Feb 8
Myth Number 1 declares that performance nerves are to be expected; everyone has them. Further, that they are necessary. They are what gives a speaker the energy to be exciting or interesting.

Let’s take a hard look at these assumptions. What happens to you, personally, when you have an attack of Performance Jitters? A case of Rollicking Stage Fright?

  • Your predominant emotion is that of dread. You want nothing so devoutly as to Get Out of Here!
  • You get tight around the chest and diaphragm. Your breathing–if any–becomes shallow and your energy wanes.
  • You sweat. (Icky!)
  • Your mouth dries up and you can scarcely swallow.
  • Your hands shake.
  • Your knees knock and are in danger of collapsing.
  • our mind goes blank; did I have a speech in there somewhere? Gone!

    • In other words, your body tries to shut down! Now why would such unpleasant body symptoms serve you? Do they really make you an exciting and interesting speaker?

    It’s important to separate stage fright and the deep fear of speaking in public from excitement. Think of excitement, not as dread, but as pleasant anticipation. When you’re looking forward with pleasure to an activity your body does not try to shut down. It perks up. Your brain goes into high gear. What is about to take place feels good, fulfilling, gratifying, perhaps fun.

    You may indeed be one of those people who has some of the good feelings, but still suffers from several of the nasty ones.

    5 Tips that will stop your Stage Fright suffering:

    1. Think about your responses to having to speak. Separate the actual fear-symptoms from the excitement feelings.

    2. See how many of the negative responses you can shift to the excitement category.

    3. Learn and use deep breathing in your daily life and certainly use it in your speaking life!

    4. Check out your Self Talk. If it’s full of “I’m going to be a failure”, consciously change it to “I’m an excellent speaker and I enjoy speaking in public.” Never mind if that’s a screaming lie at this moment. Your subconscious mind, which has diligently followed your instructions to make you feel like a failure can change its tactics and, over time, alter your belief so that you do indeed enjoy speaking in public and you become very good at it. However, it takes considerable discipline to continually remind yourself to cancel your negative Self Talk and replace it with healthy thoughts. It’s worth it!

    5. Various energy techniques and hypnosis can be very powerful in developing and fulfilling positive, healthy expectations.

    During my thirty-some years as therapist and public speaking coach I’ve observed that these techniques work very well for many people. If, however, a person has underlying and deep feelings of insufficiency, counseling may be helpful in clearing out the personal debris to free up a person to be–and to feel–truly successful.

     

    Carole McMichaels http://getridofpublicspeakingfears.com

     

    Carole McMichaels: Speaker, Therapist, Musician, Coach, Author: “Fearless Public Speaking: How to Get Rid of Your Stage Fright and Prepare and Deliver a Winning Presentation”, invites you to to visit her website http://GetRidOfPublicSpeakingFears.com and download your free report, “How to Write a Mind-Gripping Speech”.

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    Jan 12

    It’s not just actors who need stage fright tips. We all have to put on a performance from time to time – giving a presentation at work, going for a job interview, going on a first date and so on. These situations put us in the spotlight, and very few of us are naturally comfortable being there. Fortunately we can learn to be comfortable, and this step by step guide will show you how.

    Step 1: Accept

    The first and most important thing in any list of stage fright tips is the recognition that it is actually a perfectly natural response. Going on stage, whatever that stage happens to be, separates us from the group – and that’s something we have an inbuilt resistance to. For our distant ancestors, being separated from the group would have meant a swift demise, and we’ve inherited this feeling from them.

    Although giving a presentation won’t literally kill us, our bodies react as if it will. All of the physical symptoms of stage fright – sweaty palms, racing heart, urge to vomit etc – are the result of the primitive fight-or-flight survival mechanism kicking in with a big hit of adrenaline.

    Step 2: Take Back Control

    Once you’ve accepted that to be frightened is normal, you can stop worrying that you’re somehow weird or deficient and get on with the business of taking back control. The following stage fright tips are practical ways to do just that.

    The adrenaline in your system is urging you to get moving, so discharge it by going for a short walk, doing some stretching exercises, or whatever else is appropriate for your circumstances.

    Combat hyperventilation by deliberately breathing slowly and deeply, ideally breathing out for longer than you breathe in, which activates your body’s natural relaxation response.

    Be AWARE. This is a technique used to control panic attacks, which are just an extreme form of stage fright.

