Have you ever been on stage, with the spotlight on and in front of a silent audience that seems to expect perfection?
Now, imagine feeling that kind of pressure EVERY TIME you’re about to take an exam, give a presentation, or perform a task where your skills are put to the test.
That’s performance anxiety in a nutshell.
This is more than just “butterflies in the stomach.” It’s a common issue that affects more people than you think (apparently, up to 20% of Americans), no matter how competent they are. It’s certainly affected me in the past. And even one of my favorite movies (“Heart and Souls”) shows Robert Downey Jr. helping a ghost with severe singing performance anxiety! Want to know if the character pushes through the fear of showing the world how talented he is (was)? Read through to the end to find out.
At any rate, learning how to break the cycle of performance anxiety is crucial for a healthy and successful life.
Whether you feel anxious as a student or a professional, the advice in this blog post will empower you to take center stage with confidence and poise while staying true to yourself.
Scroll down to the end of this post if you’d rather watch the video version of it.
What Is Performance Anxiety?
Also known as “stage fright,” performance anxiety refers to a type of fear or phobia that stems from pressure to perform well in front of others.
This fear can be intense, to the point where it interferes with your ability to perform, causing a cycle of significant distress, physical discomfort, and avoidance that can feel hard to break.
The anxiety can get so bad that it may feel like you’re battling a personal demon with little chance of success. After all, how can you fight something of your own creation?
Common Causes of Performance Anxiety
A variety of factors can trigger performance anxiety, including:
- intense fear of failure
- previous negative experiences
- high expectations from yourself or others (internal or external pressure)
- lack of preparation
- fear of judgment or criticism.
Symptoms of Performance Anxiety
Performance anxiety can manifest itself through physical, emotional, and behavioral symptoms such as:
- rapid heartbeat
- dry mouth
- shaking
- nausea
- negative thoughts and feelings of dread
- procrastination
- avoidance of the performance situation.
Impact of Performance Anxiety on Mental Health
Untreated performance anxiety doesn’t just affect your ability to perform; it can also take a toll on your mental health. Persistent anxiety can lead to low self-esteem, depression, and even social isolation.
It really is a vicious cycle:
The more anxious you are, the less likely it is that you will perform well. Poor performance will negatively affect your self-image. You’ll then avoid performing situations, which makes your anxiety worse because you’re not facing your fear. Not telling anyone what you’re going through or thinking that “no one gets it” will result in loneliness as well.
What Happens if Performance Anxiety Goes Untreated
Leaving performance anxiety unchecked can lead to chronic stress, burnout, and mental health disorders.
It can also hinder your academic or career progress and affect personal relationships.
So let’s do something about it.
How to Break the Cycle of Performance Anxiety: Advice for Students and Professionals
Whether the nervous flutter before a big presentation, the trembling hands during a musical performance, or the paralyzing fear that accompanies public speaking, you’ve felt the clutches of anxiety at some point.
The advice to follow – coming from a university and secondary school teacher who’s also taught English to business professionals – will reduce anxiety and stop it from casting a shadow on your ability to shine ever again.
1. Prepare.
Thorough preparation can increase your confidence and help you overcome performance anxiety.
This includes rehearsing.
How many times?
As many times as it takes. If you don’t feel comfortable practicing in front of a mirror (I never have), ask a trusted fellow student or professional to give you feedback. They can see what you can’t.
Overall, aim for balance:
- Don’t under-prepare or nerves might get the better of you.
- Don’t over-prepare as then there’s no spontaneity and your performance will be less natural.
2. Visualize Constructively.
Imagine yourself performing well. Positive mental images can train your brain to believe in your abilities.
No matter what, don’t allow your mind to go to that dark place of worst-case scenarios playing out in a never-ending loop. Negative thoughts might turn into a self fulfilling prophecy.
Go for an optimistic performance narrative instead. THIS IS A CHOICE.
3. Shift Your Mindset.
Even if you make a mistake, don’t think of it as the end of the world. That’s all or nothing thinking.
Embrace errors and even failures as learning opportunities.
It’s what Michael Jordan has done:
Very cool.
4. Focus on the Beginning, Not the Entire Task.
Say to yourself, “I just want to make a strong start.”
You know what happens next, right?
Starting well is such a confidence booster that you’ll most likely continue to perform well throughout.
A neat little psychological trick.
5. Use a Physical Relaxation Technique.
To boost relaxation, tense and then release different muscle groups. Start in your toes and work your way up to your neck and head. Or do it the other way around.
Tensing your muscles for 5 seconds, relaxing them for 30 seconds, and repeating will work nicely. This is known as progressive muscle relaxation.
6. Meditate.
Meditation has the power to calm your mind by silencing your inner critic before you perform. That’s not the time to hear from them!
I recommend the “Pre-Show: Performance Energy” meditation by The Arts Wellbeing Collective. By all means, try out their other meditations too!
7. Limit Caffeine Intake.
On the day of the performance, at least.
Why?
Caffeine can cause increased heart rate, tremors, and anxious feelings. The last thing you need is more anxiety!
It goes without saying that a healthy lifestyle in general can be nothing but good for reducing anxiety.
8. Power Pose.
A term coined by Amy Cuddy (who suffered a traumatic brain injury but still admirably fulfilled her dream of teaching at Harvard), this involves a posture that you mentally associate with being powerful.
Like the Wonder Woman one below.
