Overcoming Stage Fright Before Presentations: 7 Tips & Tricks

Lampenfieber bei Präsentationen überwinden

Stage fright before presentations: 7 helpful tips and tricks to overcome it!

July 25, 2022|Tom Schweitzer

Weak knees, sweaty hands, a queasy stomach. According to studies, this is normal for about 80 percent of people before a presentation. Almost everyone who gives a presentation knows this feeling of insecurity. We imagine all the things that could go wrong and feel increasingly uneasy as the date approaches.

But what if this nervousness increases before every new presentation? In this article, we'll show you ways to deal with stage fright and overcome it.

Stage fright, what is it?

The term "stage fright" originally comes from the French phrase "fievre de la ampe," which translates roughly to "stage fright." Stage fright describes the tension and nervousness before a presentation , a public appearance, or even job interviews. Especially when performing in front of strangers, we fear embarrassing ourselves and making mistakes.

For example, when we talk to friends, we're unlikely to be nervous. We know the other person and feel comfortable in their presence. However, as soon as you approach a stranger on the street or get into a conversation with someone unknown, many people feel rather uneasy. And the larger the crowd of strangers, the more intense the stage fright often becomes.

Stage fright is essentially nothing more than acute stress. This manifests itself through signals such as a racing heart, blushing, and a feeling of heat, and mentally also through signals such as irritability and forgetfulness. While some people experience a certain amount of stage fright as positive and energizing, many others struggle with it and feel inhibited.

Why do people get stage fright before presentations?

Overcoming stage fright before presentations: Tips

The brain is a wonderful thing. It works perfectly until the moment you have to stand up to give a speech.
Mark Twain

Who hasn't experienced this? You've gone through the presentation several times and know everything about the topic. But then comes the moment of presentation, and suddenly your nerves are frayed and all the information in your brain seems to have vanished.

This is usually because we're afraid of embarrassing ourselves on stage or during a presentation by making mistakes. But mistakes are human and happen to everyone.

The reason we're so afraid of this is that mistakes are constantly punished in our society . This might happen at school , university , or at home, and it makes us afraid of making mistakes on stage for which we'll then be punished.

Even professionals get stage fright.

Although many people think that stage fright is related to being an amateur, this is a common misconception. Many famous or experienced people also struggle with stage fright. It helps many beginners and those who struggle with public speaking anxiety to know that even people in the public eye experience it.

Joaquin Phoenix, Golden Globe winner and two-time Oscar nominee , once said that even though he's been in the spotlight for 30 years, he still gets as nervous as if it were his first public appearance. Knowing that world-famous personalities struggle with stage fright shows that no one is alone in experiencing it, and even the best speakers are affected.

What is the cause of the fear of presentations?

How nervous and anxious we are before speeches or performances varies from person to person and has various causes. Many people have high expectations of themselves and are very self-critical. If it's difficult to be satisfied with one's own performance, stage fright and nervousness increase.

It's often difficult to focus on the important aspects of a presentation. These include questions like what you want to achieve with your presentation and what key takeaways you want to convey to your audience. If you also have high expectations of yourself, consider beforehand what needs to happen for you to be satisfied with your speech. Set realistic, achievable goals.

Read our article " Defining Goals " to learn more about how to successfully define goals for a presentation.

Reason #1: Negative experiences

Almost everyone will remember scenes where they were the center of attention and experienced a strong feeling of inner restlessness or nervousness. And as if that weren't enough, you now have memories in your head, such as other people laughing at you, which still haunt you to this day.

We mentally file such moments away as embarrassing. Our memory reliably guards them, only to share them with us again at the most inopportune moments.

Especially before a presentation, such memories resurface , and out of fear that such a scenario will repeat itself, we develop stage fright.

Reason #2: Too little practice

Another reason for stage fright could be that you simply haven't had much opportunity to be on stage or give presentations. The more experienced you are in a field, the more confident you have in your own abilities. The more presentations you give, the more you develop a feel for different aspects.

For example, you'll be better able to assess how your voice sounds when speaking for an extended period. Or how many steps you can take on stage without appearing too fidgety. Learn here how to present confidently using the right speaking techniques.

Therefore, take every opportunity offered to improve your skills. Because here too, practice makes perfect!

Did you know? Stage fright can also be helpful.

Many people who suffer from stage fright wish they could simply switch it off. They don't realize that the energy contained within stage fright can be channeled into valuable experiences . Therefore, fighting against it is not advisable.

Transform the energy of your fear

Especially if you suffer from severe stage fright, it's important to realize that you experience it more intensely than your audience. Often, your anxiety isn't visible to others , or at least not as strong as you imagine. What your listeners will notice, however, are your reactions to the anxiety, such as a rigid facial expression, hurried movements, or shallow breathing.

Our breathing plays a particularly important role when we experience stage fright. When we feel anxious or even panicky, we usually breathe very deeply, just enough to avoid fainting. However, this often keeps us stuck in the feeling of anxiety.

To overcome this blockage, it's important to breathe more deeply and for longer periods, allowing energy to flow freely again. This is one of the reasons why stage fright improves after a few minutes of presentation, allowing you to get into the flow of your presentation.

Stage fright or fear of public speaking?

Stage fright, as already mentioned, is perfectly normal and can even be useful. Even experienced speakers sometimes struggle with it and are accompanied by nervousness and tension during public appearances. But that's not necessarily a bad thing.

When experiencing stage fright, the body releases adrenaline , and because one is solely focused on the present situation, concentration and attention increase.

