self-love.

Focus on yourself or what they will think of me

The reason for anxiety is focusing attention on yourself at the time of performance. What happens when a person takes the stage? At this moment he begins to realize that they are looking at him. And the speaker begins to smile embarrassedly, laugh, hold his breath, and feel a strong 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 (I’ll tell you where to put his hands during a speech in a separate article). It seems to him that something needs to be corrected in his hair and clothes. In a word, unnecessary stress or fuss arises. “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 where everyone makes a presentation on a specific topic. “When the editor-in-chief of a publishing house comes to my speeches,” my friend admitted, “I think about how I shouldn’t say something stupid, and I will definitely say something that makes the editor-in-chief confused...”

At the moment of focusing attention on oneself, all the symptoms we have listed, a state of discomfort, arise. We suddenly start thinking about our hands, and because of this we don’t know where to put them; We start 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 encounter the views of listeners, our biological nature awakens 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 training on public speaking, “Learning to speak in public,” I ask the participants, “Please tell me, if you are busy doing something and no one is looking at you, how do you feel?” They usually answer: “Good, confident, comfortable.” In this situation we feel confident: there is no reason to be afraid.

Next question: Please tell me, if you are busy with something and they start looking at you, does something change in your condition?” The answer is, as a rule, something is changing. In this situation, there were reasons for concern: “What will they think of me? What if something is wrong?”

Third question: “Please tell me, if you are busy with something and they are looking at you, but you don’t know about it, is something changing?” As a rule, the answer is that it’s nothing. In this situation there is no reason to worry, and we feel confident.

And the last question: “Please tell me, if you are busy with something and no one is looking at you, but you decide that they are watching, does anything change?” As a rule, the answer is that it changes: 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 put ourselves into a state of excitement, then most likely we will be able to bring ourselves out of the state that holds back our actions and actions.

Not self love

Another reason for anxiety before performances may not be self-love. Many people evaluate themselves for the result, for what they did, and not for the process itself. If I got the job done, well done. If you didn't, no good job. Handed in the waste paper, well done. Didn't pass, not great. Passed the test, well done. Didn't pass, not great. So, it is important to learn to value yourself not for the result, but for the actions, for the process.

Love the process of performing, love yourself for going on stage, performing, preparing for a performance, and so on. And the result from the performance will appear immediately as soon as you begin to enjoy the process itself and stop depending on the result. Remember, behind the excessive desire to get results is actually the fear that it won’t work out. And the law of cause and effect works: “What a person fears is what he gets from life.”

How does anxiety manifest 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 facial skin
- Shiver
- Palms, forehead, back sweat
- Dry mouth
- Feeling of a “lump” in the throat
- Cardiopalmus
- Extra movements, fussiness
- Bondage
- Irritability, anger, aggression
- Quick text pronunciation
- The desire to run away and not perform...

These are the main symptoms of anxiety noted by participants in public speaking trainings. Interestingly, experienced speakers also experience these feelings. Anyone who has read Dale Carnegie remembers the story of how Mark Twain first took to the podium. It seemed to him that his mouth was full of cotton, and his pulse was like that of a participant in a race for a prize cup.

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

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

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

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

Hello Duke

There is a funny acting story on this topic.

The aspiring actor, who had just graduated from theater institute, was given a tiny role. He had to go on stage and say: “Hello, Duke!” While the performance was going on, the newcomer stood behind the scenes and continued to search for the image, intoning this phrase in every possible way. Suddenly they suddenly shouted: “Vasily, your way out.” The actor walked onto the stage, walked up to 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! – covering his face with his hand, the Duke exhaled.
- Hello, Duke! – the fireman boomed from behind the scenes. The actor turned to the wings and smiled stupidly.
And then a theater regular stood up from the front row, adjusted his pince-nez and barked:
- Hello, Duke!

As you can see, anxiety is common to everyone. The first performances 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 speaking, I have not met people who are absolutely not worried. And the sages say that brave people are not afraid to be afraid. And don’t imagine that your case is particularly difficult. Even those who later became a recognized speaker experienced fear and shyness at the beginning of their career. And Demosthenes, as you remember, generally lisped. But did this stop 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 a MASYANYA

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

My first big flop

I remember very well my first performance in front of a large audience. I went on stage and barely found the microphone. Although, as it turned out later, there were four of them on stage. I tried to remove the microphone from the tripod. After 2-3 minutes I realized that nothing was working for me. I left this matter and looked into the hall. Despite the fact that there were seven hundred people in the hall, there was a complete fog in front of me; I couldn’t see anything beyond 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 presentations exceeded all expectations.

How to deal with anxiety

Admit your anxiety

The easiest way to reduce anxiety is to admit it. Tell your audience this honestly, because the easiest way to get rid of something is to allow yourself to do it. Once I attended lectures by a professor on psychology. And at the very beginning, he warned the cadets: “Turn off your mobile phones or put them in vibrate mode, otherwise when they ring, I get lost, I forget what I was talking about.” And indeed, when someone’s phone rang, he was lost, jumping 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 phones felt awkward, as the lectures were very interesting and useful.

As long as the speaker tries to hide his excitement, he becomes even more excited. He doesn't allow himself to relax, and the performance turns out worse. The speaker’s energy at the moment is not directed at the audience, but at “appearing” confident. But it turns out the other way around. The more a speaker tries to appear confident, the more ridiculous he appears. But as soon as he admits his anxiety, he now does not need to fight this condition and waste energy. 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’s possible that my voice will tremble for the first 10 minutes, and that’s normal. I really want you to get the maximum benefit from our meeting today.”

It happens that it is very difficult to tune in when something happened on the road: “You know, I just saw something incredible 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 we moved on. Moreover, when you admit your excitement, for some reason the people in the hall begin to support and encourage you. You are speaking sincerely at the moment.

Movements during a performance

Anxiety and some tension can be relieved 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 something with your whole body. When you start moving during a performance, the tension goes away, you become more relaxed, and the excitement goes away. You start to feel comfortable being the center of attention. The main thing is that you don’t have to fight your anxiety. On the contrary, use it, it is your sincerity and naturalness. And this always wins over the audience.

If you are performing in front of a camera

If you are performing in front of a camera and are very nervous, that is also normal. What can be done to reduce the level of anxiety? Very simple. Start making your speech to the cameraman who is filming you. Sometimes it gets funny. The operator starts nodding at you. And he even forgets that he is filming you.

Anti-anxiety pills

Some people ask whether they need to take any medications or pills to reduce their anxiety levels. Once again I want to emphasize that anxiety is a natural process, and you should not “clog” it with drugs and drugs. In this way you “kill” part of the living, nature and Being in yourself. Forget about pills and drugs. It's too much.

Regarding alcohol

The same applies to alcohol. Some people 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 evokes the opposite attitude. Forget about alcohol too.

