4 Steps to Curing Performance Anxiety

Have you ever experienced performance anxiety? Does the idea of performing in front of an audience fill you with fear? Read on to learn more about the disorder, as well as some tried and tested methods for getting through it.

What is Performance Anxiety?

Performance anxiety can affect anybody. Usually, it will appear when you are about to perform any kind of task that will put you in the spotlight. This can be anything from sports, to acting, to music. However, performance anxiety can strike any time you’re feeling watched. 

At best, it’s an annoyance, and at worst, it can stop you from achieving your goals.

How to Tell if You Have Performance Anxiety

We’ve all got a “fight-or-flight” response programmed into us. This exists to help us survive. However, this survival response can be triggered at inappropriate times, making us feel threatened when there is no real threat. 

Pre-performance jitters are to be expected: It is normal you may feel nervous before a show! Nerves become performance anxiety when they get in the way of you doing what you need to do. 

Performance anxiety makes your body respond to any kind of performance as though it were being attacked. The physical symptoms can include: 

• Quicker pulse 
• Trouble swallowing 
• Trembling 
• Shaky voice 
• Sweaty hands 
• Fatigue 
• Nausea
• Blurred vision  

What Causes Performance Anxiety?

There are several different causes of performance anxiety. Most people may not even know why they experience it. It might be that you have some sort of trauma associated with performance. Maybe you are afraid of making mistakes. Perhaps you struggle with your self-image, or you don’t like to leave your comfort zone. 

Whatever the cause behind your performance anxiety, it can be managed. Read on for some tips for dealing with it. 

Perform to Yourself

A lot of the fear factor comes from the unknown. If you are unfamiliar with what it feels like to perform, try performing to yourself during music practice. While you are playing your piece, close your eyes and imagine the audience watching you. Play your music as though you were performing it to those people. 

Going through the whole song and dance of performing will help you begin to familiarise yourself with that feeling of adrenaline. This will make it less jarring when you come to perform your music because you will know what to expect.    

Practice Makes…

No magic pill will make you confident in your repertoire. The road to musical perfection, and a performance anxiety-free life, is consistent practice. Simply put, the more you practice, the easier it gets. Getting the basics down will free you up to do more elaborate work, and focus on your performance technique. 

The saying goes “practice makes perfect”, but we prefer “practice makes confident”. It is confidence that will shine through in a strong performance. It’s the confidence that audiences remember.

Also read: How to Keep Your Motivation While Practicing

Reinforce Positive Thoughts

It’s very easy to fall into a hole of self-criticism, especially because criticism is necessary to improve. But praising yourself is even more important, especially if you suffer from performance anxiety.

Focus on what you do well. It can help to write a list of your best qualities. When you are starting to feel negative about yourself, look at that list and remind yourself that you are actually doing well. This will help you to build up a positive core self-belief, and make you less likely to freeze up onstage. 

Be Kind to Yourself

Remember, mental health is just as important as any other part of your well-being. If your performance anxiety is beginning to affect your mental health as a whole, then it’s important to seek help. You should also look after your general health, as this can affect your mental health. Ensure that you’re drinking the right amount of water, sleeping 8 hours every night and doing enough exercise. 

In fact, musicians are at a greater risk of a range of medical problems than those in other professions. These include mental health issues, musculoskeletal problems, vocal cord issues and hearing loss. BAPAM is a charity dedicated to providing and researching healthcare for musicians. To learn more, visit their website.

Happy Performing!

Performance anxiety is difficult to deal with. However, it is not a life sentence! Try these tips and remember to reach out if you need extra support. We hope to see you on stage sometime soon!