Don’t get me wrong: The posture should have nothing to do with asserting dominance over anyone. It should have everything to do with making you feel more confident before performing.
9. Reach a State of Flow.
A theory that has stood the test of time despite how difficult it is to pronounce the psychologist’s name (Csíkszentmihályi), “flow” is about any activity you do gladly, even if no extrinsic reward (such as money or fame) is involved.
Basically, if you enjoy the music, dance, ideas, etc. that your performance revolves around, you’ll be so absorbed in the experience that nothing else will matter.
10. Embrace Imperfection.
The pursuit of perfection is futile – why chase what can never be attained?
People want what’s real anyway. And real means imperfect.
So let yourself mess up every once in a while and don’t stress over performance hiccups; shrug them off instead. If anything, they might endear you to an audience that suddenly finds you more relatable.
11. Look at the Big Picture.
Is an academic or business presentation going to boost your mark or contribute to a promotion?
Then a good performance will probably get you there.
This will motivate you to work hard to prepare for it, and that should reduce your performance anxiety.
12. Realize the Value of Your Performance.
How important is what you want to share? I bet it’s pretty important.
If you become aware of this, you’re going to perform to the best of your abilities even if it’s hard for you to do so.
I’m no stranger to this. I have always been shy, so public speaking doesn’t come easily to me. Yet I refuse to let this stop me because I believe in the value of what I have to share. Thanks to this attitude, I’ve managed to speak in settings that I never thought possible: lecture halls, as a uni teacher, and even in high-level educational promo videos.
I dare you to be equally stubborn. Don’t allow a personal challenge to prevent you from letting the world know what you stand for.
13. Be True to Yourself.
Performing is, in the end, a powerful way of expressing yourself. More often than not, you can choose what your performance will include and how it will be delivered.
If you look at it that way, you’ll feel empowered as this is your chance to be your authentic self. Anxiety might come from a need for external validation, but this should never take precedence over authenticity.
14. Let Go of the Outcome.
This sounds like a paradox: How can you not care about the results of the work you’ve put your heart and soul into, for probably a long space of time too?
Hear me out.
If you become obsessed with how things turn out (if the grade or the applause becomes your sole focus), that will put so much pressure on you that it will all prove counterproductive.
Plus, no other outcome, such as simply learning from the experience, will please you.
Instead, focus on the journey of the performance. Relax and forget about the destination for a sec. Aim for flow (see above) and perform because you want to, not because you have to.
JUST. LET. GO.
The results you want will then come naturally.
15. Keep Practicing.
The more you perform, the better you will perform.
As you begin to take pride in past successes, anxiety inducing thoughts will occur more rarely.
Key Considerations for Breaking the Cycle of Performance Anxiety – Instantly
Sometimes, there’s no time to wait. You might need immediate relief from performance anxiety.
This can help:
- Deep breathing exercises
Deep breath in, then let it out. This can slow your heart rate and calm your mind.
Extra tip: Wear comfortable shoes while doing this – or no shoes at all!
- Positive affirmations
Encourage yourself with positive statements like “I can do this” or “I am prepared.”
For more on positive self talk, read my “How to Overcome Learning Limiting Beliefs” post.
- Support networks
Call up a friend or family member and talk about your fears with them. The right social interactions will prove invaluable.
You might learn that they’ve experienced similar feelings, and knowing that you’re not the only one dealing with anxiety symptoms is beneficial in itself.
Personal Experience
I’ve been there.
Granted, not experiencing physical symptoms like sweating or shaking, but mentally battling self doubt and excessive worry when it came to performing.
I didn’t let this paralyze me though. I began breaking the cycle of performance anxiety by first understanding it. After that, I implemented the very coping strategies that I talk about in this post.
Conclusion
As I draw the curtain on this guide to managing performance anxiety, remember that performing means growing. Embrace the journey and acknowledge the courage it takes to face the fear of performance. Each step you take to confront anxiety shows commitment to flourishing under the spotlight.
I promised I’d tell you what happens to the anxiety-ridden character that RDJ helps. Watch for yourself as he breaks free of anxiety and allows himself to shine.
You can now do the same. The stage is yours.
FAQs
1. How do I get over performance anxiety?
Overcoming performance anxiety is a process that, depending on the person and what they do (whether they are a student or a professional), involves:
- preparation
- visualization
- mindset shift
- focusing only on the beginning
- relaxation techniques
- meditation
- limiting caffeine intake
- power posing
- reaching a state of flow
- embracing imperfection
- looking at the big picture
- realizing the value of their performance
- being true to themselves
- letting go of the outcome
- continuing to practice.
All of these are discussed in the post.
2. How do I get rid of work performance anxiety?
If you experience performance anxiety at work, I would suggest that you first avoid negative self talk.
Use relaxation techniques such as meditating for a few minutes every morning before work or prior to your performance.
If you find yourself in situations that trigger anxiety, create positive mental images. For example, visualize delivering an effective presentation and then work toward making that come true.
Psychological factors are involved in the performance anxiety cycle, so the psychology-based advice I give in this post should prove of great assistance.
Here is the video version of this blog post:
About Rebeca Duriga
Well-versed teacher, passionate writer with Googleable work, Udemy instructor, and someone who can’t resist a good story. I’m here to infuse joy into your learning journey, be it improving English, tackling IELTS, overcoming limiting beliefs, or conquering uni assignments with a sprinkle of AI support. Need motivation and inspiration as a student, adult learner, wordsmith in the making? Look no further.