If you chatter

If you jabber, say a lot of words non-stop, then just start inserting pauses during your 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 become red or pale;
if your knees, hands, voice tremble; if your heart beats fast

There is no need to do anything, this is your body’s reaction to a stressful situation as a result of the body releasing adrenaline into the blood. You need to channel the released energy into action. Not on my experiences and thoughts, but on what they think of me. Just speak and say what you have planned, and think about how your information can change the lives of your listeners for the better. After 3-5 minutes the excitement goes away. 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, it means that this excitement you had was excitement, not fear. Fear is deeper and longer lasting. But in my practice I have never met people who truly experience fear of public speaking. 99% of people feel excited! So feel free to go on stage, watch your excitement and be glad that you are a living person. Remember about MASYANYA!

Observe your excitement right during the performance 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.

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

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

Once upon a time the Master lived and lived in this world. Which one is this? Master of the matter. What it was like, we don’t know. He knew a lot - he was a real craftsman... Oh, yes! He worked in a forge.

- So you were a blacksmith?

- Yes! The fame spread throughout the area, saying that he could shoe any animal, even a flea.

- Wow, a flea!

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

The Master assumed a proud manner. He wiped his hands with a grimy rag, grabbed his beard with his hand and took the position of a teacher. He looked around at everyone... I saw many eyes, curious and pleading, interested and inquisitive... and I was slightly taken aback: there are so many of you! I inhaled again - there was not enough air. I want to say something, but my voice is trembling. My legs felt like they were made of cotton. What a responsibility! God forbid I make a mistake or tell something wrong! Then they will spread it all over the world!...

STOP! Friend storyteller, let's leave the poor Master alone for a while and turn to the listeners...

A familiar situation, isn't it?

In our business, you and I can often shoe any flea - but God forbid we talk about it in public! It's better to let someone else go.

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

Aren't you tired? It's time to forge your fear with the Master!

10 Simple Tricks to Reduce Anxiety

Working with the body

Technique 1. Release the flea.

Let's answer a few questions:

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

Yes, yes, something like this: there’s a lump somewhere in the throat, your legs are shaking, your hands are trembling, your breath is catching. Everyone may have their own opinion, but the fact remains: there is no time for convincing here. We very often hear such phrases: fight, win, overcome!

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

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

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

Technique No. 2. Shake off the flea.

Remember: fear sits in your stomach. He gets in by the collar. Runs down my legs. A thin string trembles in my back. Brrr! Give me a physical shake! To remove any tension in the body that prevents 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, stomach, back, chest, shoulders, neck, face - and they dropped it!) will come in handy. You can do squats or push-ups behind the stage, or yawn widely.

Technique No. 3. Add energy.

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

Technique No. 4. Breathe freely.

What is the breath of a person whose anxiety is taking him by the throat? Right! Intermittent. Fear, with its slippery hand, is groping for something else to attach itself to. Everything is okay with the body, he takes up his breath... But that’s not the case - we resist in the most ordinary way = childishly “by contradiction”. Fear speeds up - we slow down our breathing (a couple of deep breaths, double inhale and exhale). Fear interrupts us - we respond in kind. For example, using a great technique called Balloon Breathing.

Professor Herry Herminson from New Zealand trained athletes for various extreme situations and proposed this method for relieving fear and moving from a negative future to the present. It was this technique that he taught to the world famous climber Hilary, who was one of the first to conquer Everest. During his climb 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 also smoothly falls down.

When we are worried or afraid, the ball either freezes at one point or moves quickly, in jumps. If we are calm and confident, the ball moves smoothly and rhythmically. In a situation of anxiety or fear, you need to ensure that the ball moves exactly like this.

In a word, it is WE who IMPOSES OUR BEHAVIOR ON FEAR. It is WE who play with him. We don't fight. We simply allow it to calmly leave the body.

Managing emotions

Reception No. 5. Positive phrase.

I can!

I will do it!

I am the best!

I will succeed!

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

Everyone can do it. Am I a redhead?(pulling my competitive streak)

Stay calm and carry on!(can be tougher)

Everyone will applaud me!

Catchphrases:

Fate helps the brave.

Happiness is always on the side of the brave.

Lines from songs:

I drink to the bottom for those who are at sea! For those whom the wave loves! Behindthose, to whomlucky!

We are the champions, my friend!

Such internal phrases should be scrolled 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 affirming phrases will help you get in the mood for success and perform brilliantly! Create a piggy bank of the best for yourself!

Reception No. 6. Positive gesture.

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

Remember how joyfully you throw up your hands at the sight of a person you have known for a long time (clap)! How you relishly record: “Yes!” when something has been done brilliantly (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 dozens of other gestures! Our body is like a form for emotions that we can release at the right moment by using certain exciting gestures!

Here are some similar ideas.

Chop the air with your hand like a saber.

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

shouting “Hhha!” throw your hand forward, then the other - and alternate this several times.

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

Reception No. 7. Smile.

You can also tune in to positive emotions using 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 cheerfully (even if you don’t want to), intensify the laughter, let it be exaggerated (5 minutes), finish the exercise on a light smile that will now not leave your face until the end of the day!

Of course, the reader will say, it’s easy for you, you have so much experience in performing. Why should I laugh? But you have to start somewhere, for example, with a smile! This technique will at least bring you a good mood, and at maximum a brilliant performance.

One day at the airport a man came up to me and said that he had been watching my emotions all the way. He was amazed that I smiled affably all the time. “I will follow your example!” - he muttered, broke into a cheerful smile and was like that. I thought about the fact that I don’t even control the process - a good mood comes with every new day. And, of course, with every new public appearance!

Let's use our imagination

Technique No. 8. Rewrite the script in +

I went on stage. Everyone looked at my appearance in surprise. I critically assessed that the suit I was wearing was from last season’s collection, and not the most expensive one at that. They narrowed their eyes skeptically. They started whispering when I said the first phrase. Someone was clearly yawning, someone was openly chatting on the phone, someone was shouting rude things from the audience. In the middle of the speech, they began to ask me confusing questions, inappropriate and unclearly formulated, and then they began to file out of the audience, disappointed...

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

Positive scenarios are the best way to relieve anxiety. And we are again mastering the “turnover” technique upside down.

Now we will draw only rainbow pictures:

I went on stage. Everyone applauded me. Their eyes were shining. The listeners listened with bated breath. I answered questions brilliantly, providing a lot of 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 succeeded!

It is worth noting that the scenarios presented here are described as having happened. Can be spoken in the present ( I'm going on stage...) and future ( I'll go on stage...), but the effect of simply dispassionately recording future success as a fait accompli is immeasurably higher! By drawing such a positive scenario, you are already launching the mechanism of successful public speaking. And you take the first step onto the stage.

Technique No. 9. Change your focus

What should you do if your anxiety doesn’t go away at the very beginning of your speech or presentation? You look at the audience and meet the gaze of that same “difficult” listener who doesn’t care. He yawns, looks at his watch, arms crossed on his chest... Inexperienced speakers continue to look at this very face, sucking the energy out of them.

The secret is simple: shift your gaze to those who are currently in a positive mood, nod, smile, support. 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 hall is at your feet. Truly so. No wonder they say: “Look more often into the eyes of the people you care about. In them you will find the answer." An experienced speaker looks for an answer in the eyes of grateful listeners.

Technique 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 such a small person 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 with the triple lock of significance we lock every opportunity to perform on stage successfully, with dignity and with joy. Why? Because we overestimate the significance of the event, the importance of the listeners, and underestimate our own.

