How to Overcome Stage Fright

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Marcia Brady was told to combat stage fright by picturing audience members in their underwear -- but here are some proven ways to beat an affliction that affects three-quarters of all performers.

To complete this How-To you will need:

Juice
A snack with carbs
A lucky charm
A rhythmic poem
Gum
Lavender or vanilla lotion

Step 1: Visualize success

Visualize success by picturing the performance going perfectly. Studies show that visualizing something going well helps make it happen. Many athletes, such as champion divers, use mental imagery to psych themselves up before a competition.

Step 2: Drink juice

Drink citrus juice before you go on stage. One study found people who downed OJ before giving a speech had lower blood pressure, fewer stress hormones, and less anxiety within just 15 minutes -- and the effect lasted over 40 minutes!

Step 3: Take a deep breath

Place your hands on top of your head or over your eyes or heart, and breathe deeply for a count of ten while visualizing a healing light coming through your hands. This Japanese exercise lowers blood pressure and decreases stress hormones.

Tip: Chew gum before you take the stage. It releases tension in the jaw, which, in turn, helps the entire body relax.

Step 4: Imagine the audience as one person

Imagine everyone in the audience is a clone of one person: your best friend, your wife—whoever is your biggest supporter. This is a favorite technique of stage-fright sufferer Shirley MacLaine.

Step 5: Think of a word

There's a good reason meditators sit around saying, "Om." Research shows that focusing your thoughts on one word -- any word -- actually switches the brain from busy beta waves to slower, calmer alpha waves.

Tip: Rub your hands with a little lavender or vanilla lotion before going out on stage. These scents are so well-proven to reduce anxiety that they're used by hospitals before frightening procedures like MRIs.

Step 6: Have some carbs

Forget your low-carb diet for one day and enjoy bagels, pasta, and popcorn. Carbs trigger the release of the calming chemical serotonin in the brain.

Step 7: Wear a lucky charm

Many actors and athletes wear a lucky charm to help them cope with performance anxiety. Richard Burton always wore something red when performing.

Step 8: Read a poem

Read a rhythmic poem out loud 15 minutes before showtime. Reciting poetic rhymes calms the nervous system by making you focus on something else, and the rhythmic patterns of speech help slow your breathing.

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[GlowStickRaver66]

Step 7 : Put a piece of hardened dog shit in your pocket for good luck.

[MohammedK101]

we can clearly see tropicana

[abooqasim1]

Hi hi! Have you thought about the ebook Public Speaking for Frankenstein ? I got some useful tips from it and was able gave a presentation with no sweat.

[mrsurajbhattarai]

Holla! Have you thought about the amazon book Public Speaking for Frankenstein ? I got some awesome tips from it and could then delivered a public speech without trouble.

[magiclagoon7]

why did they censer the cat in a hat?!?! damn SOPA!!!!!!

[EMalkin71luver]

its tropicana....

[MULTIWOLFMAN12]

I have a talent show tonight and I'm playing my guitar and singing. Let's hope this helps! =)

[TheEmria]

we can clearly see, "The Cat in the Hat'

[thenoobzors]

lmao, when i was a senior i had to present my graduation project presentation to my school in the auditorium, i got scared and dizzy almost fell on floor then i just ran away and left the school. but now i feel much confident thank god.

[Dabetoy]

Good ive got stage fright. And ive also got a spelling bee class thing, i tried to back out but my friend stopped me. During that my friends and i were up there 6 of us and i took down 2 of them. And tomorrow, well 9 hours ive got a grade spelling bee then state then idk.

[MegaSupastah]

theyre bad at coverng stuff