Playing for the Sharks: Conquering Stage Fright
How is it that no matter how prepared you are, when you step into the spotlight, it is like the fresh hell of terror? It can start the moments, hours, or days before the event. It does not matter how well you know the music or material, how long you prepared or whether you know the audience/venue intimately or not.
It is like you are swimming with hungry sharks--the dry mouth, beating heart, sweats, nausea-inducing out of body fear, and anxiety has a grip on you.
You are not alone. Millions of people have glossophobia or stage fright. Actors, musicians, athletes, public speakers and even individuals asked to speak up in small groups can suffer from performance anxiety.[1]
“Fear of public speaking or performing is the biggest fear reported by many American adults” [2]
You either back out of the event or try to shove it all down and force your way through. Or you might try to meditate, some breathing exercises or yoga beforehand to calm down.
There is plenty of coping advice available to help you. But if you don’t feel safe—for whatever reason, then you are not going to breathe your way out of that. Coping is not a permanent solution. The next time is the same trial, the same debilitating apprehension and panic. Coping is a temporary crutch.
How can you turn sharks into guppies?
If you are prepared and ready for action, how can you express excellence through your performance?
Best advice is to get rid of the buried emotions that trigger the fear, and EmRes is the tool you need.
Emotional Resolution® or EmRes® is an emerging technology that breaks up the trifecta of buried emotion, subconscious memory, and environmental triggers. EmRes sessions remove the emotions you do not want.
Henry learned French Horn in middle school and play quite well. But he was terrified for days before and during chair competitions. As a result, he did not perform as well as he could and sometimes it was just bad. His auditions did not reflect the hours and hours of practice he put in.
Lisa’s stage fright was so bad that she could not remember all her lines when auditioning for acting roles. She did not get many even minor roles.
Dominic had always loved the cello and learned as an adult through private lessons. Now he was ready to play in groups in public, but just the thought of being in the spotlight made him break into a trembling sweat.
Henry, Lisa and Dominic (not their real names) had an unprocessed emotion from a previous trauma that was triggered by one or more cues into full-blown anxiety. Most likely they did not know what the past trauma was or what the current trigger is. It is just “happening to them.”
And luckily, with EmRes we do not have to know. In an EmRes session, the moments before the emotion appeared are recounted to the EmRes Practitioner, and the client is then guided through the EmRes process of quietly integrating the buried emotion. The body is unburdened by the sensorial memory of the trauma that was buried in it. The subconscious remembers the trauma as a memory not a trigger. The conscious mind might remember the trauma or not—it does not matter.
Now they can perform without being overwhelmed by a body and brain flooded with anxiety and fear. Their hours of practice and preparation will be reflected in the spotlight. Their excellence can shine.
EmRes sessions to free you of stage fright or glossophobia can readily assist you in self-confident, assured and authoritative performances. Sessions with a professional last 30-45 minutes, and just a few sessions usually do the trick.
Imagine being in the moment, fully aware of the audience, the venue and in control of yourself, your actions and letting it all flow.--comfortably.
Are you ready to let your fear go?
Reference
1. Stage Fright (Performance Anxiety), https://www.webmd.com/anxiety-panic/guide/stage-fright-performance-anxiety#1
2. Conquering Stage Fright, https://adaa.org/understanding-anxiety/social-anxiety-disorder/treatment/conquering-stage-fright
Image by DarkmoonArt_de from Pixabay