When you are locked tight in the jaws of stage fright it’s very hard to imagine a way out of that grip. Perhaps it happens when you are leading a meeting, speaking at a company event or presenting to clients. Perhaps even the thought of doing those things makes your blood run cold. Whatever the situation, the sensations it creates in all of us who’ve ever experienced it are horribly familiar.
What is stage fright?
Stage fright, also known as performance anxiety, is a common psychological phenomenon experienced by individuals when faced with the prospect of performing in front of an audience. It manifests in various physical and emotional symptoms such as sweating, trembling, rapid heartbeat, dry mouth, and feelings of fear or dread. This overwhelming sense of nervousness can be paralyzing for some people, making it difficult to focus or perform at their best. While many performers may feel anxious before taking the stage, those with severe stage fright may struggle to manage their fear and may even avoid performing altogether. Understanding the root causes and triggers of stage fright can help individuals develop coping strategies to overcome this challenging obstacle and unleash their full potential on stage.
What triggers it?
There are several factors that can contribute to this overwhelming feeling of fear and nervousness. At its root is our human survival instinct – thousands of years ago if something was staring at you in public it probably meant you were about to be dinner. Times have changed and the risk of being eaten has evolved. Our primary trigger now is more likely the fear of judgment from others. The thought of being scrutinized and evaluated by an audience can be paralyzing for many people. Additionally, a lack of preparation or feeling unprepared for the performance can exacerbate feelings of anxiety. Physical symptoms such as increased heart rate, sweating, trembling, and nausea may also manifest due to the body’s natural fight-or-flight response kicking in when faced with a stressful situation like public speaking. Past negative experiences on stage can create a fear response that becomes ingrained in one’s psyche, making it difficult to overcome stage fright in future performances. Of course in some instances you may not be ‘on stage’ but speaking up and speaking out in some other capacity; public speaking by any other name.
Glossophobia: the fear of public speaking
A more specific part of the stage fright phenomenon in a business setting is often more widely discussed as having a fear of public speaking or glossophobia. This doesn’t have to mean speaking at huge public events or conferences. It can be small groups, team catch-ups perhaps.
Regardless of the size of your audience, for some of us, fear of public speaking can be crippling and even if it’s not a major issue, just a small amount of negative feeling about it can be enough to derail your interactions with others. Much of this stems from our natural and understandable avoidance of things that we find uncomfortable.
“I really don’t like public speaking so I’ll do my best to avoid it”
We even convince ourselves that we’re doing it for all the right reasons:
“Oh, you’re far better at presenting than me, why don’t you do it?”
“I think the client would rather hear from you”
“You’re more familiar with the material so why don’t you go for it.”
Or my personal favourite for those with plenty of years under their belt but still uncomfortable speaking in front of others;
“No you go for it, you could do with the experience/exposure”
Any of this sound familiar?
Our human instinct is rightly skewed towards self-preservation and so our brain assists us in avoiding anything that it deems threatening. We can literally convince ourselves that we are doing the right thing by not speaking up. All we are doing though is digging ourselves deeper into the hole.
What can you do?
So what, if anything, can we do to solve the problem? How do we fix the fear and face the monster under the bed?
In all honesty it’s about dragging the monster out from under the bed and training it to behave properly. Having fear and performance anxiety is perfectly healthy and productive – within reason! We need some of that stress, pressure and adrenaline to make us push, strive, dig in, keep going and be the best possible version of ourselves.
But if the monster gets too big, or takes over our thoughts then we need to get on top of things.
For today, I want you to do three key things to tackle that fear.
- Openly admit to yourself and others that you are actively avoiding speaking in public.
- It is very hard for a monster to hide in the dark if you turn the lights on.
- Learn to accept you won’t be the best at this, perhaps ever, because great public speakers are not the same for everyone – we are unique and wonderful in our uniqueness. Laugh at yourself and see the lightness in having a go – perfection is not the goal.
- Monsters shrink when you laugh at them
- Do the work – practice speaking in public WHENEVER you can, take the opportunities that arise and don’t stop. It’s a skill that keeps building over time. I’ve come to realise I will probably be the best at public speaking when I’m nearer 80 than 40 and certainly far better than when I was 20.
- We grow out of being scared of monsters under the bed. Give it time, give it your wisdom and experience and the monsters start to fade away.
And finally…
Finally and perhaps most importantly, get help.
Surround yourself with people who can support you while you hone your craft. Speak to coaches (like me!) who can advise you on exactly what might be holding you back – sometimes it can be hard to articulate or recognise that yourself.
