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Performance Anxiety: A Few Tips and Tricks

Sunday, July 5, 2020 by Stephanie Jennifer Poropat | Performance Anxiety

Performance Anxiety: A Few Tips and Tricks

From public speaking to work presentations, or even music recitals – at some stage or other we have all experienced performance anxiety. It is sometimes also colloquially known as Stage Fright. For some of us, it fuels our performance and drives us to do better. However, for others it can be a really daunting and debilitating experience.

This blog seeks to briefly look at some of the causes of performance anxiety and will offer some small tips and tricks which may help to get past these nerves; and help you on your way to having an amazing performance experience.

N.B. This is not a one size fits all! Every single person will have so many contributing factors which have led them to feel nervous before and during a performance. Factors which vary from life experience to the weight of the situation at hand. As you read this, please bare this in mind and know that if none of the described scenarios fit you, THAT’S OK!

We’ve included a list of citations which may be a good starting place for you to do your own research to see what might help you and best fit your needs.

We hear you and we know that the struggle is real!!

So, let's begin.

The Symptoms of Stage Fright:

According to researcher Dr. Elizabeth Valentine, there are three major categories of symptoms associated with performance anxiety: physiological, behavioural, and mental (Valentine, 2002).

The fist category encompasses the physical reactions people experience when confronted with a situation which makes them nervous (researchers call it arousal… but it’s not that kind of arousal… get your mind out of the gutter! It just means that your mind and body are now in fight or flight mode. We will be referring to this as arousal moving forward). Physical symptoms can include anything from trembling hands to more extreme reactions including nausea, dizziness and diarrhoea.

The second category tends to resemble the symptoms of general anxiety and includes things like: stiffness, dead-pan facial expressions and shaky hands. This can impair performance substantially – especially for musicians as having to be steady in order to carry out a musical performance which is expressive and true to the wishes of a composer.

The final category is the “mental chatter” which stems from subjective and personal feelings of self-worth; which are almost always negatively skewed. This category is extremely complex and is far beyond what we can (and should) cover here in one small blogpost. However, we will say that there are two sub-categories worth mentioning:

Catastrophizing: this is the ability of the mind to think of the worst possible outcome to any given scenario to the point of absurdity. When it comes to performance, people often take these catastrophic thought experiments, explore the hypothetical outcomes, and then link them to their own self-worth. For example: “If I perform badly I will have let everyone down and everyone will laugh and make fun of me and I’ll never be able to show up for work again…etc.

The inability to be realistic about one’s one abilities, the situation at hand, and to be kind to oneself about the outcome of the performance can severely hinder performance.
Self-Handicapping: This is sometimes referred to as self-sabotage. This is where people deliberately (either consciously or unconsciously- the latter being much more common… scary, right?!) set themselves up for failure by doing things which might materially damage their ability to perform well under pressure. However, these very things act as a social excuse for things going wrong. For instance: not sleeping the night before, cramming in lots of practice at the last moment and then causing muscle strain, damaging equipment before a show, and so on.

These form an external locus for blame when things go awry and usually become a self-fulfilling prophecy.

Moreover, if a person has a habit of combining a bit of part 1 and also part 2, you have a perfect storm of performance anxiety on your hands!

Not to worry, we have some tips which might help.

Addressing the Physical and Mental Symptoms:

If you are a professional musician and struggle with performance anxiety, Alexander Technique is your new best friend. They use a mixture of relaxation and Biofeedback techniques to re-train your body to relax and remain calm in situations of high cognitive arousal and stress.

For details, visit: https://www.alexandertechnique.com.au/music/

Anyone who feels it might not be a fit for them or their situation, there are some simple physical and mental activities you can participate in here.

Breathing Techniques: This may seem silly or over simplistic, however, learning to control your breath will physically force your heart-rate to lower. This means that amygdala (the part of your brain which produces adrenalin) can’t pump adrenaline through your body and perpetuate the symptoms of anxiety you’re experiencing pre-performance.

One such simple exercise may be to pop a metronome on 90BPM and breathe in for four clicks, hold for four clicks, then breathe out for four clicks. Immediately following, breathe in for five, hold for five, and out for five. Continue the exercise until you reach eight or ten. Still feeling nervous? Reduce the metronome to 80BMP; or 70BMP. However, maybe don’t go lower than 60BPM. We don’t want you to pass out before curtain call!

Assume Physical Postures Which Force You to Take Up Space: This can seem equally farfetched; however, research from Harvard University has demonstrated that taking a minute or two before a big interview or public performance to stretch out your arms and legs and assume a “power pose” (e.g. the Wonder-Woman or Super Man stance) can shift your brain chemicals and make you feel more confident.

Don’t believe us? Check out Amy Cuddy’s work: https://www.ted.com/talks/amy_cuddy_your_body_language_may_shape_who_you_are?utm_campaign=tedspread&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=tedcomshare

Consciously Changing Your Mental Chatter and Personal Mantras: The things we tell ourselves before and during a performance can drastically shape how we approach and execute performance.

Leading up to a performance, don’t’ engage in long and complicated mantras with yourself. This will give your subconscious the opportunity to twist a positive message into something negative and might trigger any number of anxious responses.

Stick to things like: “It’s going to be great!”; “It’s going to be fun!”; “It’s so exciting!”.

Letting Go of the Idea of Perfection: Let’s be clear. We are not encouraging laziness or not putting in the work. On the contrary, lack of practice is a leading cause of performance anxiety (we will address this briefly a little alter).

However, we want to highlight the work of Dr. Carol Dweck, who has an amazing book called “Mindset” – which looks at the beliefs we have about ourselves and how we learn and retain information. Whilst a lot of her book is pedagogically focused on fixed vs. growth mindsets, there’s a lot we can learn from her and apply to performing.

If you’re not sold on getting the book, check out some of her lectures on YouTube for free:

PRACTICE!!!: If you practice effectively and feel confident in your instrument (rather than cram in practice at the last moment), you are less likely to experience anxiety which will be detrimental to your performance.

Know Thyself – Getting to Know Your Anxiety and It’s Triggers: I’m sure it goes without saying that everyone is so different and as such everyone’s anxiety comes from a slightly different place. For those of us who perform professionally (or want to) but feel that performance anxiety is stopping them from progressing in our careers, it might be an idea to look at getting counselling. Contrary to what people think, trained therapists and psychologists are there to give us arrows to our quiver. To give us specific strategies, tailor made to our circumstances and personalities. They help you help yourself.

Have a talk to you GP and they can give you the best advice for to get in touch with. They can also provide you with a mental heath-care plan. Not to worry, you are not alone and you can get past this!

However, those of us who aren’t sure about whether going to counselling is up our alley, there are some resources we can use to help understand performance anxiety, anxiety in general, and how to understand and treat panic attacks in the lead-up to a performance.

DISCLAIMER: These videos can be a very effective tool, but are no substitute for the proper guidance of a mental-healthcare professional!

Final Word of Advice:

Be kind to yourselves and ENJOY THE MUSIC MAKING PROCESS! Remember that when we perform, we are transporting ourselves and others to another place. It’s not all about you!

Have any tips or tricks that work for you? Get in touch and join in the conversation!!

Performance Anxiety: A Few Tips and Tricks

The Symptoms of Stage Fright:

Addressing the Physical and Mental Symptoms:

Final Word of Advice:

Further Reading:

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