Proven Techniques To Overcome Stage Fright

Proven Techiques To Overcome Stage Fright

1. Face down your fears.

If you feel your knees turning to jelly out of fear, remind yourself that fear stands for False Evidence Appearing Real. Remember, you can always rationalize yourself out of fear.

2. Learn how to enroll and engage your audience.

If you haven’t yet taken a professional development course on public speaking, consider finding a public speaking training course appropriate for your needs. Learning the art of public speaking a must-skill for any executive and/or business owner.

3. Breathe deeply.

Stand still and feel the ground beneath your feet. Close your eyes and imagine yourself suspended from the ceiling by a thin thread. Just listen to your breathing and tell yourself there is no rush. Slow your breathing until you can count to 6 seconds of in-breath and 6 seconds of out-breath. You’ll now go on in a totally relaxed and confident mood.

4. Relax.

Relaxing is the art of letting go. There are many ways to let go. You can imagine you’re made of rubber and go wibbly-wobbly. Or you can sit in front of a mirror and make a horse’s laugh with your lips. Why not lie on the ground and pretend you’re floating? Letting go un-tenses the body and makes you more at ease and relaxed.

5. The wall push.

Stand about 18” away from a wall and place your palms flat on it. Push against the wall. As you push, your abdominal muscles will contract. As you breath out, hiss and contract the muscles below your rib cage as if you were rowing a boat against the current. Do this a few times, and you’ll banish all feelings of stage-fright.

6. Adrenalin sends the blood rushing to the fight/flight centres of your brain at the base of the skull. Place your hand on your forehead and press gently on the bony points. This will bring the blood to the parts of the brain that need it to present your speech best.

7. Stand tall, with shoulders back and chest out. Smile. Even though you don’t feel happy or confident, do it anyway. You will look confident and your body will fool your brain into thinking it is confident. This really works!!

Source: 1klassifieds, New Straits Times, December 23, 2009