Stage Fright Help

Tips for coping with depression

2008-05-25T18:57:00.000-07:00

Over the last decade or so the issue of depression has been highlighted by campaigns and initiatives all over the world, even celebrities (such as Kirsten Dunst) have come out and admitted publicly that they suffer from it. These days most people are aware that depression isn't something a person can "snap out of" and it's a serious issue that needs treatment and especially, understanding.

Depression is much more than a bad hair day. People that suffer from it often endure extended periods of low moods that occur without reason. Depression can present itself in many ways, for example, bouts of anger, mood swings, irritability, loss of interest in things that would usually make a person happy, withdrawing from friends and family and taking unnecessary risks.

So what should you do if you're feeling depressed? Firstly, make an appointment to see a Doctor. Ideally your Doctor will be someone you feel comfortable speaking to as you need to be as open and honest about your depression in order to get the most from your treatment. Depending upon the diagnosis, you may be prescribed anti-depressants, behavioural therapy, counseling or all of the above.

Secondly, talk to your friends and family about your depression, make sure they're aware of what you're going through. By letting other people know you're lessening the load you have to carry by yourself and you create a network of support should you need it in the future.

And finally, be kind to yourself. As I mentioned, depression isn't something that you can just snap out of. It takes time and some hard work. Be patient and try adopting a positive outlook, this will help your recovery. It's not unusual for the effects of medication to take weeks (or even months) to start being noticeable so just concentrate on taking small steps. Before you know it, the world will seem a little brighter.

Dealing with a quiet child

2008-05-16T17:12:00.000-07:00

Why is it that some children thrive in a classroom setting while others don't? It may all come down to a phenomenon called Communication Apprehension.

Some children are naturally shy and introverted but others may adopt these characteristics after being critised about their communication skills. After receiving negative feedback some children may start abstaining from talking all together. They may feel that they want to participate but when they are called upon they won't speak up. They may also feel anxious which further compounds their feelings of inadequacy. This fear and anxiety is known as Communication Apprehension (CA).

So how can we make it easier for kids to participate? Providing an easy going, warm environment in which they're encouraged to talk frequently is a great start. Developing fun activities where all children can participate could also provide the right motivation for involvement. Additionally, asking subtle, informal questions that relate to areas in which the children are particularly knowledgeable or show an interest allows them to share thoughts and ideas in a non-confronting setting.

Overcoming CA takes time and patience on the part of teachers, parents and children alike but offering a nurturing, positive environment with plenty of positive reinforcement is a great first step in dealing with the problem.

What to do if you lose your place

2008-05-14T16:21:00.000-07:00

You're giving a presentation and you've lost your place. The audience is starting to fidget and move around in their seats waiting for you to continue. No matter what you do you can't remember what you're supposed to say next and as the audience gets more impatient you get more flustered. You're sweating profusely and dying of embarrassment and you wish the stage would open up and swallow you whole. Sound familiar? You're definitely not alone, in fact anyone who has ever spoken in public has probably had similar visions of failure.

Here are a few tips to ensure this nightmare doesn't become a reality.

Bring notes, but only refer to them if you absolutely have to
If you do lose your place, it's ok to acknowledge it. Stay calm and find your place. The sooner you move on, the sooner the audience will too
If you make a mistake don't dwell on it - mistakes happen
After you finish your presentation go back over the bits that gave you trouble. Practice anything that tripped you up - chances are you won't be stumped by them again

Performance anxiety symptoms

2008-05-05T16:41:00.001-07:00

If you've ever had to stand in front of a class or give a presentation at work, chances are you've had some performance anxiety. Performance anxiety occurs when a person is afraid of public failure in a psychical activity.
In your past experience you may have had performance anxiety symptoms like butterflies in the tummy, sweaty palms or nausea prior to giving a presentation, but depending on the severity, people may also experience:

rapid heart rate
tensing of muscles
feeling faint or dizzy
a shaky voice
trembling in the arms, knees or feet
dry mouth
insomnia
frequent urination
shortness of breath

Performance anxiety can also effect our mind and thought processes in the following ways:

it can make us confused
give us memory lapses
make us easily distracted
give us a lack of concentration
and plague us with negative thoughts

Emotionally, performance anxiety takes its toll by making us feel:

fearful
vulnerable
inadequate
helpless

The act of public speaking effects us all in some way. The symptoms I've listed above are the body's physiological reaction to stressful situations and of course, everyone reacts and responds differently. The key to a successful public speaking experience lies in our ability to harness our performance anxiety and to push through it.