The technique is carried out in three simple steps: increase your significance, decrease the significance of the audience, decrease the significance of the event.

Who can I imagine myself to be? Say the phrase inside yourself: “I walk into the hall - and EVERYONE listens to me very carefully!” Now ask a riddle: “Who am I in this case?” Yes, yes, it’s useful to imagine yourself... as the Queen of England, the Prince of Wales, the president in the end. Or maybe the Terminator or Batman? It doesn’t matter who – the main idea is: I am more important!

Who can I imagine the audience to be? Internal test phrase: “They are so sweet, 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. Laughing is easy and relaxed. In each of us, the most serious and businesslike, polished and expensive, well-fed or slender, there lives a child! Let's 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 CONTINUALLY shines on those who did not complete something, failed something, or did not perform very well. Look around: what terrible thing will happen if you go out of your way? Will someone die? Is he getting thin? Going wild? Will this passionate sun go out? No. So don’t be afraid to move forward, having first reduced the importance, and be satisfied with yourself and life!

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

Therefore, our task, Master, is to shoe the flea. Contain your fear. And finally, HAVE A FUN ON STAGE.

Results. How to shoe a flea

1. Getting to know fear.

2. Physical shaking.

3. Energy charging.

4. Breathwork.

5. Positive phrase.

6. Positive gesture.

7. Smile.

8. Positive scenario.

9. Change of focus.

What should you do if the thought of public speaking makes your palms sweat, your mouth dry out, and your stomach begin to cramp? How to cope with the irresistible desire to run away and how to remove anxiety before a performance? There are 2 positive news for you. First, many famous speakers have experienced similar feelings and second, this problem can be solved.

What makes you nervous is the powerful surge of adrenaline in response to a threat. A threat is the thought of having to say something reasonable and coherent in front of an audience that is watching you. However, a surge of the hormone that causes excitement and anxiety can become your active assistant. It is he who is responsible for reaction speed, sharpness of thought and concentration. The main thing is to channel the adrenaline energy in the right direction.

A few ways to calm your anxiety before a performance:

1 Self-discipline

No matter whether you have a week or a month to prepare, don’t put it off until later. Decide what you will say and in what manner you will present the information. Even if you master the material perfectly, practice is necessary. Speech brought to the point of automaticity will relieve unnecessary anxiety that you will forget the text. By rehearsing out loud in front of a mirror, you control your gestures and facial expressions and get an idea of what you look like during the performance.

2 Reasonable approach

3 Imagination to the rescue

Have you ever heard the expression “imagine your audience in your underwear”? An interesting psychological trick will help you overcome the barrier between you and the public. Not only are you standing on stage as if naked, but your audience is in an equal position. Another effective technique: imagine that your relatives are in the room and you are addressing them directly. The imaginary picture will create the impression of a homely environment in which there is hardly any need to be nervous.

4 Physical activity

Muscle tension is a direct companion to fear. If possible, take a walk outside before your performance or do some basic exercise to help relieve excess adrenaline.

Slowly inhale through your nose, hold your breath while mentally counting to 5, and then exhale through your mouth. Focus on the breathing process until you feel relief. This is a simple but effective exercise. The practice of deep breathing has been scientifically proven to lower heart rate and blood pressure.

Clench your fingers into fists, pressing your arms to your body and tighten your abdominals as much as possible. Then throw your hands forward, unclenching your fingers. This technique relieves muscle tension.

Often fear freezes the cheekbones. It’s easy to overcome this scourge - yawn, opening your mouth wide. In addition to the relaxing effect, this useful exercise will improve your voice and diction.

So, you can remove anxiety before a performance with the help of common sense, autogenic training and physical exercise. But it is better to combine all these methods. Remember that anxious feelings are just a side effect of adrenaline, and that's partly because you're excited about the prospect of performing even if you refuse to admit it to yourself!

Download this material:

(No ratings yet)

Even those who are not at all afraid to perform can feel somewhat insecure on stage. Stage fright is a completely common thing, common both for actors and for speakers at conferences. If you have stage fright, then when speaking in front of an audience, you may feel nervous, afraid, trembling for some reason, or even feel like a complete idiot - all this in front of strangers! But don't despair, because stage fright can be overcome by teaching your body and mind to relax using a few simple tricks. And this article will explain to you exactly what you need to do.

Steps

How to deal with stage fright on performance day

Relax. To cope with stage fright, you need to do a couple of things that will help you relax, and this is important, because the less tension in your voice, the calmer your mind, the easier it is to perform. And here's how you can achieve this:

Hum softly to calm your voice.
Eat a banana before your performance. This will relieve the unpleasant feeling of nausea in the stomach.
Chew gum to relax your tense jaw. Just don't chew it for too long, otherwise you'll get a slight stomach upset.
Stretch. Stretch with everything you can - arms, legs, back and shoulders - is a great way to reduce tension in the body.

Read your favorite poem out loud. The sounds of your favorite rhyme are calming, fact, and even more than that - after this it is easier to speak in public.

Common Ways to Deal with Stage Fright

Pretend to be confident. Even if your hands are shaking and your heart is beating so hard that it’s about to jump out of your chest, pretend that you are no less than the calmest person on the planet. Keep your nose up, a wide smile on your face, and don’t tell anyone, not a single living soul, how you’re really going through right now. Fake it until you leave the stage.

Look not at the floor, but in front of you.
Don't slouch.

Create a ritual for yourself. You need a ritual that guarantees good luck! And then - anything, from jogging to singing in the shower or a “lucky” sock on your right foot. Do anything as long as it sets you up for success.
- An amulet will also work. Here, too, by analogy - even a ring on a finger, even a plush toy in the room.
Think positively. Focus on what amazing results you can achieve, not how much you can screw it up. Thought a bad thought? Crush her with 5 good ones! Keep cards with motivational words handy and just do whatever helps you focus on the good instead of the bad.

Get advice from a professional. If you know someone who has no stage fright and is a great performer, ask them for advice. There's a chance you'll learn something new, or learn that stage fright is actually something everyone suffers to some degree, no matter how confident they may appear.

How to Deal with Stage Fright If You're an Actor

Imagine success. Before you go on stage, imagine how well everything will end - applauding spectators, smiles, congratulations from colleagues, and so on. You need to imagine the best, not the worst, development of events, and then the first is more likely to happen. Imagine yourself and your amazing game - but from the viewer’s point of view.

Start early. Imagine success even when you are just auditioning for a role. And in general, make it a habit.
The closer the performance, the more carefully imagine all this. Let's say, every day - before bed and immediately in the morning.

