Imagine with me.It’s Thursday morning. You and your sales team are making a critical pitch for your software solution to a major manufacturer. You’ve spent the past week designing your segment on deployment and service. Your team leader and sales coordinator have just delivered their segments receiving neither applause nor comment from your surly audience of senior managers. Now it’s your turn. Your team leader introduces you and you rise from your seat.
Now, tell me quickly. What’s happening to your body? What are the physical symptoms of the sudden stage fright that you’re feeling?Maybe sweaty palms, wobbly knees, a dry mouth, a blank mind… The list goes on and on, longer for some than for others.
What causes this? Is it fear? Anxiety? No, these are psychological effects. (In my last post, we discussed how to manage and overcome those using a technique called ‘positive projection’.) The physical effects, however, are biological and you must manage them differently.
These physical symptoms of stage fright are responses to a hormone called adrenaline, which your body produces when you are excited or frightened. Adrenaline enables you, and that’s why it carries the nickname, ‘the fight or flight’ hormone. When your body is pumping adrenaline, you can fight harder and run faster.
Thrill seekers enjoy an adrenaline rush. That’s why they ride roller coasters and jump off of tall buildings. When you deliver a presentation, however, you can suffer because of adrenaline. Standing stiffly before your audience, neither running nor fighting, means your adrenaline remains unused. What results are the uncomfortoble biological symptoms of stage fright, which bump your anxiety levels even higher.
How can you manage this? Quite simply, move. An easy technique. Just move.
Casual movement, such as simple gestures or a few steps across your stage, will activate adrenaline and get it flowing through your body. When it becomes useful, adrenaline can energize you and make you more confident. Professional speakers know this, and that’s why they tap into their adrenaline resources as soon as their performance begins.
So, overcoming stage fright is actually quite simple. To overcome the psychological component, think positive. To overcome the biological component, move.
It’s really that easy.
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2 comments:
When I was a regularly performing Concert Pianist, I had a gig at a college once. While standing backstage, waiting for the presenter to finish the introduction about me, I couldn't remember what the first piece on the program was to be - and I was performing in 30 seconds!! I stood there and racked my brain and strained and thought! "What the hell is the first piece!" over and over... finally, the audience was applauding and I was up...I walked across the stage. I bowed, sat down, calmed my mind (still not knowing), took several deep breaths, lifted my hands above the keys and brought them down........ playing the first notes of the piece. The simple act of lifting my hands in a physical gesture that I'd practiced (literally thousands of times while playing that piece) and letting go of the fear allowed my body to do what it knew how to do. And my mind got out of the way... you're right - "Just move!"
Hey Otha -
Thanks for your comment.
Have you ever felt stage fright at a drum gig? (I haven't!)
John
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