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Strategies of Dealing with Stage Fright

Jassim Alajmi

Dr. Qudrat

Strategies of Dealing with Stage Fright

Introduction

Even the most confident presenters and performers do suffer stage fright. The issue is standard for every individual right from the Broadway actors all the way to the professional presenters. Individuals having stage fright begin feeling nervous, shaky and sometimes even become entirely undermined by the thought of having to present in front of the audience. However, people should not be worried since stage fright can easily be overcome especially training the mind and the body to relax and by attempting some tricks. Overcoming stage fright is essential for better presentations due to composure and lack of pressure. Individuals who have managed to overcome stage fright are always seen to perform better than those who shake and feel completely inactive when presented with the task of performing in front of other people.

Key strategies

The first strategy which can be used to eliminate stage fright is seeking advice from a top performer. For individuals who have friends who tend to be knockout performer, whether it is for stage presentation or stage acting. Such individuals are resourceful as far as stage fright is concerned, and they can help in teaching new skills and tricks (McGrath, Hendricks & Smith, 2016). However, when consulting such people, one should not worry since almost every person gets stage fright typically regardless of how confident they are or may appear on the stages. Therefore, they should be comfortable when asking for the pieces of advice from other and not to be inferior before them.

The second strategy is trying to think positively. One should put all the attention and focus on the best results of his or her presentation rather than concentrating on everything which can be wrong or go viral with the performance. One should try to combat a single negative feeling with over five positive thoughts (McGrath et al., 2016). He or she ought to be able to keep and an index card with phrases of motivation in the pocket. One should also do all which is possible to help them focus on all the benefits the presentation will offer to them rather than focusing on or putting a lot of honor on the anxiety and fear that they may be feeling.

The third strategy which is responsible for the eradication of this vice among the presenters is the creation of a ritual as a presenter. One is supposed to establish a fail-proof ritual to be used on the presentation day (Burin & Osorio, 2017). The ritual may include five-kilometer jogging, especially on the presentation morning. Taking similar last meal before presentation as well as singing some song during the shower time and even wearing your lucky attire like socks may also be used as a ritual, in this case, to aid in boosting one's confidence. In so doing, one can raise and gear himself towards realizing the deserved presentation success on the stage. Similarly, a lucky charm can be an essential part of a ritual it may be a jewelry piece which one considers unique or even a silly stuffed creature which cheers him on from the dressing room.

Similarly, one can fake confidence as a way of overcoming stage fright during presentations. Even at the very time when a person's limbs feel like silly putty and the heart rate increased significantly, one should act as if he or she is one of the coolest individuals in the globe. He should walk with a broader smile on the face and his head high up and should not let anyone know the degree and extent of their anxiety and nervousness (Burin & Osorio, 2017). If this feeling and posture are maintained to the stage, and in front of the big audience to which the presentation is to be made, a sense of increased confidence with emerges and the person will perform better. One should at all the times avoid slouching and tries as much as possible to look straight ahead and not looking down to the floor during the presentation.

The fifth and last strategy of overcoming stage fright is by recording yourself during the presentation process. This can be done by videotaping oneself as the presentation session goes on. The presentation and recoding should continue until that time when he or she would look at the video and thank and congratulate him for the exhibition (Burin & Osorio, 2017). In case one is not happy with his or her looks and performance by looking at the tape, they may fail to be pleased by how they physically appear in the real world. The recording should, therefore, continue until the objective is met. When one gets into the stage, he or she would recall how great they were on the video which was previously recorded and convince themselves that they can even improve on the performance. This will, therefore, boost their confidence and make them achieve better heights as far as eradicating the stage fright vice is concerned.

In summation, it is evident from the remedies to stage fright that the significant thing that a person should ensure during the presentation is confidence. Being courageous as a presenter assists an individual to get through a person's performance as well as presentation. Practicing the aspect of confidence through the strategies which have been highlighted in this piece will be essential in easing stage fright. The practice will ensure that one is confident with the body language as well as with the speaking abilities. Individuals who are presenting in any given platform should provide eye contact and familiarize with the environment for better results.

References

Burin, A. B., & Osorio, F. L. (2017). Music performance anxiety: a critical review of etiological aspects, perceived causes, coping strategies and treatment. Archives of Clinical Psychiatry (São Paulo), 44(5), 127-133.

McGrath, C., Hendricks, K. S., & Smith, T. D. (2016). Performance Anxiety Strategies: A Musician's Guide to Managing Stage Fright. Rowman & Littlefield.