Rehearse as much as possible. Rehearse until the words of the role begin to bounce off your teeth. Remember whose lines come before you and whose lines come after you. Rehearse in front of your loved ones, acquaintances, friends, or even in front of stuffed animals in a museum or in front of empty chairs - you need to get used to performing in front of people.
- An actor's stage fright often manifests itself in the fear of forgetting words and not knowing what to do. The best way to get rid of this fear is to teach, teach and learn words again.
- Performing in front of an audience is completely different from rehearsing in private. Yes, you may know the role brilliantly, but everything can change when you get on stage. Be prepared for this.
Get into character. If you really want to cope with stage fright, then get into the role as believably as possible, so that even Stanislavsky shouts - “I believe!” The more you get into character, the less you will worry about yourself. Imagine as if you are your hero.
Rehearse in front of the mirror. Honestly, this will increase your confidence, because this way you can see yourself from the outside. Keep rehearsing until you start to like everything, and this will significantly increase your chances of success on the stage itself.
- See yourself from the outside - cope with the fear of the unknown. If you know how you look and how you act in your role, then you will be more comfortable on stage.
- Pay attention to the mannerism of your style, watch how you accompany your speech with gestures.
  - Note: This is certainly not an option for everyone. Yes, this will help some, but there are also those for whom it will only drive them into greater anxiety.
Learn to improvise. improvisation is what each actor must master perfectly. It is with the help of improvisation that you can prepare for any, even completely non-ideal, situation that may arise on stage. Many actors and performers often worry - they say, what if I forget or mix up the words? At the same time, they forget that other actors are also people and can also make mistakes. Improvisation will turn any mistakes into a plus!
- Improv is the best way to teach you that you can't control every aspect of your performance. The question is not to perform perfectly, but to be able to respond to any development of events and to any situation that arises on stage.
- There is no need to get lost if something unexpected happens. Remember that the audience does not have copies of the script in their hands, so they will notice that something is wrong only if you yourself make it clear to them, and in the most obvious way.

Instructions

There are some simple exercises to help you calm down. Sit in a comfortable position, focus on breathing, inhale and exhale through your nose, try to keep your stomach round when inhaling and flat when exhaling, remember a happy moment from. You can also try to tense all the muscles as much as possible for a few seconds, and then smoothly relax, and so on several times. Water also relieves stress. Of course, it is not always possible to take a relaxing bath, but you can try washing your face and holding your hands alternately under warm and cool water.

Sometimes anxiety can be overcome only by taking a decisive step towards it. Of course, it’s not easy to overcome yourself, but try to weigh the pros and cons - is it worth cherishing your fears, or does life beyond them also promise you something pleasant? Remember, in overcoming yours, as in any other matter, the most difficult thing is...

note

Sometimes increased levels of anxiety can indicate deeper psychological problems. If you feel that you are unable to cope with anxiety on your own, contact a professional.

Strong anxiety before an important event, such as an exam, can be calmed down with medication, say, putting half a Validol tablet under your tongue. However, always try to cope on your own first.

Sources:

How to deal with anxiety

Do you have an important event coming up? Passing an exam, giving a presentation or meeting a new person - all this and much more causes excitement and trepidation in the soul. How to learn to cope ?

Instructions

Physical exercises help relieve stress. If you have to go into an office, and there they expect you to act, as in response to a question or to give a solemn speech, then you should do the following: shake your hands, massage each hand, pinch, stroke your fingers. These exercises stimulate blood flow and paralyze the state of anxiety. Fast walking, abdominal crunches, or pull-ups help with anxiety.

Music. You can listen to your favorite songs while quietly humming the tune to yourself. Loud music on headphones can intercept your anxious thoughts (what if it doesn’t work out) and direct them in a different direction. In this way, you will not be able to set yourself up for a negative outcome of the event, and the excitement will gradually fade away.

Reorienting your actions will help dull your anxiety. Call the old ones, talk about distant topics, joke - in general, take your mind off the situation. A sense of humor is a great cure for anxiety. Therefore, if possible, talk to a cheerful, cheerful person or even "". It will not only raise your morale, but will also tell you that everything passes and you shouldn’t attach great importance to anything. Nerve cells are not restored, and only we ourselves are interested in our state of health.

Video on the topic

Sources:

what will help with anxiety
How to cope with anxiety - severe anxiety

Sometimes important events occur in our lives that must go perfectly. Often the success of these events directly depends on our self-control. From the realization of their responsibility for what is happening, many people begin to experience strong excitement, which ultimately leads to failure. To remove excitement, use several methods that are guaranteed to help you.

Instructions

Breathe deeply and don’t listen to your own. If you start listening to your heartbeat, its increased rhythm triggers an additional wave. When you breathe deeply, your heart rate gradually slows down, which helps calm the system. Try counting, inhale on the count of “six”, then start, count this again and exhale on “six”.

Lean back in your chair and assume an open posture, avoid crossing your arms and legs. Relax the muscles of your face and body, remove your hands from your face. By withdrawing and tensing your muscles, you will not be able to properly relax and achieve calm. Consciously relax every muscle in your body in order to trigger the mechanism of psychological relaxation.

If these methods do not help, take a strong sedative. The most excitement, with or without a shell. If you drink them with strongly brewed motherwort, the effect will increase many times over. Also, sedatives and sedatives are recommended. Be sure to follow the dosage indicated in the instructions.

Video on the topic

Sources:

anxiety medications

Sooner or later, many of us have the privilege of being heard in public. Starting with a story in kindergarten about a torn bear’s paw or exams at school, ending with presentations of business projects or just a toast with the family. What to do if before performance Are your legs giving way?

Instructions

Take your next, even unexpected, performance not as a burden, but as a gift of fate. Prepare for it as if you were waiting for one of the most pleasant moments. Practice in front of a mirror, record your own voice on a voice recorder. After each listening, your voice will become more confident, and you will gain eloquence skills.

Fear makes even the most confident speaker mumble if he does not curb this out-of-control emotion in time. Before you give a speech, use breathing practice. Take three slow, deep breaths with your lungs full, hold the air for a few moments and exhale. You will feel calm because your heart will no longer jump out of your chest, and your brain will be filled with oxygen.

People do not judge the performance itself, but judge the listeners. To get them interested, look them in the eyes. Not everyone, but divide the audience into three parts, paying equal attention to each of them. When you see that you are being listened to, you will feel confident in your own abilities.

Don't think about it, everyone. Emphasize your own competence and resourcefulness. Know how to level out questions and give decent answers to them. To do this, think about what you might be asked during or after your speech and what answer you think is most appropriate.

To avoid getting into trouble, prepare for the performance in advance. This is perhaps the most effective method of all those proposed above. If you understand the material and know how to explain it “in your own words,” then go out to the audience with a smile, straighten your shoulders and perform at the highest level.

Video on the topic

Helpful advice

Pay attention to appearance. Try to look impeccable; your clothes should be comfortable and not restrict your movement. After all, even high heels or too tight shoes can become a source of additional anxiety in front of the public.

Responsible moments quite often force people to... It doesn’t matter whether something pleasant happens or not. How to calm down in such cases and overcome excitement preventing you from concentrating? What needs to be done to get back to normal?

You will need

- membership to the gym/yoga classes.

Instructions

Get enough sleep. In order to worry less, you need to rest more. If you don't get enough sleep, you're more likely to become anxious. When you feel fresh, you are less irritable and temperamental. Good sleep will help you return to normal faster.

Laugh more often. When you laugh, endorphins are released. Scientists have proven that these hormones are excellent for relieving stress. If you are very worried, try to remember something funny, something that can make you happy. In this case, the excitement will subside a little.

Play sports. During sports, endorphins are also produced and nervous tension is relieved. Make your body work and excitement will disappear by itself.

