HOW TO DEAL WITH STAGE FRIGHT
Stage fright,or simply put is a nervousness felt by someone who would be or is performing on a stage in front of an audience.Stage fright mostly occurs before one even gets on stage, as they might think of their performance. The fear of the stage is actually not the main fear, but the performance or presentation on stage. One of the main gears of stage fright is failure. Failure of pleasing the audience. Here are some keys to overcome stage fright.
- DIET:This might sound odd,but it's true.Before one gets on stage, they should take note of the type of food they consume.As some foods may enhance nervousness.One might want to take something to cool off the nervousness, but unknowingly increases it.Foods that contain Caffeine,should be avoided as they tend to increase nervousness. Which means,if you want to go on stage, you should avoid drinking coffee.
2.EXERCISE:Exercising the body subconsciously distracts the body or mind from the performance or presentation which often results to stage fright. It also sharpens the mind and body giving it work to do,and helps in thinking clearly.When attacked by stage fright before going on stage, the heart usually races.Getting exercise before going on stage regulates the blood flow in the body. If you have a performance in about 3hrs,you should exercise the body either by jogging, which puts most or all parts of the body into work. By exercising, your mind would be frightened from negative thoughts and thereby boosting your confidence.
3.STAGE FEEL:Most persons signature move is lateness just like the "Dothrakis in Game Of Thrones". Forgive my digression. Before your performance, you should go to the venue of your performance to get acquainted with the environment. Going on stage, before your performance would give you more confidence as you already have the feeling of being on the stage. It is better to go early to the venue and see your audience coming in little by little.Instead of you to just pop up into a crowd full of people. Staying in the environment of your performance, before your performance would make you more relaxed and give you more confidence.
4.PLANNING:You must have heard the common saying" They that fail to plan,plan to fail".This is important because you need to know what you want to do first, before going on stage. Plan your every step before going on stage. When you have an already mapped out plan,your confidence level will rise, which is important in overcoming stage fright. If you are having stage fright before your performance, don't Carry out an impromptu performance, as it often leads to stage freze.Know what to do next after each step.
5.PRACTICE:As they say "practice makes perfection". Practice your performance or presentation in front of a mirror or in a crowd of people you feel comfortable with. Record your performance to find out the things which you don't like or are unprofessiondon't. When you practice often, you will get more confidence and relaxed about your performance.
6.LEARN:Learn and study other people who have done what you want to do. Study their intros,how they move from one topic to another,how they compose themselves, how they interact with the crowd, their outros and other things you aspire to display. But don't copy they,have your own style. You will learn a great deal from them.
7.GET MOTIVATED:I carried out a survey, and 87% of the people that responded said they did what made them afraid for the first time when they were motivated. I also can testify of such. Read success stories of those in your field or outside your field. You will feel that fire in you to just go on stage and dish out your performance. One of the things i know reduces stage fright is MOTIVATION. DO NOT LET THOSE NEGATIVE THOUGHT INTO YOUR MIND.
8.BE BOLD:Now you might have gone on on stage. You do not want to be walking with your legs shaking or hands dancing. Put up a bold front, because nobody might know you are having stage fright. When you get on the stage, s