Self Confidence and Stage Fright

2008-05-01T10:24:00.000-07:00

Most stage fright sufferers have low self - confidence and self-esteem which causes stage fright. Here are some tips on how to boost your self-esteem:

* Love Yourself! Compliment your self and appreciate your own strengths and achievements. You can also look at the mirror and try to appreciate your whole being, physical, emotional or mental aspect of your life.

* Think Positive! Stay positive and avoid being pessimistic. Do not dwell on negative thoughts.

* Communicate with yourself. Voice out your thoughts and praise yourself for all the achievements. talk about your weakness and create an action plan to address. Know your strengths.

Raising Self Confidence

2008-04-29T10:12:00.000-07:00

One of the rootcause of stage fright is because of lack of self-confidence. Heres a very informative video on how to increase self - confidence. Brian Tracy talks about "The Unbreakable laws of Self-Confidence".

Simple Guidelines for Positive Affirmations to win over Stage Fright

2008-04-28T17:10:00.000-07:00

In order to get the most use out of a positive affirmation, you need to follow these simple guidelines.

Use an affirmation that has a personal meaning for you.
Choose an affirmation that you either believe or want to believe.
Word the affirmation in a positive way instead of a negative way.
Provide yourself reminders of the affirmation.
Keep the affirmation short enough that you can easily remember it word for word.
Repeat the affirmation often, especially when you feel stage fright starting to occur.

Six steps to controlling your stage fright

2008-04-21T17:45:00.000-07:00

overcoming fear of public speaking

2008-04-17T03:43:00.000-07:00

Public Speaking and Self Confidence

2008-04-16T10:30:00.000-07:00

Public Speaking and Self Confidence: The key to successful public speaking is self confidence. And even if you aren’t entirely self confident, that’s okay. Just like the old saying goes – Fake it before you make it!

Even if you don’t feel 100% self confident, fake it. Just pretend that you are an extremely confident person and you will exude the confidence level that you need.

There are a few keys to developing self confidence that will make a big difference when it comes to public speaking. When you feel good about yourself, you won’t be as nervous when you walk out on that stage, and your audience will see that.

Reduce Anxiety before a Piano Performance

2008-04-14T17:59:00.000-07:00

Here's some exercises that you can do before your piano recital or performance. This helps you reduce your performance anxiety.

Video from youtube >> sonny's piano.

performance anxiety

2008-04-13T01:48:00.000-07:00

Performance anxiety or as it is often called stage fright is a stage of an intense anxiety that happens prior and or during performance. For a lot of people, speaking or performing in front of an audience can be very uncomfortable and frightening. This fear may occur when going for a job interview, performing a piece of music, or presenting in front of your boss.

A common thread that usually runs through these experience is a fear of negative evaluation by the speaker. Accept the fear, focus and relate to the audience, identify and challenge your fearful thoughts, remember to breath, be passionate about your topic.Be clear that your talk matters to you.

You may discover that fear still remains, but you can handle it. You are beginning to get the sense of enjoyment from your performance and from connecting with others.

tips & strategies in overcoming stage fright

2008-04-12T00:52:00.000-07:00

Stage fright maybe observed by ordinary people, a beginner dreaming to be an artist or musician. Some performers use beta blocker to avoid stage fright during audition and stage performance.

In fact most of stage fright occurs before you step on stage. At times, once your up there already it usually go away. Stage fright may come and go or diminish. Always put in mind that no body ever died from stage fright. The irony is many people would rather die than to speak or perform in front of many people.

One thing you can do before you step on the stage is to try to think positive and always be prepared in what ever thing you do. Always stay focused, relax your thoughts and always take a deep breath.

What happens during a stage fright attack?

2008-04-11T00:50:00.000-07:00

A great fear that many people have is speaking before a group or audience. The reason is that they are afraid of looking foolish in front of other people.

