While stage fright may prove to be persistent for some, there are effective ways to manage it.
Try the following:
Some people have certain routines and traditions they do before each performance. Having a set schedule can help calm your mind and keep the anxiety at bay. The act of going through the same motions can help remind you that you have experience with the performance or task and you’ve done it successfully in the past.
Caffeine and sugar may add to your anxiety.2 It is best to limit your intake of these before a performance. Try to focus on drinking more water. You can add fruit, cucumber and mint to water to flavor it. You might also consider drinking chamomile tea. This will help keep you on your A-game and make sure you are at your peak health-wise before you perform.
Our thoughts have power over us, and it’s important to be able to control our thoughts and keep the negative ones at bay. Display positive quotes on your mirror and phone lock screen and say five good things about yourself before you perform. Practice using positive self-talk consistently, not just before a performance.
Another fun thing to do is make a mood board to look at before each performance. Cut out favorite quotes, outfits, calming colors and other things that calm you down. Then glue them on a board and bring it with you to each performance, or if it’s too big, take a photo and look at it whenever you feel uneasy.
If your heart feels like it is pounding out of your chest and you can’t control it, try deep breathing techniques. It will help control your breathing, lower your heart rate and clear your mind.
A common breathing practice is to breathe for six seconds, hold for five and then breathe out for six seconds. Repeat this until your heart rate goes down and you feel rooted back on the ground.
Food does more than just fuel us. It can also affect mental health by influencing the levels of serotonin, a neurotransmitter, in the brain. Serotonin helps regulate mood.3
Scientific studies have found that people who tend to eat a traditional diet, rather than a typical Western diet, tend to have a lower risk of depression. A traditional diet emphasizes vegetables, fruits, unprocessed grains and small amounts of lean meats and dairy.3
Another way to help suppress performance anxiety is to make sure you get the proper amount of sleep the night before. Sleep deprivation has a negative effect on your brain’s prefrontal cortex, which is responsible for emotional self-regulation. Sleep deprivation also increases brain activity in the amygdala, which leads to increased stress and fear.4
Some people enjoy the use of aromatherapy with essential oils for relaxing and staying calm. (Keep in mind that some people may suffer an allergic reaction to certain essential oils; do not use ones that may not be safe for you.) Lavender oil is believed to reduce stress and anxiety, while supporting healthy sleep. Similarly, lemon oil may help elevate mood for some people.5
Find a scent that takes you to a happy memory and can calm you down. When you feel the performance anxiety coming on, smell the oil and remember your happy memory.
