Performance Anxiety: Signs and Overcoming It

Anxiety is a very common word, or shall I say mood. Who has not experienced felling worried taking an exam because you have had previous failing scores? Who has tried going to a date with someone you really like without feeling anxious because of anticipation? Anxiety is a simply a normal part of life. It also helps us cope in every stressful situation or events.

There are always reasons why we feel anxious. For example, a groom may feel anxious on their wedding day probably after seeing together the "Runaway Bride". Or, the bride feared that her groom might not show up on their wedding day and becomes a "Runaway Groom". Or, you are having a pool party with your officemates and you knew that water in the swimming pools have plenty of bacteria, and you are worried what people might think of you if you won't swim with them. They are just some situations wherein anxiety steps in.

See, anxiety can happen to anyone at some point of their lives. As for those people who fears the stage, or performing on the stage, it is called performance anxiety. Performance anxiety is caused by the ways you think and feel. Performance anxiety can be a deeply personal subject for musicians and many are reluctant to discuss all the possible remedies. Stage fright, fear of public speaking and performance anxiety is determined if you:

o Have an immediate surge of fear and anxiety if you learn you need to deliver any public speaking or performing
o Attempt to avoid giving presentations or performances if you can't get out of doing them
o Suffer from a lot of anticipatory anxiety thinking about your presentation or performance ahead of time
o Experience stage fright and feel very uncomfortable being "in the spotlight" when speaking or performing
o Worry about making yourself a laughing stock in front of other people, fearful that people may see how nervous you are?
o Feel a lot of inner turmoil or you have missed opportunities because of your fear of performing.

One of the ways to lessen the performance anxiety is to discover and change your thinking patterns, which puts too much pressure on you. There are four steps for managing performance anxiety, and these are:

Self-Assessment - is getting to know yourself better of as a person and performer.
o Identify problematic thinking, personal motives for thinking, and capabilities and limitations as a performer
o Ask yourself what is it that frightened you
o Do not confuse self-assessment with self-criticism

General Exposure and Preparation
o Look for opportunities for exposure from mild to moderate levels of stress but do not overwhelm your coping skills
o Practice performances, dress rehearsals, taping yourself and playing back to be able to prepare yourself for any performances
o Be thoroughly prepared always
o Do relaxation techniques for this help calm you.

During the performance
o try seeing the audience as allies supporting you to do well
o use anxiety to your advantage
o maintain normal routine during performance
o stay calm
o think performing as an opportunity for experience
o get out of yourself and into the audience
o enjoy the performance, rather than waste your time worrying

After the performance
o congratulate and reward yourself for making the big step in overcoming your anxiety performance

It is indeed true that anxiety is caused by the way we think and feel. By changing the patterns of the way we think and feel from negative to positive, definitely POSITIVE will be the result.

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Lucile Taylor is a contributor for Articlegrow.com. She is an expert in Addictions and Anger Management advice.