Tips and Strategies for Handling Stage Fright
I. First, undertand the symptoms.
A. Physiological
1. Clammy hands
2. Butterflies
3. Knocking knees
4. Increased heart rate
B. Psychological
1. Withdrawal
2. Negative self-evaluation
II. Next, recognize the causes.
A. "Fight or flight:" a basic survival instinct that prepares you to fight or flee in the presence of perceived danger. It is this reaction that causes the fast pulse, clammy hands and knocking knees. Your body is ready for trouble.
B. Fear. Much of stage fright is the product of fear. According to a recent survey, the most common fears are fears:
1. of making embarrassing mistakes 81%
2. of damaging career or reputation 77%
3. of forgetting or freezing up 63%
4. of being dull or boring 58%
5. of looking nervous or petrified 52%
III. Finally, use some of the following solutions.
1. You'll never get rid of it.
2. But you can control it.
3. If you weren't afraid, something would be wrong. The person who isn't afraid of being dull and boring may end up being dull and boring.
B. Analyze the fear specifically and fix the problems.
1. Worried about a visual aid? Make sure it will work. Practice.
2. Afraid about forgetting the introduction? Work out the wordin of the intro and practice it.
C. Reduce the unknowns.
1. Be prepared--follow all the principles of good speaking that we will discuss.
2. Practice. Practice. Practice.
3. Practice in a situation a close as possible to the actual speech situation.
4. Make your practice oral early.
5. If anything strange happens in the speech, incorporate it into your remarks, depending upon how distracting it is.
D. Think conversation, not speech--simply talk to the audience.
E. Focus on the audience and the message--not yourself.
F. Remember some things about the audience:
1. that most audiences want you to succeed
2. that audiences will most likely forget the details and remember the big picture
G. Use some relaxation techniques.
1. Breathing. A few deep breaths can short-circuit some of the fight or flight symptoms.
2. Tension-release. Learn to recognize tension and then release it.