Know the Symptoms

 Symptoms are the physical or mental attributes that can be associated with a particular issue. In this case, we are looking for the symptoms of stage fright. Knowing the symptoms of stage fright is an important part of trying to avoid stage fright entirely. Without the knowledge of what the symptoms are, how can one overcome them later on?

  Learning about the symptoms of stage fright is a crucial aspect of overcoming it entirely. Each individual symptom has it's own unique cure. The following list of symptoms are the more common symptoms that can be seen when someone is experiencing stage fright.

• A Racing Heartbeat
• Dry Mouth
• Uncontrollable Sweating
• Fast Breathing
• Shaking in the Legs, Knees or Hands
• Nausea

 These are just some of the many symptoms that can occur from stage fright. However, if you are looking for more information on the symptoms of stage fright there are multiple web pages that can help. Here is a list of links that I found particularly useful for learning about these symptoms:

http://www.ehow.com/list_6571709_stage-fright-symptoms.html 
http://business.uni.edu/buscomm/Presentations/stagefright.html 


Sources:
http://www.musiccleveland.com/overcome-stage-fright.html 

Dont' Forget to Smile

 Smiling is another fantastic way to help you avoid and overcome stage fright. But why is a smile such a great technique to use when you have to perform or present something in front of an audience? It is because it is so simple to do and it helps improve your mental state during the presentation.

 You want to seem warm and approachable during your presentation and having a smile on your face will help achieve this state. Your audience will appreciate that you look like you are enjoying yourself. Having a happy audiences means that the presentation will run much smoother. This means that they will clap louder and enjoy the presentation more.  When the audience is smiling with you it will build your confidence throughout the presentation. Having that confidence will help you avoid the fear of performing in front of an audience.

 Smiling not only helps your audience warm up to you, it also helps your own body and mental state. It has been proven that if you change your physical state, you will change your mental state as well. This means that you should keep smiling, even if you don't have any desire to smile. Eventually, you will convince yourself that you are actually enjoying yourself. When your mind feels happy and relaxed, the fear of performing will disappear.


 In general, it is a good idea to smile during a performance or presentation. It helps great a good rapport with the audience, which is a key element in controlling the fear of performing. Smiling will also help improve your mental state and make you feel more calm, confident and happy while in front of the audience. Stage fright is a mental fear and if your mind is at ease, your fear will be under control. This makes it much easier to avoid stage fright entirely.

Sources:
http://sir-tallest.hubpages.com/hub/10-Ways-To-Overcome-Stage-Friht
http://inklesstales.hubpages.com/hub/AvoidStageFright
http://garyguwe.wordpress.com/2007/08/09/fear-busters-10-tips-to-overcome-stage-fright-v1/

Positive Thinking

 Being a positive thinker when you are really nervous can be a difficult task to complete. However, it is such an important part of avoiding stage fright. In order to be able to feel comfortable in your moment in front of the audience, you need to think positively about yourself, your presentation or performance and even your audience.

 The first thing you need to be thinking positively about is yourself. When you are happy and positive with yourself, it is substantially easier to make everything else around you seem positive. Get rid of any negative thoughts that have existed and replace them with positive thoughts about yourself. Thinking about being a confident performer will make it less stressful and less nerve-racking to get up in front of the audience. This puts you one step closer to avoiding any stage fright that could come up.

 The second thing is to have positive thoughts about your presentation or performance. Remind yourself that you know everything there is to know about your topic and that you are fully prepared to go up in front of the audience. Also, reassure yourself that your topic is entertaining and informative and that your visuals for the presentation are useful and creative. Being positive about the presentation itself will allow you to relax and not worry that something will go wrong with the presentation. This is another great way to prove that positive thinking will help you avoid stage fright.

 The third to be positive about is your audience. Instead of assuming that your audience could care less about your presentation, think positively about them. Be able to trust that your audience will be great listeners and that they are intrigued by your presentation. If you go into your presentation knowing that your audience will appreciate the work you have done, it will be far less stressful trying to present in front of them. Overall, this will make it much easier to get up in front of the audience and present. 

 Using positive thinking when it comes to these three aspects of a presentation is a vital technique in avoiding stage fright. It not only allows you to feel comfortable with yourself, but also will your presentation and the audience. Knowing that every aspect of the presentation will be positive makes it much easier to focus on doing your best and not worrying about anxiety or nerves taking over during the presentation. It is a great way to help you avoid stage fright when it comes to your presentation day.

 Do you think you are a positive or negative thinker? The best way to find out is to follow the link below and take a short quiz. This quiz will tell you exactly how to switch negative thinking into positive thinking. It will also explain how you can re-shape your thinking. This link will provide some information that will be very helpful in being a more positive thinker. This in turn, will help you overcome and avoid stage fright.

Are You A Positive Or Negative Thinker?


Sources:
Business Communication: Process and Product
http://www.childrensmusicworkshop.com/resources/articles/stagefright/index.html
http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newTCS_89.htm 

It's Okay To Stumble

 Mistakes can happen. It is completely natural to have a few mistakes while performing or presenting in front of an audience. The major thing to keep in mind is that it is okay to stumble during a presentation. Mistakes can be made even by the most seasoned presenters. Remembering not to focus on the mistakes or stumbles that are made is an important key in avoiding stage fright.

