Shaking hands, pounding heart, cold sweats–if these sensations sound familiar to you, you’ve probably experienced performance anxiety. You know how much work and passion goes into learning your craft and preparing for your performances. Unfortunately, getting up in front of a crowd and sharing a piece of art that you’ve poured your heart and soul into can be a stressful experience. You might feel terrified that the audience will hate you or that you’ll make a mistake.
You are far from the only person to experience performance anxiety. Most people feel at least a little bit nervous about performing, and many people experience extreme anxiety. Performance anxiety doesn’t have to stop you, though. The following tips will ease your nerves and help get you up on the stage.
Breathing Exercises
Breathing exercises are a great way to ground and calm yourself because they require you to slow down your mind and body and focus on the moment.
One of the most popular breathing exercises is known as “the whispered Ah” and is part of the Alexander technique. To do this exercise, first fully relax your jaw and neck muscles. Having done this, exhale and whisper an open “ah” sound. After a few moments, close your lips and inhale slowly and deeply through your nose. Smile, raise your head, and repeat.
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Another common breathing exercise is called alternate-nostril breathing. This exercise should be practiced while seated. Position your right hand so that your pointer and middle fingers are bent into your palm and your thumb, ring finger, and pinky remain extended. Close your eyes. Inhale and exhale once. Use your thumb to close your right nostril and then inhale through your left nostril. Use your ring finger to close your left nostril and exhale through your right nostril. Repeat up to ten times.
You can also do more research and try other breathing exercises, such as belly breathing and box breathing.
Yoga Exercises
Yoga exercises have long been known to calm the mind and strengthen the body. Even if you’ve never done yoga, many simple poses should be easy for you to do.
The sukhasana is one of the most basic poses in yoga. Place some sort of padding, like a blanket on the floor. Sit crossed-legged in a comfortable way on the padding. Lean back and forth and side to side a few times to ensure that your shoulders and hips are aligned. Shift your shoulder blades down your back and make sure that you are looking straightforward. Rest your hands on your lap or on the tops of your thighs. It is said that turning your palms upwards makes you feel receptive, and turning your palms downwards makes you feel grounded. Breathe slowly and deeply. Feel your spine expand as you inhale. While in this pose, you can also do any breathing exercise that requires you to be seated.
To do the half shoulder stand, begin by lying flat on your back with your arms beside your body and your palms down. Bend your knees and bring them up to your forehead. Place your hands under your hips and cup them so that you can lift your legs until they are straight above your head. The weight of your body should be supported by your arms and shoulders, with little weight on your head and neck. Relax your legs. Breathe steadily and hold the pose for 4 to 10 breaths. To release, bend your knees back towards your head and slowly roll your spine back to the floor.
Searching online for supine or sitting yoga poses will yield many more that you can try.
The Power of Music
As a musician, you know the power that music can have. You can harness this power to quell your performance anxiety. Many people find that classical music helps them to relax. Try putting on some classical tracks while doing your breathing exercises.
Slow and mellow music is likely to be the most calming, but listening to some of your favorite tunes regardless of their pacing can be helpful. Your favorite songs can energize and inspire you by reminding you of your passion for music. While listening, think about the connection between you and the musician you are listening to. You are about to foster that same type of connection between you and your audience. The shared love of music will bring you and your audience together, and that is a beautiful thought to keep in your head before you go out on stage.
Conclusion
Remember that experiencing performance anxiety is nothing to be ashamed of, and many of your fellow musicians likely feel the same. The previous suggestions will help you calm yourself and give your best performance. Now get out there and perform your best!