Stagefright: How to Deal

What to do to deal with Stagefright?

Breathe. Take a deep breath and let it out and do it again.

If you experience a thrill of nervous energy just THINKING about an upcoming improv workshop or show, you're not alone. It might help to know that this nervousness is normal. We have evolved to be on guard when eyes are upon us. Adrenaline helps us be on guard. Adrenaline makes us strong and fast but it also makes us nervous. There are strategies for dealing with nervousness.

What to do in the moment:

First: Consider your nervousness and ask yourself how it shows up. Where do you feel it first? What is your first symptom of nervousness? Reflect on the feeling and evaluate it in different ways. For example, if your first sign of nervousness is butterflies in your stomach, ask yourself: How many butterflies do you have? What color are they? Are they big or small? Where are they located exactly? If your nervousness shows up first as rapid heartbeat you might try counting your heartbeat. What song or style of music could your heartbeat accompany? A march? Rock? Rap?

Whatever your first sign is: Facial flush, shaking knees, blank mind, or dry mouth, take a moment, notice, and consider your experience of the symptom. Envision color, size, shape, and texture. Listen to the sound. Feel the pulse.

Second: Imagine that you're gathering up the symptom and tossing it out of your body. If it's butterflies, catch them in a net and free them.

If your first sign of nervousness is a rapid heartbeat, try this: Breathe in and out in time with your heartbeat (4 counts in, 4 counts hold, 4 counts out, 4 counts hold).

Third: Be patient. Once adrenaline is coursing through your veins, it takes time for it to clear from your bloodstream.

What to do in advance? Get a good night's sleep the night before. Get some exercise. Eat well. Drink your usual amount of caffeine - neither more or less than normal for you.

What NOT to do? Don't use alcohol or drugs to prevent nervousness when you're going into an improv workshop or show. While a glass of wine may give you the experience of being more relaxed, it also dulls your senses and slows your response time. While a little weed may make everything amusing to you, it really doesn't make you funnier. While coke might make you feel more confident, it doesn't make you more attentive.

To deal with your nervousness: Breathe. Take a deep breath and let it out and do it again.