One of the biggest fears in life is when the spotlight is on you, and you need to perform at a prescribed time. What most aren’t able to do is eliminate what’s referred to as performance anxiety, which is also commonly known as having stage fright, such as the fear of speaking in public.
What vanishes is your confidence, and at times your bodily control, this when you need to express yourself in front of others. This could be events such as performing, giving a speech or a presentation, publicly needing to express your opinion at work, home, or in social situations. This when the spotlight is directly focused on you.
It can be difficult for some, to think that they can overcome this performance anxiety, this especially when they’ve been suffering from it for so long, while attempting to find ways to escape the anxiety of the intense attention.
Momentous Task
The issue looks like a humongous mountain to overcome, too big to solve, almost impossible to eliminate, improbable and overwhelming. Every time that you attempt to change something in your life and fail, the more that you believe you can’t.
It’s one of the preset laws of the mind, which results in a mental mind block, this more to protect ourselves from perceived danger. What the subconscious happens to think as true, becomes true.
When suffering from performance anxiety, what immediately happens are all of the familiar physical reactions.
These are usually feeling sweaty and faint, trembling, hyperventilating for some, a shaky voice, dry mouth, weakness in the knees, a desire to flee, as the feelings of complete terror, anxiety, and panic overwhelms.
To Experience Anxiety
These feelings occur on cue, every single time that you need to express yourself in front of others, to ask for a date, to give a speech.
They often occur when in anticipation of expressing yourself, offering your opinion in front of others, even if it’s days or weeks in advance, the stomach churns.
The truth being, you need to arrive to the point, where you realize you need to change, that you need to take action, and then instill the change that you want. When we get positive results is by getting all the facts, and then finding the best solution to resolve it.
To achieve this, it can be a clinical process, steps which can eliminate performance anxiety, along with the negative and debilitating feelings which are associated with it.
Can’t Practice It
You can’t eliminate performance anxiety by practicing. That getting up in front of others over and over again, isn’t going to resolve the situation, this regardless of what you’ve experienced or tried in the past.
The reason is because performance anxiety isn’t rationally understood, this when it comes to the conscious mind.
It’s more a product of the subconscious, this to protect you from imagined harm, which is a conditioned response. You’ll just continue to respond the same way you always have, this until it’s resolved.
Won’t Go Away
Performance anxiety isn’t something that you can outgrow, as it won’t usually go away by itself over time, as steps need to be taken to identify it first.
Realize you can’t ignore it, or take time off from your social life or career, and then expect the performance anxiety to be cured, and disappear on its own once you get back.
Vices Don’t Work
Self-medicating or alcohol won’t solve your performance anxiety, while at times it can amplify it. So if you’re currently self-medicating yourself, this to get through performances or presentations, you’re doing so at the expense of your health, career, and your relationships.
What you’re also not doing is resolving this performance anxiety, but just masking it. Once it’s properly resolved, you’ll know as your confidence soars. You’ll feel in control and your performance will improve naturally, this without the need of external vices.
Avoiding Other Influences
Know that prescription drugs won’t eliminate performance anxiety. What they do is help you manage it, but in return, what you pay are a series of side effects, which diminishes your performance.
A variety of performers and presenters, such as athletes, actors, musicians, lawyers, public speakers, will often rely on the use of beta-blockers or anti-anxiety drugs, this to control their performance anxiety, stage fright, or sporting event.
The bottom line is that you need to mindfully resolve your performance anxiety personally, and once you do so, all the feelings which are associated with it will dissolve, along with your need for medicated types of relief.
Ignoring The Issue
Avoidance also isn’t the cure, as those who chooses to ignore it, thinks that “out of sight, out of mind.” is the solution. Realize that all they’re doing is just prolonging the situation.
The belief being that by avoiding these situations, what they’re doing is managing the problem. The truth being the opposite, as they’re just being manipulated by their fear and anxiety.
For presenters and performers, doing so at times can be a career altering decision. At the very least, what you’re doing is paying a high price with your mental and physical well-being, along with all of the lost opportunities.
To Eliminate Performance Anxiety
There are proven ways to overcome performance anxiety. Clinical techniques which are simple, effective, and relaxing. There’s no need to spend months in therapy, or thousands of dollars on programs or vices which don’t work.
All you need is: 1.) to understand the above points which are shared, 2.) make the decision that you’re ready to consciously fix the problem, and 3.) take affirmative mindful action.
Be mindful in everything that you do. Just be aware of the situation, and constantly self talk yourself through the process.