Performance Anxiety – How to Understand and Overcome it
A few weeks back, I decided I would take part in the “Adult” competition at our local dance festival. I am not much of a dancer, but am fairly confident and never let my ability (or lack of) stop me from doing something. The chap I picked to dance with however, was a different story! It is an odd feeling holding someone who is rigid and shaking at the same time!
I couldn’t help but think of him when watching some of the couples on Strictly Come Dancing who appear to be getting eaten alive with nerves. What causes this, and how can people overcome it, I wondered? Performance anxiety is a reaction to a perceived threat, be it from outside influences such as the other couples, the judges, the audience – or from yourself ie worrying that you will mess up, fall over or faint! Our heart race increases which is then followed by a surge of adrenalin – much like when you are on a scary ride at the fair.
How come I don’t get nerves and others do? It wasn’t always the case. I can vividly remember being about 9 years old, and being part of a church choir which was about to be filmed for “songs of praise” – I was one of about 100 children, but I can still remember that feeling of abject terror on the approach to that church hall! That was my one moment that I let nerves get the better of me – I didn’t get to sing that night, and I regretted it for years later. But, I will never forget the way I felt.
It took me a good 20 years to get over being shy and self-conscious, and I think the crux of the matter is that I no longer worry what people think of me. If I go wrong, so what! This is part of being human. But anxiety can be controlled, and confidence is a learnable skill.
Performance anxiety unfortunately kicks in when we least want it to and is usually in direct correlation to how important the event is to us – be it in our dancing, acting, making a speech, taking an exam or even being interviewed for a job. It is the fear of being judged (and not coming up to scratch) that frightens us.
Anxiety feels like this: negative thoughts, sweaty palms, distracted, shaking muscles, cramping and butterflies in tummy, dry mouth, difficulty in breathing.
Nice, eh! So, how do we get rid of these?
The most important ones
• Make sure you are fully prepared. Know the dance,
• Breathe properly, this will help you relax. Deep breathe in through your nose for 5 small counts, hold for 5, then breathe out slowly for five counts. Think “calm” on your out-breath.
• Smile, think positive thoughts. This is meant to be fun.
• Do a warm up. Get your body moving. Don’t go on the floor “cold”, this will help you relax your muscles
• Mental rehearsal. Go through your routine in your head as often as you can. If you do this often enough, your body will do what you want it to on the day without you having to think about it in the slightest.
If all else fails – a drop of “Bach’s Rescue Remedy” might do the trick for you!
But remember
A bit of anxiety is a good thing. It gets your blood pumping, can increase your concentration and can add something to a fast paced dance.