Keep everything under control. More often than not, people worry when something doesn't go as planned. Try to avoid situations that get out of control as much as possible. Carefully monitor your affairs, mood, relationships. Try to make sure that you have no reason to worry.

Relax. Close your eyes, take a deep breath, try not to think about anything. Imagine the sound of the sea or the singing of birds. Sit like this for 5 minutes. Give your brain and nervous system a little break.

Eat right. Opt for foods containing carbohydrates. Such food helps increase the level of serotonin, which is responsible for a stable emotional state. Avoid caffeine and large amounts of sugar.

Face your fears. Often excitement It causes fear in people. To get rid of him, you need to meet him face to face. Look for your fears and ruthlessly get rid of them.

Be optimistic. Always think that everything will definitely be fine. A positive attitude is already a big step towards success.

note

Constant worry can cause stress.

Some people experience very strong anxiety, sometimes it is not caused by the upcoming event. Even when talking with an interlocutor, a person experiences this feeling: he gets confused in words, is afraid to look him in the eye. Of course, you definitely need to fight this, and the sooner the better, since such experiences have a very negative impact on health.

Instructions

Be more confident. To do this, you must feel greater in your soul. Look at your interlocutor “from the other side” - in front of you is the same person as you, no different in any way, so why should you be afraid of him, thereby causing excitement.

It is known that a person experiences anxiety from not knowing information. Remember the time at school when you were called to the blackboard, and you started to worry because you didn’t know the material. If you know what your dialogue with your interlocutor will be about, be sure to back up your knowledge; you can also collect information about your opponent, thereby “arming yourself.”

Sit down and think about what makes you nervous. For a clearer and more correct answer, take a piece of paper and line it into four columns. In the first, write what scares you, for example, seeming stupid. In the second, indicate the disastrous consequences that, in your opinion, may be provoked by your fear. In the penultimate one, write the consequences that you expect (neutral). In the last one, indicate the best outcome of your conversation. After this, the anxiety will significantly subside, since you have provided for all possible options.

If your anxiety is related to something, hone your speech at home the day before in front of the mirror. Before your performance, take a few small breaths and relax. And when speaking in front of an audience, imagine that you are alone.

Video on the topic

Excitement- not the most comfortable emotional state. The reason for its occurrence is lack of confidence in oneself or in the situation. However, it is not difficult to cope with anxiety - you just need to be able to soberly assess its causes.

Instructions

Every person had to worry. The reasons for this can be very different, but most often it happens due to uncertainty, the inability to predict the situation and prepare for it. Therefore, you can overcome anxiety only by gaining confidence. And it, in turn, comes with successful planning and good preparation. Do not hesitate to encourage and reassure yourself - sometimes such internal dialogues help to distract from the cause of your worries.

To overcome anxiety, first of all you need to understand that there will be no benefit from it in any case, and it will be more effective to transform the expended moral forces into mental activity. Try to analyze the situation and all the factors influencing it, and then logically predict the most likely scenarios for the development of events. Some of them may seem undesirable. However, theoretical readiness will eliminate the need to guess about the outcome and allow you to switch to other issues.

Excitement is inversely related to the level of preparation for the situation, so always pay sufficient attention to this. Knowing that you have honestly worked on the task, there will be no reason to worry. Just in case, think through backup options for events - even if nothing unexpected happens, the realization that you are ready for anything will destroy all reasons to worry.

Try to think positively. If there are no objective reasons for failure, you should not cheat and intimidate yourself. If you succeed, do not forget to praise yourself. Learn to analyze past situations, paying special attention to your anxiety and the real state of affairs. Such a visual demonstration will help you remember that most reasons for worry are far-fetched.

Video on the topic

Speaking in public, whether it's giving a response in school or a presentation at work, can be very nerve-wracking. To overcome it, you need to think over a set of measures that are effective specifically in your case.

Instructions

Try to relax. The first thing you want to do if you are overcome by fear before a performance is to curl up into a ball and become as inconspicuous as possible. This impulse will only aggravate your anxiety, and every minute before the performance will cause you psychological discomfort. Therefore, relax all your muscles instead of tense them.

Take an open posture. Don't cross your arms and legs. Firstly, this will allow blood to circulate better, and secondly, it will demonstrate to the audience present that you are open and confident.

To help your body understand that nothing bad is happening, try to restore your breathing. Most often it increases in frequency when you are worried. Inhale deeply, counting to four, and then exhale sharply. Repeat this exercise 10 times.

If you feel that your voice is breaking from excitement, do speech gymnastics before your speech. Say part of your speech out loud without opening your mouth. At the same time, try to make your speech expressive, i.e. voices could be heard rising and falling. This will relax the facial and throat muscles, and it will be much easier to cope with anxiety.

Stop trembling in your knees, if any. One way you can do this is to mentally direct your attention to them. If this method does not help, then you can try to “trick” your brain. Look at your knees and force them. Most often they stop doing it.

Write down the main points of your speech if your anxiety is due to the fact that you are afraid of forgetting part of your speech. At any time you can turn your gaze to the cheat sheet and return to the thread. You can put this piece of paper in a folder so that your listeners do not suspect anything.

It is human nature to worry when he finds himself in an unusual environment. This is especially evident during interviews, exams, first dates, etc. To cope with anxiety and prevent panic from developing, you need to change your attitude towards unfamiliar situations.

Instructions

Realize that only you can change your attitude towards your fear. After all, anxiety expresses your fear that something will go wrong, you will make the wrong move, say something stupid, etc. You need to realize that you can control the situation and influence the process.

Find out what exactly scares you about these circumstances. This is usually responded to by the fear that you will show your unprofessionalism and put yourself in an unfavorable light. During the exam, you are scared that the task will be beyond your capabilities, and the size of the scholarship, for example, depends on this. When meeting someone, you are afraid to start a conversation and seem like an uninteresting interlocutor, so you keep silent more and more.

As soon as you understand what exactly scares you, then immediately proceed to the next stage - come up with a response step in advance. This could be a joke in case you say something wrong. Perceive the situation not as circumstances on which your life depends. She won't stop unless you get the job. On the contrary, all of life is a multitude of possibilities and alternatives. This approach will allow you to change your attitude towards many things, and therefore the reasons for unrest will become smaller.

Learn to relax. Master the simplest relaxation techniques - breathing exercises, visualization, basic meditation. Try slow and measured breathing - inhale for 5 counts, exhale for 7. If possible, take a relaxing bath or just hold your hands under water - the water soothes and relieves tension.

Use psychological techniques to calm yourself down. Think about what worried and awed you a year ago. Ask yourself a question - is this just as exciting for you to this day, or now you no longer pay attention to such little things. Realize that about the reason for your unrest you won't remember in a few years. So there is no point in worrying like that now.

Practice at home, in front of the mirror. If you can play out a situation, for example, speaking in front of an audience, then do it at home - stand in front of a mirror and rehearse, watching your facial expressions, gestures, and words.

Those who want to be active and enjoy life need to learn to hide strong anxiety, since constant stress can lead to unwanted changes in the body or diseases.

Instructions

Learn to relax. There are many meditation techniques to help cope with constant stress. Listen to pleasant music, trying to disconnect from everyday problems.

