One day my father assigned me to be the speaker in our church service. It was my first ever time to stand before the congregation. Although my father thought me several times on what to do on the stage, I was still having the negative thought of what would happen on the day of my speech. Few minutes before my speech, I felt uncomfortable; my hands were cold and clammy. I can't understand what's going on with my stomach. I felt something is running to and fro inside. I felt bad that time. I thought I would not be able to make it. But thanks I was able to conquer my fear.
WHAT IS STAGE FRIGHT? Stage fright is "a nervous feeling felt by someone who is going to appear in front of an audience"(http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stage%20fright). What I felt was an example of stage fright. It was a feeling which affected me a lot that time. But how did I manage myself to overcome my feeling is the most important thing I would like to share with you all.
HOW TO MANAGE STAGE FRIGHT? Managing our feeling is an art we have to learn. Hears a few suggestions I would recommend to you. I hope this can help you too.
PRACTICE . As commonly said, "constant correct practice makes perfect". Practice your line over and over again. You have to spend time to practice to gain mastery of your piece. Mastering to play a guitar needs a lot of practice. If you have spent lot of time for practice, I am sure you will be doing good during the performance day.
FOCUS . Focus on the first notes of your piece. Once you played correctly the first few notes, your anxiety will subside.
SEE YOURSELF DOING GOOD. Imagine yourself that you will be doing good during the performance. Our mind is a powerful contributor to one's success. Do not think you will make a mistake in your rendition because that will just take away your concentration. If you think you will make a mistake, surely you will make a mistake. But if you will motivate yourself and think that you will be able to do it perfectly, then most likely you will have it done perfectly.
TAKE FEW DEEP BREATH. Our brain needs adequate oxygen supply to maintain its normal function. Before you come up to stage, take few deep breath. This will help relax your tensed muscle and give enough oxygen supply for your brain.
KEEP GOING!. If ever you commit mistake, don't panic. Relax and take it easy. Don't allow the audience know that you commit a mistake by telling them so. Just keep moving. Anyway nobody knows your piece except yourself and our God. Am I right? A common wrong practice of most speakers is that they tell their listeners that they are not prepared with their speech. If you tell your audience that you are not prepared, you are just giving them the reason not to pay attention to you while you are performing or speaking. When someone in the audience is not paying attention to you, you might be disturbed.
TRUST IN THE LORD. The scripture has something to say, "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he shall direct you path"(Proverbs 3:5-6). We have a creator who is the source of knowledge and wisdom. If we commit ourselves unto Him, He will help us conquer all our fears in life. In Jesus, we have hope.
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