 The main thing that needs to be addressed is not to stop every time you make a mistake. There is no need to tell the audience that you made a mistake in your presentation. If you just continue on with your speech or performance, your audience won't even realize that something was wrong. It is difficult not to react when you make a mistake, but the best thing you can do is just try to ignore the mistake or even improvise based on the mistake. No one will ever realize that you have made a mistake unless you stop and apologize for it.

 There isn't a single presenter who is completely perfect. Mistakes do happen. Some presenters will use the "ahs" and "uhms" to fill gaps in their presentations. I know that I certainly do this as well. For those who suffer from stage fright, this would definitely become a stressful situation. But instead of letting it get the best of you and your presentation, let it be a learning experience. We all learn from our mistakes. Do not look at the mistake as a failure in the presentation. Stay calm throughout the duration of the presentation and keep reminding yourself that it is normal to make mistakes. By staying calm and not letting the situation get the best of you, you are avoiding stage fright.

 The greatest way to avoid stage fright, when it comes to mistakes, is to accept them and move on. Everyone understands that people make mistakes. If you can manage to stay calm and not become anxious about whether your audience noticed the mistake, you are well on your way to completely avoiding stage fright. Always remind yourself throughout the presentation, to stay calm and ignore mistakes.

 Have you ever had a moment when you were doing a presentation and you made a mistake? Did you get really nervous after that incident? If you have, I would like to hear your story and how you overcame the stage fright of making a mistake. Please post your feedback in the comments section below. Thank you in advance for taking the time to provide feedback.

Sources:
Business Communication: Process and Product
http://www.wikihow.com/Overcome-Stage-Fright 
http://www.presentationadvisors.com/bouncing-back-from-a-presentation-mishap-part-1 

Mental Tricks You Can Play On Yourself

 Avoiding stage fright becomes a lot more difficult if you are focused on every little detail throughout the entire presentation. There is one little trick you can use to help relax yourself during a presentation. That trick is, to quite literally, trick your mind. Tricking your mind helps keep you distracted from the anxiety that can be experienced during a presentation. This will continue to help avoid stage fright.

 The first trick you can play on your mind is to laugh when you get the chance. If your topic has some comedic segments, it will help you relax your mind when you laugh. Laughter is a great way to loosen up during the presentation and not get to anxious. When a presenter laughs, the audience will usually laugh along. This helps to relieve even more stress from the situation. 

 Another trick that can be played is to focus on some of the friendliest faces in the audience. Pick a few faces across the room that seem warm and kind. Throughout the duration of your presentation or performance, you should focus solely on those friendly people. While you are focusing on just those few people you will feel more confident throughout your presentation and it will take some of the nervousness away. This is a fantastic way to boost your self-esteem and help relax and avoid stage fright while actually on stage.

 These two tricks are great ways of getting your mind off the fact that you are in front of an audience. They help you relax and lose some of the stress that you feel is becoming overwhelming. Laughing gives that brief comic relief to let your body calm down. Focusing on the friendly faces in the audience makes you feel more comfortable in front of them. It allows you to feel good while doing your presentation. These two tricks are fantastic ways of avoiding stage fright while doing your presentation or performance.

 Do you have any special tricks that you like to use when doing a performance or presentation? If you have, I would enjoy reading the tricks you find usefull and hopefully other people will too. It may give someone else a new way to help them avoid their stage fright. Please post your tricks in the comments section below.
Thank you.

Sources:

http://www.webmd.com/anxiety-panic/guide/stage-fright-performance-anxiety?page=2 

Stop Apologizing

 

In my opinion, one of the hardest parts of avoiding stage fright is the constant apologies that are given when someone is nervous. I get a really bad case of stage fright every time I make a presentation, and even I have a really hard time not apologizing to the audience. However, everyone is very understanding and knows exactly what it feels like when you have to stand in front of a group of people and make a presentation.

  Many people who are doing a presentation feel like it is a good idea to apologize for being nervous or anxious. Allatia Harris said, "Never apologize to the audience unless you've injured someone." This is a very accurate statement. No one will ever be upset with you for being nervous or a little shaky. Apologies during a presentation will not aid the presentation in any way. It is better to just understand that you are a bit nervous and understand that it is okay. 

 This means that there is no need to apologize for your presentation or start your presentation by saying "I won't take up much of your time" or "I'm a little nervous so bear with me." I have been told many times that apologizing for your presentation is useless and takes away from the presentation itself. So, instead of focusing on your nervousness and how it will make people feel, focus on the presentation itself and you will do great. 

 There is only one point where it is acceptable to apologize for an aspect of your presentation. This would be if the issue that you are having will directly affect the audience during the presentation. For example, apologizing that your visuals are wrong or missing completely. 

 Overall, there is no need to apologize for the presentation. It won't make a huge difference in the presentation if you are a bit nervous. Just remember that your audience isn't there to focus on you being nervous, they are there to listen to what you have to say. That being said, be confident and relay the information proudly, because that is the main purpose of the presentation, not to feel sorry that something isn't perfect.

 

 

Sources:

Business Communication: Process and Product

http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/avoiding-stage-fright.html