Managing Performance Anxiety
We've all been there: you get up on stage, you're about to start performing, and suddenly it happens. Butterflies decide to have a party in your stomach. Or your mouth and throat become so dry that no sound comes out. Or your hands and knees visibly start to shake. You suddenly can't take in enough breath to get through your first phrase or line, and you're afraid that your entire performance is toast.
It's that dreaded beast, PERFORMANCE ANXIETY. It can manifest itself in many and unpredictable ways. At best, it is insanely frustrating; at worst, it can be completely debilitating.
The good news? It can absolutely be handled! There are many techniques you can use in your preparation and performance to harness your adrenaline and calm unnecessary nerves.
Before we continue our discussion, though, we have to acknowledge a few things:
1. Nerves never completely go away. You can learn to manage them, lessen them, and channel them. But you can never completely eliminate them.
2. There is no magic fix for performance anxiety. Chances are you will have to employ at least a couple different techniques to help you manage your nerves. As you grow as a performer, you may find that you need to change your techniques periodically.
3. If you struggle with anxiety in a general way, it is possible that this could have a negative impact on your performing. If you find this to be the case, make sure you are working with your doctor/therapist and teacher/coach to seek out methods and/or medications that will help keep things under control.
There are lots of things that can cause performance anxiety, but most of them fit under one of these four umbrellla categories:
1. Under-preparedness
2. Sickness, or other uncontrollable bodily factors
3. Vulnerability (i.e., singing in front of strangers)
4. Fear of failure (i.e., "What if I completely bomb the high note?!")
1. The first cateogory, under-preparedness, basically speaks for itself. The less prepared you are for a performance or audition, the more nervous you will be, period. You must practice, practice, practice until that piece is in your bones. Until then, don't perform it, unless some extraordinary circumstance requires you to.
Now, I'm not saying that brain freeze never happens. Sometimes you will know your piece inside and out, and STILL forget your next word. Sometimes, you will be so confident that you will rock the high note, and then you completely blow it. Stuff happens. But if it does, you can at least take comfort in the fact that it had nothing to do with your preparation.
2. I'm not gonna lie - performing while sick can be really rough. Once you've established that it's safe for your voice and body to perform in your present condition, the only things that will carry you through a sick performance are willpower and good technique. And good technique only comes with time and practice. There are, unfortunately, no shortcuts.
From a mental standpoint, however, accepting the fact that a sick performance is not going to be up to your usual standards will keep you from getting too disappointed in yourself. Think optimistically: performing while sick can help you identify your technical shortcomings, and give you more motivation to work on them once you are healthy again.
3. Like nerves, feeling vulnerable is natural and will probably never completely go away. Why? Because performing is an inherently vulnerable act. For us singers and actors, whose entire bodies are our instruments, it's a very personal thing we are exposing. It's natural to be self-conscious in front of strangers.
But think about it this way: you are doing this because you love it. Presumably. I mean, that's why I do it. And when you love something, you want to share it with others, no matter the cost. Letting down your guard and showing a personal part of yourself is worth it if you get to share something beautiful and real and true with your audience. So instead of thinking, "Oh my gosh, I have to sing in front of all these people," try thinking, "I have this incredibly cool thing I want to share with all of these people." This takes the focus off of you and your nerves, and puts it on the art itself.
4. Like vulnerability, category 4, fear of failure, is a purely mental thing. I had a professor in college who used to say something to the effect of, "If you're afraid you're going to crack on the high note, then you probably will." In other words, negative self-talk can ruin everything! There is a difference between being real with yourself about your shortcomings, and being self-deprecating. Instead, recognize that you are thoroughly capable of doing the best job you are able to do right now. In fact, it's completely acceptable to tell yourself that you're going to go out there and totally kick it! Having confidence in yourself can go a long way towards a successful performance.
Okay, you think, giving myself a pep talk is all well and good, but what if I'm still really nervous?
Well, calming your nerves is all about harnessing your adrenaline. Before a performance, our brains and bodies go into fight-or-flight mode. Intentionally calming your body will tell your brain that it doesn't need to freak out anymore, which will enable you to direct that nervous energy toward something more specific and helpful. Here are some strategies to that end:
1. Deep breathing. Forcing your body to breath low and deep will send "Calm down!" messages to your brain. The 4-7-8 routine is a popular one: inhale over four counts, hold the breath for seven counts, and exhale for 8 counts. Repeat until you're calm.
2. Closing your eyes for a bit. Gently closing your lids is another one of those things that tells the brain there's nothing to worry about. There are many things you can do while your eyes are closed, including...
3. Physical stretches. Figure out where you tend to hold tension in your body, and find a stretch that targets that area. Yoga stretches and poses are great for releasing tension, especially when combined with breathing.
4. Mental, silent practice of your performance. You can do this with your score or script in front of you, or go through it in your head.
5. Visualizing the performance. Have a vision for how you want to look and move and sound.
6. Setting a particular goal for this performance. It could be something simple like, "I want to keep my eyes up at all times" or "I want to remember to take a deep breath before beginning each song." Having something attainable and concrete to focus on will make the whole thing seem less daunting. Plus, even if something goes wrong, you will still have succeeded at something.
In general, the more you perform, the more comfortable you will be in front of an audience. If it's been a while since your last performance and you've got something major coming up, it's never a bad a idea to do some smaller, lower-stakes performances beforehand to help you get back in the game.
So, there you have it. Are there any techniques you use to calm nerves that aren't on this list? Let us know in the comments!