When conducting a relaxation session, mentally imagine things that in your mind are associated with something positive. For example, the seashore, bright sun, light breeze or a flowering meadow. You should feel calm and confident during the session. Only in this case is yours excitement will begin to gradually go away, and you will learn to be the master of your emotions.

Often the cause of anxiety is negative thoughts repeated mentally many times. You need to keep your flow of thoughts under control. Staying positive will invariably increase your chances of success in various areas of life. In addition, positive thoughts can attract, don’t forget about it.

Some people try to control everything that is in their field of vision. Please be reminded that this is not your prerogative. There are things that people’s influence does not apply to, you just have to accept this fact, whether you worry about it or not, nothing can be changed.

Sometimes excitement becomes a habit with a certain inertia. It is necessary to understand that it will not be possible to get rid of any bad habit too quickly, but, nevertheless, it is possible, the main thing is to set such a goal.

Helps hide well excitement mastery of breathing techniques. Those who know how to use them manage not only to hide strong excitement, but also influence your own well-being, saturating the body with vitality.

Remember that excitement unproductive, your strength is simply lost, and excitement does not give you the opportunity to see the positive moments that happen to you throughout life.

Yours excitement often indicates that you are well aware of what may happen in the future, and it will always be something bad. But people cannot predict events, and the meaning of unrest is often lost. Think about it, is it worth losing your health for this reason?

Video on the topic

Before a first public performance, a person inevitably experiences anxiety. For some people this results in a feeling of mild anxiety, while others may experience real panic.

Instructions

The success of your presentation depends on a solid knowledge of the material you are going to present. Learn everything and repeat several times in front of the mirror, in front of friends or family members. Start overcoming fear in small audiences. After several training sessions, you will feel a certain confidence that you can successfully perform in front of strangers. people.

Give yourself room to make mistakes. People are imperfect, and you are no exception. The audience is almost always positive about the speaker's perception. Therefore, even if you make a mistake and mix something up, no one will kick you out or judge you. Imagine that you are running away from the hall to the whistles and hoots of the audience. It's funny, unrealistic and not scary at all.

Don't let fear paralyze your body, especially your vocal cords. Before a performance, try to relax, and if you can’t, think of something funny. For example, imagine listeners sitting in a hall wearing clown costumes.

Focus not on how you will appear in the eyes of your audience, but on the result you want to achieve. Anyone who thinks only about business forgets about fears. Even if you forget something during the performance, don't panic. Take a break, collect your report sheets, relax and concentrate. The necessary phrases will come to mind on their own.

If you make mistakes during the speaking process, don't worry - this happens even to experienced speakers. Take note of the mistakes and next time there will be fewer of them or none at all. In any case, this is your personal experience - benefit from it.

It can be scary the first time, but as you gain more experience performing, you will gradually get rid of the fear. Train, perform, and every time you do it better and better.

Video on the topic

Few people have not experienced anxiety before various important events in life: a first date, a wedding, exams, an interview. Very often, severe anxiety is accompanied by dry mouth, chills, abdominal cramps, etc. It is impossible to get rid of anxiety through willpower, but there are psychological techniques that can be used to minimize it.

Instructions

Direct your energy in a different direction. During times of strong excitement, a person usually does not find a place for himself - he walks, fiddling with something, etc. Try to switch your attention - do some spring cleaning, work out on exercise equipment, play ball. Physical fatigue and emotions will replace anxiety, and you will feel better.

Do a breathing exercise. The first symptoms of anxiety are shallow and rapid breathing, strong heartbeat. Focus on your breathing and begin to inhale and exhale deeply and slowly. After a few minutes, you will feel the excitement subside.

Try to play out the worst-case scenario in your head and let your imagination run wild. For example, you are worried about an interview. Imagine that the employer will not like you, you will not be hired, your friends and family will turn away from you, you will have nothing to live on, and you will become homeless. What is the likelihood of such a development? The more absurd and incredible the story you come up with, the easier it will be for you to calm down. And when you stop worrying, think through your options in case the interview really goes wrong.

Eliminate the causes of anxiety. For example, let's say you're nervous about an upcoming public speaking event. What exactly are you worried about: are you afraid of looking stupid, your equipment may fail, are you unsure of your competence? Consider your fears and eliminate their causes: check the operation of the equipment and necessary equipment, consult a stylist about your image, thoroughly study the material necessary for the performance and be prepared for any tricky questions.

Video on the topic

Starting a new business is always scary, because there is no experience and there is a fear that nothing will work out. You need to cast aside all doubts and follow your dreams.

How to decide to sing

If a person has a desire to sing, then he must decide whether this path will become a professional field for him or whether he should stop at the amateur level. Professional singers from early childhood prepare themselves for performances on stage in front of large audiences. In order for confidence and stiffness to appear, you need to believe in yourself and, of course, study and practice a lot. The applause of the audience is true praise; by the reaction of the audience you can determine whether you liked the singing or not. The auditorium has powerful energy. You also need to be able to cope with it.

Finishing music school is not enough to feel at ease on stage. It is necessary to take part in concerts several times. After some time, this will become a habit, and the ability to tune in to the performance will come. Many artists have developed their own method of how to calm themselves so that their voice does not tremble during a performance. You can be alone or, conversely, laugh and throw out overwhelming emotions.

You can overcome fear only by overpowering yourself. An effective technique is when a person comes to a crowded place and starts singing. Such training can be carried out in public transport or a metro crossing.

Several ways to overcome fear

You can start singing at any age, but the earlier you do it, the greater heights you can achieve. Many complexes date back to childhood. One careless phrase about a bear stepping on his ear, and that’s it, a child can say goodbye to singing forever, even with excellent vocal abilities. If the soul wants to sing, then why restrain yourself. You can sing for your relatives on holidays or perform at school events, sing karaoke, in the shower and in the kitchen.

If you can’t sing just like that, you need to find motivation. Love works wonders. To please a loved one, you can sing a beautiful romantic song.

If the fear is so strong that it constrains your voice and you can’t do anything at all, then you should analyze the current situation and identify the reason. If it didn’t work out once, you don’t need to focus on the bad experience. We must overcome ourselves and try again. You can look at the problem with humor and try on the role of some artist. Dress up to look like him and try fooling around in front of the mirror. Humor promotes relaxation, and stiffness may disappear.

There always comes a time before any of us when we need to speak publicly. During this period, excitement immediately awakens, the fear of failure grows, everything floats before your eyes... Everyone knows this. But you don’t have to be led by fear if you know how to replace it with confidence.

You will need

- wish;
- confidence;
- glass of water.

Instructions

Before going out in public, take a deep breath and exhale. Try to let go of all your thoughts, just stand for a minute “unplugged”, it’s very relaxing. Then take a deep breath and exhale a couple of times and take the stage.

The first minutes in public seem to be the most difficult, your hands shake, your eyes don’t rise. This is fine. If it's dry, don't be afraid to drink water, it will also soothe it. You can immediately try to win over people by starting your speech with some joke on the topic. Then, gradually getting used to the audience, the fear will disappear on its own.

Immediately tell your brain that everything will be fine, that you are well prepared, that you are confident. You need to encourage yourself. Without noticing it, you will feel more confident.

