Responding to Stage Fright

Do you feel stage fright when you step up to speak to a group of people? That’s okay. You’re not alone. In fact, it would be unusual if you didn’t feel it.

The fear of public speaking is widespread. Many websites that list people’s top ten most common fears rank the fear of public speaking in the top three, frequently outranking the fear of death itself.

Many famous performers -- Michael Douglas, Barbara Streisand and Beyonce Knowles among them – have confessed to varying degrees of stage fright. And even those smooth presenters in your office – the ones who must have been ‘born presenters’ – believe it or not, even they experience a certain degree of stage fright.

And it’s good that they do. Many top performers, regardless of the business they’re in, think of stage fright as their friend. Stage fright keeps them alert. It prevents them from becoming overconfident and careless. It keeps them stimulated without being overwhelmed. How do they do it? The best performers and speakers have learned techniques to manage stage fright so that it works for them rather than against them.

The first step towards managing your stage fright is recognizing where it comes from. There is no single cause, however. Different speakers fear different things. Some are more frightened of small audiences, others by large audiences. Some speakers feel better in a competitive setting, others feel worse.
In every case, however, stage fright is a result of how you choose to respond to your situation. It’s like listening to a bad joke. After the disappointing punch line, you have a choice. You can laugh to make the joker feel good, you can groan to express your exasperation, or you could simply frown and sigh. Your response is your choice.

When you face an audience, you also have a choice. You can allow the sudden onset of anxiety to get the best of you or you can decide to get the best out of your anxiety. What is anxiety, really, other than nervous energy? If you decide to channel that energy towards a successful outcome, you could become unstoppable in your ability to perform. In other words, you are the one who decides whether stage fright enables your performance or causes your failure.

Depressing? Not at all. This is empowering. Your ability to pinpoint exactly what triggers your fear is the first step towards overcoming it. Once you recognize it, you can decide how you will respond to it.

In short, your success is your choice.