Performance Anxiety

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Do you dread the thought of getting up in front of a group of people and performing?

Do you feel heavy in your body, with a racing heart, sweaty hands, and trembling in your knees, lips, and voice? Perhaps you can feel your throat get tight, your mouth becomes dry, and you feel like you’re going to vomit - or you have a panic attack.

Feeling like all eyes are on you, or literally being the centre of attention can be very stressful, and can lead to performance anxiety. This is also known as “stage fright”, although it can occur with any task, and it can cause your body to activate its “fight, flight, or freeze'' mechanism - which is why it can feel like you are in literal physical danger when the spotlight is on you. Further, thoughts of not being “enough” (i.e. I’m not good enough) can increase performance anxiety, which can negatively affect performance and reinforce the thoughts of not being good enough - and thus self-confidence and self-esteem can lower significantly, causing increased anxiety and creating a vicious cycle. 

We’ll use specific performance enhancing techniques including meditation and breathing exercises for relaxation leading up to performances, as well as normalizing the anxiety experience to help regulate stress, and learn to accept and plan for it. This can involve creating routines, personal mantras, and visualization exercises. We’ll also spend time using cognitive-behavioural (CBT) techniques to explore and reframe self-defeating thoughts and behaviour patterns such as underlying fears, and perfectionism. 

It’s time to turn “I’m not good enough”, and “I’m going to mess up and be HUMILIATED” into “I’m going to achieve my goals in this game today”, and “No matter what happens, I can recover”.

No more spinning out of control and feeling overwhelmed before an audition or team try-out. No more stumbling or freezing up when you get the ball and the clock is ticking - It’s time to accept anxiety as part of performing, and use that energy to prepare yourself, and show up feeling confident, capable, EXCITED - and ready to OWN your spotlight!