    • Accept that you are frightened
    • Watch what happens inside your body and mind
    • Act normal
    • Repeat these steps until the fear subsides, and
    • Expect the best

    Step 3: Turn It To Your Advantage

    One of the greatest stage fright tips of all is that it is actually your friend. Even the greatest performers suffered at some point, but they knew that it was this surge of adrenaline which gave their performance charisma and edge.

    You may not be playing Hamlet at the National Theater, but you can do the same. When the symptoms begin to strike, think of them in a new way – excitement. Exactly the same stuff happens in your body whether you’re excited about getting on a roller coaster or dreading it. It’s only your personal expectations which determine how you view the sensations you’re experiencing, and those can be changed. Learning to welcome stage fright as juice for your performance radically transforms the experience.

    Follow these tips, step by step, and you’ll soon be delivering star performances in all areas of your life as you become a more confident person. It is a skill to control your thoughts and actions and you can learn more by CLICKING HERE

    where you will find more information, a FREE report and a video that can only help you to feel better about yourself and stop you worrying about what others think of you http://www.destroythedemonwithin.com You owe it to yourself – so go on – take a look!

    Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Dian_Winter

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    Jan 12

    The majority of people suffer from some form of stage fright, dread of public speaking, or even speaking phobia. Can a person reach a point where they never have these fears and feelings?

    Let’s study experienced speakers for a moment. Do they suffer from nervousness and speaking fear?

    Yes and no. Most look forward to speaking and don’t dread it. However, the majority do experience some nervousness, adrenaline rush, and a shot of fear before going on stage.

    Why would a speaker with over 600 engagements feel this? Here are a couple reasons.

    First, your body senses the big event and pours adrenaline into your system. This can cause the shaky knees, sweat, etc.

    Second, no matter how many times a person has spoke in public, a speaking event still has the possibility for major failure. We could mess up, the audience may be hostile, or our voice starts to shake.

    This of course causes your body to pour more adrenaline into your system.

    You may be thinking, “If the experienced speakers still have some nervousness, how do they speak with such confidence and calmness?”

    Or you may be asking, “Is there anyway I can cure my speaking fear?”

    There is hope! Don’t get discouraged.

    Experienced speakers have learned how to control their feelings and fear. They may feel nervousness and fear before going on stage. However, it does not effect their presentation, because they know the secrets to saying no to fear and yes to confidence.

    Learn these secrets and you can conquer speaking fear and speak with confidence every time.

    Do you dread or fear public speaking? Get a Free Video & Special report on how to reduce speaking fear. http://www.Fear2Confidence.com

    Arlen Busenitz is the creator of “Speak with Confidence: How to Conquer Public Speaking Fear with 4 Simple Steps” Learn more on how to overcome speaking fear.

    Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Arlen_Busenitz

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    Jan 12

    At the core, stage fright is fear of rejection and fear of being judged harshly.

    That takes various forms like being afraid to make a mistake or fear of not knowing how to handle a question or fear of tripping over your own feet and so on. But all of that is really fear of rejection and fear of being judged harshly.

    Doing public speaking or seminars is a terrific way to promote yourself, generate more business, and make sales of your product or service but you’ll never do it unless you deal with the problem of stage fright.

    So if stage fright is the panic and fear that hits people when they’re already speaking, what can be done to prevent it?

    There is an easy solution I’m going to share with you here.

    You see, people manage to “create” stage fright in a number of ways, but a very common way is to look out over an audience, and feel the eyes of a bunch of staring strangers burning a hole in them.

    Who wouldn’t feel uncomfortable with all those eyes burning holes in them?

    Here’s how to prevent stage fright from ever happening to you: arrive early before your talk, and make time to walk around and meet some of the audience members.

    Introduce yourself as the speaker and thank them for coming, ask them some targeted questions about what they’re hoping to hear about.

    Be genuinely friendly & curious – it will feel good to talk to these people. Remember this old saying: “strangers are just friends you haven’t met yet” – so make some new friends by meeting some people in your audience.

    Then, when you’re “on stage”, be sure to make eye contact with ‘your new friends” consistently.

    And if it’s a small group, you may even be able to meet everyone before you start your talk.

    Summary:
    By meeting people and being friendly before you start your talk means these people are not strangers boring holes in you with their eyes during your presentation; they’re your new friends.

    Sign up right now for free weekly public speaking training at http://www.bestpublicspeakingtraining.com

    David Portney is the author of “129 Seminar Speaking Success Tips” and the founder of the Academy of Public Speaking located in Redondo Beach, California where he personally conducts specialized workshops and public speaking trainings.
    http://www.bestpublicspeakingtraining.com

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