Speech anxiety, also known as logophobia , belongs to the category of social anxiety. The anxiety experienced here is based on the fear of embarrassment, rejection, and failure. As presenters, we don't want anyone to notice our anxiety, thus intensifying it. The same scenario plays out in our minds over and over again. We convince ourselves that we will embarrass ourselves and be laughed at.

Public speaking anxiety: What fears trigger your anxiety before presentations?

The so-called logophobia regularly causes panic among public speakers. But what fears actually trigger it?

The fear of being the center of attention

Especially shy people hate the idea of being the center of attention. The feeling of being watched by everyone present can trigger anxiety and cause them to feel inhibited during their presentation.

The fear of failure

If you suffer from public speaking anxiety, you often worry about how your presentation will be received by the audience. The thought of embarrassing yourself in front of the listeners creates a strong feeling of shame beforehand , and people with public speaking anxiety would prefer not to go on stage at all.

Overcoming fear of presentations: The right preparation helps

To learn how to manage your stage fright, it's helpful to prepare adequately for the presentation. While there's no magic bullet for stage fright, there are some helpful preparation tips that we'll present below:

Rehearsals and practice: If you're preparing a presentation or speech, it's important to rehearse it several times beforehand. To gain confidence, it's also advisable to practice in front of an audience. Asking family and friends is a great way to do this.
Visualize success: Imagine how fulfilling it will be when you deliver your presentation confidently and calmly. Even in elite sports, where the method originated, this is a popular way to build courage for a competition.
Observe yourself: Take stock and consider, for example, what positive or negative experiences you have had with stage fright. Also, think about which performances you perceived as positive.

It is important not to focus on traumatic experiences, but to consider what you are good at and what experiences you have had so far where you may have been able to control your stage fright.
Practice makes perfect! This proverb applies not only to presentations! A more confident public speaking style can also be trained. Take advantage of opportunities to speak in front of others to gain experience and reduce your anxiety.

Overcoming stage fright and fear of public speaking before presentations: 7 helpful tips and tricks

Even if you prepare in advance and try to overcome your stage fright, you might still be overcome by stage fright or fear of public speaking right before a presentation. The following tips will help you relax and present confidently right before your talk .

1. Take a deep breath and relax.

As simple as this trick may sound, you can manage anxiety with the right breathing technique. If you notice your pulse quickening and your breathing becoming rapid, try to calm your breathing rhythm.

To do this, breathe in several times through your nose and out through your mouth. Focus on your breath and feel your lungs fill with air.

2. Break the ice

The opening of your presentation and the first impression you make on the audience are very important. Establish a connection with your viewers and greet them.

If you feel confident, you can also break the ice with a little small talk , for example by making a positive comment about the premises or commenting on the weather. This way, you'll quickly no longer feel like you're facing an enemy, but instead realize that your audience consists of pleasant people.

3. Everyone likes you

Imagine that everyone in your audience likes you. This idea isn't entirely far-fetched, since you were invited precisely because they wanted to hear your contribution on a specific topic.

Focus on the key messages you want to convey, what your audience wants to hear, and what ideas you can use to inspire them. Read more here about how to address your audience's needs.

4. Their fear is invisible.

We often imagine that our audience notices even the slightest sign of our own insecurity. This results in us standing stiffly and tensely in one spot, pressing our hands to our chest and fearing the worst.

Even if we assume that shaky knees or a shaky voice are immediately noticeable, the audience usually focuses solely on the presentation and what you are saying. Furthermore, the physical signs of nervousness disappear after a few minutes once we are concentrating on the presentation.

5. Go for a walk

Even though this tip might not seem particularly unusual at first glance, fresh air will clear your head. Furthermore, if you don't have your phone with you, you can concentrate on the fresh air and effectively reduce stress hormones through exercise.

6. Don't take your negative thoughts too seriously.

It seems easy to imagine all the things that could go wrong before a presentation. Our brains get particularly creative here: we imagine ourselves being humiliated on stage, having a panic attack, or just talking nonsense.

As creative as these thoughts may seem, they aren't helpful and do us more harm than good. While it would be nice to simply switch them off, it's not that easy. Often, it's enough to not take these thoughts too seriously and to remind ourselves that they aren't true. This way, we acknowledge these thoughts but can also relax more effectively before the next presentation.

7. Listen to music

Just like going for a walk, listening to music can help reduce stress. Having our favorite music playing and not thinking about our manuscript and the upcoming presentation for 15 minutes can work wonders. Music combined with a walk can also be incredibly relaxing.

How to get stage fright under control in the long term

Particularly shy and introverted people may find that stage fright worsens over time. This can happen because the fear of stage fright leads them to avoid situations that might trigger it.

To prevent things from getting to that point, it can be helpful to develop relaxation or breathing techniques, as well as rituals that you go through before a presentation. This way you can calm yourself and relax before public appearances.

If your stage fright is so severe that it causes you to experience panic attacks and depression, it's advisable to talk to a therapist about it. Talk therapy and cognitive behavioral therapy can then help you get your anxiety under control.

Conclusion: Follow our tips and overcome your stage fright and fear of public speaking.

Fear of public speaking can limit you in both your professional and personal life and hold you back from achieving your goals. However, anyone who truly wants to can overcome stage fright and fear of public speaking!

If you do happen to make a mistake, stay calm and resolve it skillfully. You can read more about this in this article.

Please follow our tips from this article and do not hesitate to contact us with any further questions at becker@presentationload.de .