Performance Anxiety

Stage Fright is a startling description of what is now called Performance Anxiety. We can be anxious about anything we do and usually it is about looking bad to ourselves or others, fear of failure to achieve what we want and we don't like the feeling we get so we fight, fly or freeze.

We can alter the feeling with relaxation or distraction techniques.

We can examine our disaster scenarios and see how mythical they are.

We can attend to the bigger picture and move the spotlight away from ourseves while still keeping in the conversation.

What is ideal and what is realistic?

To use this stuff a diary or journal or notebook is really essential to objectify the content.

Stage Fright

Speaking in public is one of the commonest fears we have.

We are on show and vulnerable. Our self-esteem can be dented and we will never recover! We may blush and look childish. Our uncertainty may show and we will look silly. But tomorrow the sun will shine!

We may be second guessing ourselves and attend to the detail of the conversation rather than the whole thing: getting the overall point across and having the odd reminder to associate to gets lost in the detail.

A bit like trying to pay attention to every point of paint in an impressionist painting while looking at each figure and shape and the whole composition at the same time – can’t be done.
But we can sequence the attention and allow our unconscious to enrich each part for us.

The stage-frightened actor tries to watch himself and all the detail of his role, rehearse each word immediately before it is uttered, the overall script and to second guess the audience judgment rather than just doing the play and seeing how it works out afterwards and making any adjustments for the next performance.

Point of View

We can take a point of view about the world or topics, and we are all used to having a sense of this.
But what is taking a point of view. Where are we thinking from and to? Also, seeing things in a different light adds qualities to the thing, person or idea being considered.

How does this affect stammering? Well, if you re-read Ash's post he shifted his point of view and now thinks from a different position. We have all done this when we change our minds and noticed the shift in our emotions that accompanies the changed viewpoint. If you are into photography you will have a very visual idea of what is going on here.

Ask yourself 'How else can I look at this?' Actors use this kind of thinking to play a particular role in a different way, sympathetic, dizzy blonde, serious parent, fussy batchelor, self-centered, open etc.

Each one of us has different parents because, among other things, our parents see each of us from different point of view.