Have you ever been a victim of stage fright? You were beyond prepared for your speech or performance, yet nothing came out of your mouth. You now feel devastated because of that embarrassing experience!
Luckily, it really isn’t the end of the world. Your imperfection just means you’re human. You can move past such an embarrassing stage fright experience and feel 100 times better after working through this recovery process.
Learn how to recover and regain the courage to step back on stage with these simple steps:
1. Relax. Avoid waiting too long to start your relaxation routine. The minute you’re off the stage, take the time to get your mind and body at ease. It’s going to be difficult to get the embarrassing situation off your mind, but do your best.
- Ask those around you to give you five minutes to yourself. Close the door and put some music on. Zone out completely and unwind. This approach helps to take your mind off what just happened and go back to the things in life that make you happy.
- Remember that your misstep doesn’t equate to failure. It’s just a minor distraction that you can easily bounce back from.
2. Recap. Once you’ve gotten your mind to a relaxed state, think about what happened. Recap where you fell short. Try to determine what caused you to freeze up. Replay the whole incident in your head and come to terms with it.
- Did you happen to go out there with doubt already in your mind? This is the easiest way to break in front of an audience!
- Is it that you weren’t prepared enough? If you know your content from beginning to end, it becomes a part of you. Avoid letting nerves take that away in the future.
3. Practice. At this point, you’ve probably identified what went wrong. Now it’s time to work on those things. Sure, being on stage is more intimidating than practicing in front of a familiar audience. But working on the tiny elements will help you get better.
- Break up your stage appearance into its smallest parts. What’s your focus when you go on stage? Having a focal point helps to calm the nerves.
- Maybe there’s something in your approach that you might want to change. Was it your entrance or how you were dressed? Give it some thought and consider different options.
4. Reaffirm. This is one of the most important steps. Reaffirming helps you believe in yourself. It’s important if you plan to go on stage again.
- Participate in activities you’re good at. It’s the perfect way to get back that self-confidence and remind yourself how awesome you are.
- Take a look at your track record. How many successes have you had in the past? Those happened out of true talent. Avoid down-playing your accomplishments. You’re a natural at winning!
Keep in mind that a case of stage fright doesn’t define you. It’s something that you can overcome with relative ease. Believe in yourself and go for it!
