Overcoming Stage Fright with Self Confidence

Stage fright is understood as the fear of getting on the stage and face the audience. Some of the most famous people have had to go through stage fright before they could make it to the “celebrity-hood”. If they could overcome it so can anyone else.

Stage fright and hesitation in public speaking are inter-related so we will be covering them together. Here are ways to improve your art of public speaking and getting on the stage to face the audience with abundant confidence.

• Practice with your own friends and Family: This method is very helpful to overcome fright of public speaking in children and younger adults. Birthdays, anniversaries; the opportunities are plenty. Plus, there is hardly any room for criticism. Encouragement will be in abundance and there is no pressure to impress anyone.

  By doing so frequently you will discover that you are good at it. With repetition you will gain self confidence. After all, it is not rocket science. The next step is to make an attempt in front of strangers.

• Practice with Dummies: This may sound a little weird but it does work for a few people. Place 5 to 6 dummies in a room, dressed as men and women. Imagine them as real people and talk, perform and dance in front of them. Start by giving a little introduction about who you are and what is your talent is.

  You may even play tape with a recording of people clapping once you are done. This way you can imagine them applauding. This will help you feel more confident.

  This method is for the starters and usually not effective on adults. Because they are more in touch with the reality and have difficulty in assuming things.

• Good Introduction: This is where you will need to take help of external sources. Before facing the crowd or coming on the stage express your fear and ask the person hosting the event to say a few good things about you. The words should be motivating but should not increase expectation of the mob.

  I know this young poet who was to recite his poem for the first time at a prominent event, in presence of elite poets of the country. He knew that it was a golden opportunity for him to express his talent but the problem was that he had never held a mike in his life. To make things comfortable the host of the event introduced him as a talented young, shy poet who needs encouragement of those present to say his poem first time ever in public. This kept the expectations low yet maintained the fact that he has got the talent.

• Imagine you are Alone: It really is all in the mind. No matter how big is the assembly of people, no matter how large the stage; imagine yourself to be alone, just as you were in front of the mirror practicing your presentation.

• See Videos of Famous Stage Performances, Speeches: Observe carefully videos of famous LIVE performances. Feel the adrenaline rush in the performer, the enthusiasm of the crowd and the sense of achievement after it. This sense of achievement is a great motivator of getting on the stage.

Stage fright is just one time terror. The above discussed methods are for those people who have never tried to speak in public or got on the stage. But there are some people who have faced embarrassing situations such as wardrobe malfunctioning, bad audience response, etc. In that case, the person should take counseling from a specialist.