How to Overcome Stage Fright

Even the most experienced performers can suffer from stage fright. It is a common condition that can affect anyone, from Broadway actors to professional hosts. If you experience stage fright, you might start feeling anxious, trembling, or even exhausted just by the thought of performing in front of an audience. But don't worry—by training both your body and mind to relax, you can overcome this fear. Try some of the techniques listed below to manage stage fright. Remember, performing with someone else or having close friends as your audience can help you feel more at ease.

Relax Your Body. To overcome stage fright, there are several things you can do to relax your body before stepping onto the stage. Reducing physical tension can help stabilize your voice and calm your mind. Rehearse your lines. If you make a mistake, don’t panic! Pretend it’s part of the act. Here are some techniques to help relax your body before performing:

• Warm up your throat to stabilize your voice
• Eat a banana before performing. It will help settle your stomach without making you feel too full.
• Chew gum. This can ease tension in your jaw, but don’t chew for too long or on an empty stomach as it may cause digestive issues.
• Stretch. Moving your legs, arms, back, and shoulders is another great way to relieve bodily pressure.

Meditation. On the morning of your performance, or even an hour before, take 15 to 20 minutes to meditate. Find a quiet place where you can sit comfortably on the floor. Close your eyes and focus on your breath while relaxing your body.

• Place your hands on your thighs and sit cross-legged.
• Try to reach a state where you stop thinking about anything else, especially your performance, and focus solely on relaxing each part of your body.

Avoid caffeine. Unless you're addicted to caffeine, avoid consuming it on performance day. You might think it will give you more energy, but in reality, it can increase feelings of anxiety and restlessness.

Set a "worry time" for yourself. On performance day, tell yourself that you are allowed to worry for a set period of time, but after, for example, 3:00 PM, all your worries should be gone. Setting a goal and making a promise to yourself will help make this easier to accomplish.

Exercise. Exercise helps release stress and increases endorphin levels. Make sure to get at least 30 minutes of physical activity on performance day, or take a 30-minute walk. This will help prepare your body for a stellar performance.

Laugh as much as you can. Watch a comedy movie in the morning, play your favorite funny video on YouTube, or spend the afternoon hanging out with the funniest person in your team. Laughing a lot will help you relax and shake off your nerves.

Arrive Early. Arriving at the venue before anyone else will help you feel more confident. It’s better to see the room fill up after you arrive than before. Being early reduces stress and prevents you from feeling rushed, giving you a calmer mindset.

Talk to the Audience. Some people enjoy sitting in the audience and chatting with others to build confidence. This approach helps you view the audience as regular people like yourself, making it easier to manage your expectations. You could even sit in the audience when it's full, without revealing who you are — though this only works if you're not in costume.

Imagine Your Favorite Person in the Audience. Rather than picturing the entire crowd in their underwear, which is quite strange, you could envision that all the people in the seats are someone you care for. This person loves and supports you, laughing at the right moments and cheering loudly at the end of the performance.

Drink Orange Juice. Drinking orange juice 30 minutes before a performance can help lower blood pressure and reduce anxiety.

Read Your Favorite Song Lyrics or Poem. Immersing yourself in a familiar melody or poem you love will help you feel calm and more self-assured. If you're comfortable with reading lyrics or poetry, you’ll find it easier to deliver your own lines naturally and gracefully.

Make it Interesting. This may sound obvious, but part of the reason you feel nervous on stage is because you're worried that everyone will think you're boring. It's true that you might worry your speech is dull if it's not engaging. Even when presenting on a rigid or dry topic, think about how to make it more relatable and captivating. You'll feel less nervous knowing your content will be interesting.

• If appropriate, add a touch of humor. Telling a few jokes can help ease your anxiety and make the audience feel more comfortable.

Consider Your Audience. As you prepare and practice your speech, think about the needs, knowledge, and expectations of your audience. If you're speaking to a younger crowd, adjust the tone, content, and delivery accordingly. For older or more serious audiences, be more practical and logical. You’ll feel less anxious knowing you can connect with your listeners.

