If  you  dread  the  thought  of  getting  up  in  front  of  a  group  of  people  and  performing,  you  are  not   alone.  Millions  of  people  suffer  from  performance  anxiety  commonly  called  "stage  fright."  In   fact,  most  people  would  rather  get  the  flu  than  perform.  Athletes,  musicians,  actors,  and  public   speakers  often  get  performance  anxiety.
Performance  anxiety  can  prevent  you  from  doing  what  you  enjoy  and  can  affect  your  career.
Worst  of  all,  performance  anxiety  can  negatively  affect  your  self-­‐esteem  and  self-­‐confidence.
Although  it  may  be  impossible  to  totally  overcome  performance  anxiety,  there  are  many  things   you  can  do  to  control  your  emotions  and  reduce  anxiety.
Being  the  center  of  attention  and  having  all  eyes  on  you  can  be  stressful.  Your  body  reacts  to   this  situation  in  much  the  same  way  as  it  would  if  you  were  being  attacked.  Your  body's  "fight-­‐ or-­‐flight"  mechanism  kicks  in,  which  is  why  symptoms  of  stage  fright  are  similar  to  symptoms   that  occur  when  you  are  in  real  danger.
Performance  anxiety  symptoms  may  include:
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Racing  pulse  and  rapid  breathing
Dry  mouth  and  tight  throat
Trembling  hands,  knees,  lips,  and  voice
Sweaty  and  cold  hands
Nausea  and  an  uneasy  feeling  in  your  stomach
Vision  changes
Simply  put,  stress  and  anxiety  about  performing  in  front  of  people  causes  performance  anxiety.
Confronting  your  fears  and  vulnerabilities,  accepting  yourself  for  who  you  are,  and  not  feeling   like  you  have  to  prove  yourself  to  others,  is  the  first  step  toward  overcoming  performance   anxiety.  Keep  in  mind  that  nobody  is  perfect,  nobody  expects  you  to  be  perfect,  and  it  is  OK  to   make  mistakes.
The  second  step  is  learning  how  to  redirect  your  negative  thoughts,  beliefs,  images,  and   predictions  about  performing  in  public.  Doing  this  is  not  as  difficult  as  you  might  think.
Here  are  10  tips  to  help  you  overcome  your  fears  and  shine  on  stage,  on  the  field,  or  at  the   podium:
1.
Be  prepared:  practice,  practice,  practice.
2.
Limit  caffeine  and  sugar  intake  the  day  of  the  performance.  Eat  a  sensible  meal  a  few   hours  before  you  are  to  perform  so  that  you  have  energy  and  don't  get  hungry.  A  low-­‐ fat  meal  including  complex  carbohydrates  -­‐-­‐  whole-­‐grain  pasta,  pizza,  or  a  bean  and   rice  burrito  -­‐-­‐  is  a  good  choice.
3.
Shift  the  focus  off  of  yourself  and  your  fear  to  the  enjoyment  you  are  providing  to  the   spectators.  Close  your  eyes  and  imagine  the  audience  laughing  and  cheering,  and  you   feeling  good.

4.
Don't  focus  on  what   could  go  wrong.  Instead  focus  on  the  positive.  Visualize  your   success.
5.
Avoid  thoughts  that  produce  self-­‐doubt.
6.
Practice  controlled  breathing,  meditation,  biofeedback,  and  other  strategies  to  help   you  relax  and  redirect  your  thoughts  when  they  turn  negative.  It  is  best  to  practice   some  type  of  relaxation  technique  every  day,  regardless  of  whether  you  have  a   performance,  so  that  the  skill  is  there  for  you  when  you  need  it.
7.
Take  a  walk,  jump  up  and  down,  shake  out  your  muscles,  or  do  whatever  feels  right  to   ease  your  anxious  feelings  before  the  performance.
8.
Connect  with  your  audience  -­‐-­‐  smile,  make  eye  contact,  and  think  of  them  as  friends.
9.
Act  natural  and  be  yourself.
10.
Exercise,  eat  a  healthy  diet,  get  adequate  sleep,  and  live  a  healthy  lifestyle.
Keep  in  mind  that  stage  fright  is  usually  worse  before  the  performance  and  often  goes  away   once  you  get  started.
There  are  also  mental  tricks  you  can  play  to  help  you  perform  with  less  anxiety.  These  include:
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Focus  on  the  friendliest  faces  in  the  audience.
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Laugh  when  you  can,  it  can  help  you  relax.
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Make  yourself  look  good.  When  you  look  good,  you  feel  good.
These  tips  should  help  reduce  performance  anxiety.  But  if  they  don't,  talk  to  a  counselor  or   therapist  trained  in  treating  anxiety  issues.  You  may  benefit  from  more  intensive  therapy,  such   as  cognitive  behavioral  therapy,  to  help  overcome  performance  anxiety.  In  addition,   medications  such  as  beta-­‐blockers,  a  heart  medicine  that  lowers  heart  rate,  are  sometimes  used   by  people  with  performance  anxiety.
Confronting  your  fears  and  learning  ways  to  reduce  and  manage  them  can  be  empowering.  Not   only  will  it  make  you  feel  good  about  yourself,  you  may  discover  that  you  are  a  more  confident   performer,  too.
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Handout  Source:  http://www.webmd.com/anxiety-­‐panic/guide/stage-­‐fright-­‐performance-­‐ anxiety?page=1;    August,  2014;  WebMD