Facing stage fright with élan
SAVITHA SURESH BABU
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Nervous before a crowd? Afraid to get on stage? Read on to overcome your fear.
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Anu was nervous. She was addressing more than a hundred students for the first time.
Having researched her subject well, she had no doubt about the content.
But there were plenty of other doubts- “Will I be audible to all”, “Will I be able to say all of what I know and have rehearsed”, “will I make a fool of myself”-- these were just some of the uncertainties bothering her.
Some of them she shared with friends, and some she didn’t. But as she sweated profusely and bit her nails, her nervousness seemed to know no limits.
Confident speaker
It was time to make her speech. She fumbled with the first sentence, and it seemed like she was going to break down.
Having read so far, you might think Anu left her speech in between and walked away. If you dread classroom presentations and elocution competitions, you are perhaps thinking she would have left the stage.
But that is not how it turned out at all. After the initial fumble, Anu took a deep breath, and stopped for a minute to gather her nerves. She continued. It was not that she suddenly started to exude confidence. There were times where she stopped to gather herself, times when her voice dropped too low- but she continued- and by the end of it, she spoke at ease. Since she knew her matter well, the talk was informative, and well appreciated.
Useful tips
If you are nervous to be on stage, the best way to overcome it is to get on stage more often.
Participate in debates, elocution contests, class presentations, plays or any other event that will give you an opportunity to perform before a crowd.
A little fear is natural. In fact, a little bit of nervousness, psychologists say, improves performance. But once you have overcome the initial moments of fumbling and sweating, speaking or performing can be great fun. It is definitely not something you want to miss out on merely because of initial hesitation.
There are little tricks that can help to keep the nervousness in check. The body and mind are working simultaneously to generate fear.
So, make sure you take long deep breaths to calm yourself. Take a walk by yourself just before you have to be on stage.
This can help the mind relax. Some simple exercises such as stretching can also help if you are feeling very nervous.
If it is a speech, make sure you know your matter well. Developing the habit of reading extensively on various topics, is one trick, seasoned speakers, say helps no end. So, you could try it out.
Don’t indulge in negative talk before the performance. Don’t think "I will be bad at this" or say it out aloud-you are only generating negative feelings. And, it is a positive attitude that makes performing fun.
So, the next time your teacher calls for volunteers for a class presentation, or drama, put up your hand. Performing on stage is an experience worth the initial butterflies.
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