Video on the topic

Helpful advice

The day before the performance, it is better not to repeat anything at all, devote the whole day to rest. The next day your head will be clear and your work will be easier.

For some reason, on the eve of an important event, many people begin to show signs of anxiety: they lose their appetite, it becomes impossible to sleep, their hands shake, and they are overcome by panicky thoughts. Excitement is completely natural, because you are facing a serious test. However, such things make it difficult to gather and cope with the upcoming event, so you need to pull yourself together.

Instructions

First of all, sit quietly in a quiet place and determine what exactly scares you. Psychologists have noticed that coping with stress becomes much easier if you write down specific reasons for it. Take a piece of paper and list all your fears. Even this is enough to calm down. Often there are very few fears, and, once written down, they look completely stupid. If the fear persists, try replaying the worst possible scenarios and their consequences in your head. Most likely, nothing bad will happen. But even when contemplating the worst, remain hopeful that everything will end well.

Focus on your breathing. In a state of stress, people begin to breathe quickly and convulsively, their breaths become shallow, so the brain begins to lack oxygen. This adds to the excitement. Try to start breathing slowly and evenly. If possible, take a horizontal position. Don't think about anything other than breathing. Inhale and exhale through your nose. Breathing will become deep, heart rate will slow down, and muscles will... On top of that, you will immediately begin to think better.

Another way that helps you relax perfectly is water procedures. The evening before an exciting event, take a relaxing bath. Sea salt, scented candles and calm music will only improve matters. Take a shower in the morning; it has an amazing effect: your body will invigorate and your thoughts will come into order. It's possible that you'll come up with some great ideas about how to cope with a challenge, and it's not without reason that many creative people and scientists say that all the best ideas came to them while they were in the shower!

Do a workout or jog or walk. Physical activity promotes tension and subsequent relaxation of muscles, which will restore your calmness. Among other things, during training, the neurotransmitter dopamine is produced, which contributes to the development of positive emotions. Before the exciting event itself, take a winner’s pose for a few seconds: raise your arms apart and clench them into fists. This pose is typical for winners, but psychologists have noticed that the opposite effect also works: if you take it, you get the feeling that you are a winner.

Do routine housework. Washing dishes or other similar activities helps a large number of people realize that they are not worried about the most important things. The monotonous movements and immediate effect of cleanliness that cleaning gives makes this activity akin to meditation. This is probably why the profession of a janitor has always been considered somewhat philosophical.

Video on the topic

Tip 17: How to learn to cope with your own anxiety

Everyone is human, but everyone has their own reasons for their experiences. Some people are afraid to speak in front of the public or go to a meeting with their superiors, while others cannot stop shaking in their knees even before a date. These conditions can be dealt with; it is only important to remember simple principles.

Instructions

The easiest way is to get distracted. Just think about something else, immerse yourself in thoughts about how you will spend the weekend or in memories of your last vacation. You can even solve geometry problems in your head or plan tomorrow’s meeting. Of course, not everyone can do this option, but it's worth starting with. The more emotional the event comes to mind, the better. It’s easier to escape in your dreams into circumstances that delight you rather than depress you.

During excitement, adrenaline is produced, which forces a person to make a lot of movements. But you don’t just need to jump on the spot or experience trembling, but do several exercises that will help you cope with the situation. A few squats, push-ups, or bends can make all the difference. But you need to understand that they can cause shortness of breath, so you should not do them immediately before the event. Leave yourself 5-7 minutes to restore your breathing rhythm and get yourself in order.

Move your jaw, it helps you feel better. Simply relax the lower part of your face and move it left and right. This will help you cope with your worries. It is better to do it without witnesses, as it does not look very attractive. The exercise has a great effect on facial expressions; it is highly recommended for actors before going on stage.

Water procedures also relieve stress. A contrast shower helps improve both moral and physical condition. But if you can’t go to the bath, just wet your face and neck. In this case, you can even massage the back of the neck, the area of the upper vertebrae, a little. It is better to do this with wet hands.

If anxiety catches you in a crowded place, don’t worry, you can cope with it with the help of breathing exercises. Take a very deep breath, try to fill yourself with air to the limit. Then hold your breath for 15 seconds and exhale. You will feel lightness, which will distract you and allow you to unwind. You can repeat this several times, and you can remain without breathing for much longer, but it is important not to disrupt the breathing rhythm too much, so as not to attract attention. Taking deep breaths and exhalations also helps. You need to do ten of them to free yourself from negative experiences and anxiety. Just breathe as deeply as possible, and concentrate on how the air moves, and not on external circumstances.

If the excitement overwhelms, imagine the most terrible course of events that is possible. Think about if everything gets really bad, imagine it in detail. And then start imagining how this terrible situation is useful to you. For example, if you are nervous before an exam, you may think that you are not passing, but this will give you the opportunity to learn the subject better, get a good grade, and you will definitely not die from it. Awareness of your own fear, understanding that everything is not so critical, makes it possible to balance the state.

In life, many situations can cause anxiety. Most people consider anxiety a negative emotion and try to suppress it at all costs. Anxiety is a stressful situation for the body. But you can benefit from it.

Why do people worry

It's not just timid people who experience anxiety. It is characteristic of any person. Any excitement from a negative emotion can be turned into a positive one. The best way to turn anxiety into a positive is to prepare for it. If a person knows his character and can predict what situation he will be in, the easiest way to avoid such a situation. But, unfortunately, this is not always possible. And those who worry about every little thing are completely unable to rid themselves of all reasons to worry. This is already a kind of phobia that you should get rid of by changing your life or attitude towards it.

What kind of excitement can there be?

A rapid pulse, a hoarse voice, trembling knees, a stiff tongue, confused thoughts, and the skin is covered with red spots - all signs of excitement are present. If such changes occur before a significant event, this is normal. Excitement is designed to put the body and brain on high alert. Only it should not be excessive, so that the person does not become pinched and generally lose the ability to think. Don’t let your excitement turn into fear, and then into panic. Remaining in a state of invigorating light excitement that raises tone is the main task.

Turning Worry into Positivity

To deal with something and get the most out of it, you need to know its nature. The origins of anxiety lie in the mental, spiritual area. Shame, shyness, timidity, anxiety, anxiety, tension, uncertainty, awkwardness - all this is the result of low self-esteem. This means that self-esteem needs to be increased. How? This will help... excitement.

If a person is worried, it means he is aware of what is happening. It's good to be caring. This means that the person is kind, conscientious, tactful, and well-mannered. All these qualities, which a person may not be aware of in a normal state, appear more clearly during times of excitement, thereby increasing self-esteem. In a situation of excitement, you need to look good, think about success and not treat your interlocutors as representatives of a hostile camp. Even if they are not your friends, why should they be unfriendly, rather the opposite.

To slightly relieve an attack of anxiety, it is recommended to do several physical exercises. They will not remove anxiety completely, but they dose it in just the proportion that is necessary for improvisation. And any result should be treated positively, because it carries a positive experience.

When you speak in front of an audience for the first time, you most often feel nervous and worry about not forgetting anything. And if the listeners are children, then a lot of effort must be made to win their attention.

