11 Steps to Reduce Stage Fright

1)    Always be prepared! Be overwhelmingly, thoroughly, and completely prepared before taking the stage. It can be horrible if you don't know your stuff. Much of your fear comes from anxiety if you will make a mistake, or if the audience will know more than you. There is one sure way to beat that and that is by knowing your material inside and out.

2)   Be calm. If you are not calm you'll face more difficulties than usual. To cool yourself down these steps may come in handy.

3)   Meditate. Meditation is all about cooling down. Our stress and tiredness make us unhappy, impatient and frustrated. It can even affect our health. Meditation makes your mind calmer and more focused and is a good remedy for stage fright.

4)   Think positive. There's no reason to worry about making mistakes. The more you think about messing up, the more likely you are to do it. In order to think positively, you have to change your emotional and mental approach toward yourself, other people and situations.

5)   Breathe! Fear is a bodily reflex and one that you can overcome. When you get afraid, you start to breathe in short, fast breaths. Before you speak, or while you are being introduced, you should sit quietly and breathe slow, deep breaths.

6)   Exercise. Get some exercise beforehand so that you can expend some of that nervous energy in a constructive way. Do some backstage push-ups or jumping jacks.

7)   Stage Fright is common for all - Understand that most of the people in the audience would be scared to death to give a speech too, and are glad that it is you and not them! For the occasional speaker, it is okay to say, "Excuse my nerves, I am not used to this." When I hear that, I root for the guy, not cut him apart (Unless I paid big bucks to be there.)

8)   Listen to music. Listening to music that will pump you up can help get you energized, confident, and in the zone. Conversely, listening to soothing music might be best to calm your nerves down.

9)   Do something silly. You're going to have to leave your inhibitions behind, so you can't worry about looking dumb. The best way to combat this insecurity is to do something that makes you feel silly or embarrassed backstage like making funny faces or dancing around. This can help you get over the feeling and realize that even making a fool of yourself isn't that bad.

10) Have a group pow-wow. If you're in a band or performing with a group of people, get together right before the show starts to help everyone get focused and on the same page.

11)  Realize it's no biggie. Never forget that when it comes down to it, it's no big deal! You're there to have fun, and you will do your best. Even if it doesn't turn out to be your finest moment, it's not the end of the world.

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