Don’t Tell Everyone You’re Nervous. Avoid stepping onto the stage and making a joke about being anxious. People will assume you’re confident simply because you’re standing there. While admitting your nerves might help you feel better, it can make the audience lose confidence in you rather than focusing on your message.

Record Yourself. Video your presentation as you practice. Do this until you watch the video and think, "Wow, what a great speech!" If you’re not satisfied with your performance on camera, you won’t feel satisfied when you perform live either. Keep recording until you get it right. When you're on stage, remember how great you looked in the recording and remind yourself that you can do even better.

Move, but not excessively. You can ease your anxiety and connect with the audience by moving around the stage. If you move with energy and gestures to emphasize your points, you can overcome stage fright just by doing that. However, avoid constant fidgeting like moving your hands continuously, playing with your hair, or fiddling with the microphone or notes.

• Fidgeting will only make you more tense and cause the audience to notice your discomfort.

Speak Slowly. Stage fright often manifests as speaking too quickly. You might rush through your words because you're anxious and want the speech to end soon, but this can make it harder to convey your ideas and connect with your audience. Most people who speak quickly don't even realize it, so remember to pause for a few seconds after each point, giving the audience time to react to your key messages.

• Speaking slowly will also help you avoid stumbling over words or mispronunciations.
• Rehearse your speech ahead of time. Get familiar with the pace you need to finish in an appropriate amount of time. Wear a wristwatch and glance at it occasionally to ensure you're staying on track.

Ask for Feedback. If you really want to improve your stage fright, you should ask your audience for feedback on your performance by offering surveys or asking colleagues for honest opinions. Knowing how well you did and how much you've improved will boost your confidence the next time you take the stage.

Fake Confidence. Even if your hands are shaking and your heart feels like it's about to jump out of your chest, act as if you're the calmest person in the world. Stand tall, smile broadly, and don't mention to anyone how nervous you feel. Maintain this demeanor on stage, and you will begin to feel genuinely confident.

• Look ahead instead of at the floor.
• Keep your shoulders relaxed and back.

Create a Personal Ritual. Develop a ritual for the day of your performance. It could be a 5-kilometer walk in the morning, a "final meal" before the performance, or even singing a particular song or wearing lucky socks. Do whatever you need to help yourself prepare for success.

• A lucky charm can be part of your ritual too. It might be a piece of jewelry that’s meaningful to you or a quirky stuffed animal to motivate you backstage.

Think Positively. Focus on the great outcomes of your speech or performance instead of the potential mistakes. Counter every negative thought with five positive ones. Keep a reminder note with encouraging phrases in your pocket, or whatever you need to focus on the benefits your performance will bring instead of the fears and anxieties you may be feeling.

Seek Advice from Professionals. If you know any professional performers, whether they are actors or speakers, ask for their advice. You might pick up some new tricks and be comforted by the fact that most people experience stage fright, no matter how confident they appear.

Visualize Success. Before you step on stage, imagine that you’ve already nailed your performance. Picture the applause, the smiles from the audience, the praise from your fellow performers or director for how well you did. The more you focus on imagining the best possible outcome rather than worrying about the worst-case scenario, the more likely you are to succeed. Visualize yourself having an amazing performance from the perspective of the audience.

• Start early. Begin visualizing your success the moment you get the role. Make it a habit to imagine the great things you’ll do.
• As the performance date approaches, actively picture your success by imagining the wonderful performance you will deliver every evening before bed and each morning when you wake up.

Practice as much as possible. Keep practicing until you’ve memorized everything. Remember the lines spoken by the person before you, so you can recognize your own turn to speak. Practice in front of family, friends, even stuffed animals, or even an empty chair, to get used to performing in front of others.

• A lot of stage fright stems from the fear of forgetting your lines or not knowing what to do next. The best way to avoid forgetting them is to practice until you know them by heart.
• Practicing in front of others will help you get used to the idea that you won’t be reciting lines alone. You’ll certainly understand them when you're by yourself in your room, but it’s a whole different matter when you face an audience.