Performances can be different: it can be a regular congratulations on a holiday, a complex topic in some area, or theatrical performances. In each of these cases the approach is different. The age of the listeners is also taken into account - for very young children you cannot use complex terms and dry facts, you need to add more examples and humor, and the speech itself should not be drawn out for a long time, because they don't know how to listen much yet. For teenagers, you can already be more serious, but try to make sure that all the information is understandable and relevant to them; the right jokes won’t hurt either.

If you do not work with children, but only have to give some kind of solemn speech, then you can do without serious preparation. Your text should not contain very pompous and loud phrases, speak to the point in a clear, cheerful voice, you can try to involve the audience in your speech, tell a short interesting story about the topic. You shouldn’t spend half an hour without emotion wishing everyone good luck, etc. - This will cause nothing but boredom.

If you need to convey some information to children, talk about something, then the text of the speech must be prepared carefully. The basic rules are the same - speech with emotions, interesting examples and stories. Any, even complex topic, can be presented in such a way that it is understandable to the majority. Children should be not just listeners, but participants in the performance; ask them questions, call them on stage for clarity. The more they ask you, the more interested they become in you. But be prepared for the fact that not all questions will be standard; sometimes they can be confusing; don’t shy away from the answer, but try to come up with something worthy and humorous.

If your performance is theatrical in nature, i.e. you are doing some kind of scene, organizing a holiday, then it should be fun and relaxed. It is also worth considering the age of the children here. If kids are delighted with balloons, caps, and costumed characters, then teenagers may simply not understand this - they need more relevant topics. The same applies to the competitions that you will hold there. Try to catch the mood of the audience and adapt to it.

1. Establish a certain daily routine and don’t break it

Since surprises significantly increase anxiety levels, having a routine will make your child much less anxious and make your life much easier. Make a schedule and hang it on the refrigerator. This way your child will know what to expect and when.

2. Teach your child to express his feelings

Teach your child to talk about their emotions and fears. If your child can tell you what he is feeling, you will be able to help him deal with those feelings.

3. Don’t deprive your child of the opportunity to become independent.

You should not prohibit your child from playing on the playground for fear that he might get hurt. It is also best not to deprive your child of the opportunity to do things on his own or meet new people out of fear that increased anxiety may ruin his chance of success. You can only overcome anxiety by facing your fears. Just be there in case your child needs help and comfort.

Let your child know that everyone has fears and reasons to worry. You can tell your child about what fears you had as a child and how you dealt with them. Think about the things that help you deal with your own anxiety, and teach your child some effective techniques for dealing with fears and anxiety.

All people have feelings and emotions, and they all express them differently. Some people can hide this or that feeling, while others, on the contrary, have no idea how to contain such a storm within themselves. One of the most disturbing and unpleasant feelings is anxiety. A person can worry with or without reason. The feeling of excitement is sometimes so enormous and unpleasant that it is impossible to cope with it.

Signs of causeless excitement

A person can worry for various reasons. For example, an unstable situation at home or at work; bad thoughts at night; inability to pay bills on time and much more. Worrying about something is an understandable state of the body. But causeless excitement has a number of signs:

Rapid heartbeat;

Trembling arms or legs, and sometimes all together;

High sweating;

Feeling of lack of air;

Pain in the chest area;

Nausea or vomiting;

Blood pressure surges.

All of the above symptoms characterize causeless anxiety.

Signs of anxiety

However, we should not forget that there may be real reasons for anxiety. This kind of worry can lead to frustration. Causes of anxiety disorder:

Insomnia;

Inability to cope with overwhelming emotions;

Obsessive thoughts about something;

Irritability;

A state of decreased tone or, conversely, increased tone;

Lack of concentration.

How to deal with anxiety

If it turns out that you still get excited, then it’s worth remembering the following:

1. Learn to be distracted. Bad thoughts often haunt you, especially under stress. To avoid strong tension, you should distract yourself: walk around, think about good things, listen to your favorite music, or just sit in silence.

2. Temporarily switch attention. To do this, you need to look at an object without looking away for five minutes. This will allow the brain to distract itself from the exciting subject and switch to another state.

If you feel nervous during a meeting, then you should imagine your interlocutor in different clothes. This will relieve the emotional background and help relieve internal tension.

3. You need to make yourself laugh. Remember an event in your life that will help you smile.

4. Allow yourself to worry. You need to understand that anxiety is the same natural process as other processes in our body.

To cope with anxiety, you need to follow the rules and know the reason for its occurrence. With this knowledge, it is possible to predict the state of anxiety. A person will not be able to completely stop worrying. The most important thing is to realize that anxiety has a place in the life of every person.

Tip 22: How to help your child cope with performance anxiety

Mothers often face the issue of child anxiety. The emotional stress of child athletes is sometimes no less than physical, the intensity of passions is colossal. The excitement of child artists before going on stage is comparable only to a tsunami wave. I want to help with words and advice, but sometimes the child’s reaction is so unpredictable that you involuntarily start looking for advice on the Internet.

How a speaker can get rid of presentation anxiety. How to overcome anxiety and fear of public speaking

Why do we get nervous before a performance?

Causes of excitement

Focus on yourself or what they will think of me

Not self love

How does anxiety manifest before performances?

Hello Duke

My first big flop

How to deal with anxiety

Admit your anxiety

Movements during a performance

If you are performing in front of a camera

Anti-anxiety pills

Regarding alcohol

If you chatter

If the face, ears, cheeks, forehead and other parts of the body become red or pale;
if your knees, hands, voice tremble; if your heart beats fast

Summary

10 Simple Tricks to Reduce Anxiety

Managing emotions

Steps

How to deal with stage fright on performance day

Common Ways to Deal with Stage Fright

How to Deal with Stage Fright If You're an Actor

Warnings

How to decide to sing

Several ways to overcome fear

Tip 17: How to learn to cope with your own anxiety

Why do people worry

What kind of excitement can there be?

Turning Worry into Positivity

Tip 22: How to help your child cope with performance anxiety

New articles

Popular articles

How a speaker can get rid of presentation anxiety. How to overcome anxiety and fear of public speaking

Why do we get nervous before a performance?

Causes of excitement

Focus on yourself or what they will think of me

Not self love

How does anxiety manifest before performances?

Hello Duke

My first big flop

How to deal with anxiety

Admit your anxiety

Movements during a performance

If you are performing in front of a camera

Anti-anxiety pills

Regarding alcohol

If you chatter

If the face, ears, cheeks, forehead and other parts of the body become red or pale; if your knees, hands, voice tremble; if your heart beats fast

Summary

10 Simple Tricks to Reduce Anxiety

Managing emotions

Steps

How to deal with stage fright on performance day

Common Ways to Deal with Stage Fright

How to Deal with Stage Fright If You're an Actor

Warnings

How to decide to sing

Several ways to overcome fear

Tip 17: How to learn to cope with your own anxiety

Why do people worry

What kind of excitement can there be?

Turning Worry into Positivity

Tip 22: How to help your child cope with performance anxiety

New articles

Popular articles

If the face, ears, cheeks, forehead and other parts of the body become red or pale;
if your knees, hands, voice tremble; if your heart beats fast