I remember back in eighth grade...the nausea, the dizziness, the shaking legs.....like any other preteen out there...I had a case of stage fright. ...a very bad case.
I never had confidence issues. ..I'd tell people I had stage fright, they never believed me.Truth was it was the mic that did somethingt to me...I would be okay talking to people but when the spotlight shone on me....I just couldn't take it.
Fast forward two years..and you'll see a confident girl as comfortable with a mic in her hand as she would be chatting away her friends at the canteen with thirty ke fries and twenty wali coke.
;-)
what brought about this change, you might wonder?
I wouldn't get into the story right now but the point I am trying to make here is, everyone experiences stage fright. EVERYONE. Even long after they've chummed up with the mic and the stage. It happens every single time. And it's supposed to.
If we look at the science of it,it's a chemical reaction in your brain brought about by the hypothalamus which triggers the pituitary gland which in turn releases the ACTH hormone. What we experience is a fight or flight response.You go on the stage, you fear the audience and this makes you want to run away but when you are unable to,your body reacts the other way...throat tightens...heart starts pounding....butterflies in your stomach..all of that which is completely normal. It's just that some people are more prone to feeling afraid than others.
So how do you fight against an organ of your body which is switched to auto pilot?
You take care of the things you have control over.Practice. Familiarising yourself with the content of your speech and the environment in which you are going to speak will help your brain relax.
No.1) Write it.What you are going to speak.Again and again and again.This would help you memorise it.
No.2) Close your eyes and repeat your debate to yourself a couple of times a day(note: never try this infront of a mirror.It would unnerve you. Trust me.)
No.3) When you feel ready, perform it out infront of friends, classmates, siblings anyone and everyone who is willing to listen.
Now comes the final part.The most important bit.
Stage fright tends to hit hardest right before you climb on the stage.
Now's the time to trick your brain. Relax and stretch your arms outwards.This way your brain will be involved in a relaxation process and will be distracted.:-D
Another thing that works is inhale, hold your breath for a few seconds and then exhale through your mouth.Repeat.
Hope this was helpful. :-)
Now go tell the world off =P