Immerse yourself in the character. If you truly want to overcome stage fright, try to fully immerse yourself in the actions, thoughts, and emotions of the character. The more you become one with your role, the easier it will be to forget your own anxiety. Imagine yourself as the character instead of a shy actor trying to play the role.

Monitor your own performance. Build self-confidence by reading your lines in front of a mirror. You could even record your performance to see just how great you are and identify areas that need improvement. If you keep recording and observing yourself until you feel you’ve nailed it, you’ll have a much higher chance of succeeding on stage.

• Watching your own performance will also help you overcome the fear of the unknown. If you know exactly what you look like, you’ll feel more at ease on stage.
• Observe your own style, noticing the way you move your hands when speaking.
  • Note: this technique may not work for everyone. For some, watching themselves can make them self-conscious and more aware of their body movements. If observing yourself makes you anxious, it’s best to skip this method.

Learn to improvise. Improvisation is a skill all great actors must master. It helps you prepare for unexpected situations on stage. Many actors and performers worry so much about forgetting or mixing up their lines that they forget that other performers might make similar mistakes too; knowing how to improvise will make you more comfortable with performing and ready to handle whatever comes your way.

• Improvisation will also help you realize that you can’t control every aspect of the performance. It doesn’t mean you need to do everything perfectly; it’s about handling any situation that arises.
• Don’t panic or appear flustered if something unexpected happens. Remember that the audience doesn’t have a script, and they will only notice something’s off if you make it obvious.

Use body movements. Engaging in physical activity before and during your performance will help reduce anxiety and keep the audience's attention. Of course, you should only move when your character needs to, but make the most of every gesture and motion to help your body feel more relaxed.

Stop overthinking. Once you're on stage, focus solely on your dialogue, body movements, and facial expressions. Avoid wasting time by overanalyzing or asking yourself uncomfortable questions. Enjoy the performance and fully immerse yourself in the moment, whether you're singing, dancing, or telling a story. If you can clear your mind and completely engage with the performance, your audience will sense that connection.

• If you make a small mistake while dancing, no one will notice unless you stop. Keep going, and the audience will assume it’s part of the routine. The same goes for your lines—don’t worry if you skip a line and have to improvise, just carry on.
• Imagine the audience looking even sillier than you (if possible). Picture them in ridiculous outfits, which might help you feel more at ease. Alternatively, focus on the wall behind you and keep your gaze there until you feel comfortable or are ready to exit the stage.
• If your first performance goes well, you’ll feel less nervous about future performances.
• Performing for your family before stepping onto the stage is a great idea and can be very helpful!
• If you're performing in front of friends or family and forget or miss a few lines, don’t worry—no one will notice unless you stop.
• Remember, everyone is cheering for you! Don’t fear that others will make things harder for you. Stay confident!
• Think of various ways to combat stage fright, like looking just above the audience’s heads or imagining they’re all wearing underwear.
• Try performing in front of friends before the big performance. This can help you overcome your stage fright.
• If you make a mistake, just keep going and pretend it’s part of the act.
• Focus on the back of the room.

• Prepare as thoroughly as possible. Practice is the key— the more you rehearse, the more confident you’ll become. Not only will your performance improve, but the quality of your dance, speech, or act will also rise significantly.
• Make sure you use the restroom before going on stage!
• Don’t overeat before your performance, or you might feel nauseous or drained of energy. Save your appetite for after the show.
• Unless you’re in costume, ensure your outfit is comfortable and allows you to relax. You don’t want to feel self-conscious about your appearance on stage. Also, make sure your attire isn’t too revealing and suits the performance. You certainly don’t want to experience any wardrobe malfunctions! Wear something that makes you feel beautiful and proud. This will help boost your confidence on stage.
• Remember your cues! One of the most common mistakes for new performers is knowing their lines but not remembering the timing. You might end up in an awkward silence if you forget your cues.