The way to overcome this fear of public speaking is through preparation, a safety net, and positive attitude toward the audience. The fear of speaking rated as only second to the fear of snakes and before the fear of dying. What happens is that even before they start speaking, the heart starts beating faster and mouth gets dry. Some may even get nauseous or feel like fainting. Once the person starts talking, the heart keeps beating rapidly and the person may hear his or her voice tremble, the legs or even whole body starts shaking, the person also stutter or start speaking rapidly. Although some other people calm down, once they get going, other may ramble the material incorrectly.

Overcoming Fear of Public Speaking

2008-04-10T00:20:00.000-07:00

Most people are afraid of public speaking. Some said they're even more afraid of it than death. Well, it is pretty much exactly what it sounds like: speaking in public, and most of us are afraid of this prospect.

So, how can you overcome your fear of speaking in public?(glossophobia).
First, you have to know your audience. Most of us differ and knowing what public are you going to speak for helps you become an effective public speaker. You should also know the topic that you will present. Researching some articles regarding the subject will be beneficial. If you get there interest they might ask you some questions so you must be ready to answer them. Then, just keep on practicing until you feel that you have almost perfected it. Another, let your close group, family members or friends, listen to it first as you would on the actual presentation. Ask for there suggestions and feedbacks. And lastly, you ought to remember this: there is really nothing to fear. Okay, sometimes you might stumble on things or words while speaking in public but there's really nothing in it that could kill you. Just try to relax and enjoy the moment.

tips on public speaking

2008-04-09T17:02:00.000-07:00

Here's a tips for public speaking it's help you a lot.

Conquer stage fright

2008-04-08T19:30:00.000-07:00

Tips for conquer stage fright...

Glossophobia and Stage Fright

2008-04-08T10:47:00.000-07:00

According to Wikipedia, Glossphobia is defined as the fear of public speaking. The word glossophobia comes from the Greek γλῶσσα glōssa, meaning tongue, and φόβος phobos, fear or dread.

Glossophobia may be a symptom of stage fright.

Components of Stage Fright

2008-04-07T08:54:00.000-07:00

* Anticipation: unrealistic thoughts and mental images you experience before a scheduled performance.

* Avoidance: when you try your best to avoid performance situations because of your fear.

* Anxiety and Panic: labored breathing, sweating, racing heart and dizziness, negative thoughts

* Appraisal: negative conclusions about your performance.

How to Act while Waiting for an Audition

2008-04-02T22:30:00.000-07:00

Auditions and Stage Fright

2008-03-31T21:13:00.000-07:00

Besides performing on stage, auditions can be as nerve racking. Here are some strategies on how to overcome that stage fright during auditions.

Be Prepared - it is very important to cultivate a calm and relax body before the auditions. Free your mind from worries and negative thoughts. Understand that your body will react from adrenalin rush.

Avoid self-destructive thoughts. Be careful when doing a "self-talk" and learn not to be distracted from negativity.

Tips and Techniques to Rein in that Fear Right at the Podium.

2008-03-31T00:05:00.000-07:00

1. Find that calm moment
2. Take a deep breathe
3. Imagine the audience as one person
4. take a drink
5. Have a Mantra

6 Steps to Controlling Your Stage Fright Video

2008-03-26T08:23:00.000-07:00

Dr. Bill Lampton shares 6 strategies to control your stage fright.

To learn Six surefire ways to overcome your stage fright, visit stagefrighthelp.com

Visualization Strategies for Stage Fright Sufferrers

2008-03-24T18:51:00.001-07:00

Here are some visualization techniques that can help you overcome that stagefright:

1. Concetrate and Stay Focused.

2. Close your eyes and visualize the audience listening, clapping after your performance.

3. THink of happy thoughts and drive away negativity.

4. Have funny thoughts

Strategies for Public Speakers II

2008-03-24T01:32:00.001-07:00

Last February, we published an article about strategies for public speakers. Here are some more strategies to ace that public speaking skills:

1. Prepare your content - Make sure your speech has a beginning, middle, and end.
2. Use notes. If you will be standing at a podium, have your notes already there before the audience arrives.
3. Use humor sparingly. Humor can be a great addition to any speech, but only if done right. Since you will be talking to many people with your speech, keep in mind that you do not know what will or will not offend them.

To read more about strategies for public speaking, visit stagefrighthelp.com for free articles.