Have you been having stage fright? Do you want to know how to deal with stage fright? If yes, this article is for you as we give you various steps for defeating stage fright. Interesting right? Before that, let’s understand what stage fright is.
What is Stage Fright?
Stage fright or performance anxiety is the anxiety, fear, or persistent phobia which may be aroused in an individual by the requirement to perform in front of an audience.
In general, stage fright is a colloquial term used to describe performance anxiety, presentation anxiety, or the fear of public speaking.
Stage fright is common and is not bad. Even the most confident performers can suffer from stage fright. Stage fright is common to everyone, from Broadway actors to professional presenters.
However, it could be regarded as a state of concern when it becomes uncontrollably persistent and could affect one’s cognitive behaviors.
In other words, it could make you panic and probably forget what you have to say.
Undergraduates who are set to defend their final year project often find it a herculean task to stand in front of their lecturers or even their contemporaries to defend.
Stage fright is the only recognizable fault responsible for students‘ poor performance before their panel at the point of defense.
If you are still struggling with performance anxiety or stage fright, this article will help you overcome it if you apply the steps that will be discussed especially as Undergraduates.
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Steps to Overcome Stage Fright
Below are the steps to overcome stage fright:
1. Stay Relaxed
It is understood that you are nervous and anxious about your defense, especially when it has been exposed that the external examiner coming in is very strict.
No matter the person /persons, just relax your mind and body. Easing the tension in your body can help steady your voice and relax your mind. Rehearse your lines.
If you mess up on stage, don’t panic! Make it seem like the act. On the day of defense, do not solely concentrate on it.
Do other things. Of course, you have been preparing for it for a while. You can listen to your favorite music, dance, and play.
Eat well, but not too much to avoid overfeeding. You can eat bananas before you perform. It will lower that empty or nauseous feeling in your stomach but won’t make you feel too full either.
Stretch your arms and legs to make you feel relaxed and reduce the tension you might feel.
2. Do Exercise
This doesn’t mean you should get yourself worked up. You can choose to walk down to your defense venue if not that far.
Or you can make out thirty minutes of exercise of gently walking in the morning of your defense. The endocrine you release makes your body relax.
3. Be Punctual
Do not arrive at your defense venue late. This will make you too unsteady and will increase your fright.
You will find your heart beating too fast and you will appear uncoordinated to your panelists, which may make them use that against you. Be very punctual.
Arrive at your venue 30 minutes before the stipulated time. Get a good seat and you might as well rehearse your lines
4. Focus on Something Good
This simply means as you step forward to defend, focus on better things rather than look at things that might distract your attention.
Also, there are faces you might see in the crowd that is intimidating or frightening. They can make you forget your lines in an instant. Therefore, focus on friendly faces that will motivate you to keep the vibes on.
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5. Make Sure you Laugh or Smile
Spend the early hours of your project defense day just laughing. You can watch a comedy or spend time with people who can make you laugh.
Gist and talk with friends about movies or trending topics on the internet. Laughing will reduce nervousness and tension.
When you get up to the stage to defend, laugh first or even smile, your audience will do the same immediately and then wait for the next reaction that comes from you.
Laughing or smiling before you perform on stage helps you relax, no matter how short the smile lasts.
When you follow these steps, be sure you can defend your project with ease and come out smiling. Congratulations!!
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