Stage fright also known as performance anxiety is the anxiety, fear, or persistent phobia which may be

aroused in an individual by the requirement to perform in front of an audience. In the context of public
speaking, this fear is termed glossophobia, one of the most common of phobias.

Its symptoms are fluttering or pounding heart, tremor in the hands and legs, diarrhea , dry mouth.

Causes:

1. Considering the possibility of visible failure at a task, resulting in embarrassment.

2. Feeling a need to do well to avoid failure.
3. Focusing on behavior and appearance.

Solutions:

Symptoms Solutions
trembling hands and Use small note cards. Place them on the lectern
a rattling manuscript and slide each card to one side after it has been used.

stumbling over words - Deliberately slow down your speaking rate until
getting "tongue twisted" the problem disappears.

the feeling that you Speak slowly. Take longer pauses between
cannot get enough breath – sentences. Breathe from your diaphragm and through your
pounding heart nose your nose.

unwillingness to look In the beginning, do not look directly at individuals. Instead,

at the audience look just above their heads or slightly to one side of their
faces. Later, pick the friendliest face in the audience and look
first at that person.

excessive perspiration Ignore it. Do not call attention to it by wiping your hands or
forehead.

cold hands and feet Do not call attention to it by wiping your hands or forehead.
Make some platform movement and gestures.

hoarse or squeaky voice Before a speech, tape record your rehearsal sessions and
concentrate on eliminating vocal problems. If occurs during a
speech, ignore it.

dry mouth Speak slowly to avoid getting tongue tied. Do not lick your
lips in front of the audience.

tense muscles Use platform movements and gestures.

cramps, butterflies, heartburn Remember that the audience is ordinarily not aware of such
symptoms. Ignore them as much as possible.

wanting to return to your seat Resist this feeling at all costs. The best way to control fright
 is by having experience in public speaking.

feeling inferior Try dressing for the speech in the outfit that makes you look
your best or one that you feel most comfortable in. Naturally,
it must be appropriate to the audience and occasion.

7 Keys to Overcome Stage Fright:

Prayer or Meditation: If you're a believer you can pray if you are not at least take time to
clear your mind and meditate. (On clearing your mind) A short prayer for God to guide you
and give you the right words can't ever hurt. God has promised to give believers words
even when they are under a heavy persecution; Mt 10:19. Why wouldn't he also help when
there isn't any persecution? He would. Obviously you must do this before you speak. If you
don't pray before you speak you might find yourself praying in the middle of your
presentation for God to get you out of it as quickly as possible. Do not overlook this little
gem because although it seems unimportant, it can actually be what makes or breaks your
performance or presentation.

Concentrate Only On what Your Doing or Saying: Finding something to focus on in the
room, the podium or in your own head is the quick road to failure. If you are concentrating
on some external matter your attention is divided and everyone will see that as clearly as a
red blinking light on you head. One hundred percent of your attention on your subject, your
music or anything else leaves zero percent wasted on fear, faces and nerves. It also goes
without saying that you should never give any attention to time. It is another great false
detractor. If you're in a hurry, it shows a lack of confidence, if you go over time you must
be approaching expert levels in your field. Take that as an unspoken compliment.

Ask Yourself One Single Question: Before you begin speaking ask yourself one all important
question. Who in this entire audience could do or say what I am doing or saying? If you
consider the answer very carefully you will always arrive at the same answer which is, few
to none. When I was playing American and Irish Folk music I constantly reminded myself
that I had a repertoire of about one thousand songs. I wasn't trying to feed my ego but I
was reminding myself of one fact. If I were to ask my audience how many people could do
one thousand songs, I would get no answers at all most of the time. When I get up to speak
I am reminded of years of schooling, hours of personal preparation, scores of published
articles and two published books. Ego, no, it is only the answer to the all important
question. The bottom line is that since no one can say or do what you are saying or doing
just get on with it. Waste no time on what anyone thinks. If they could do what you are
doing they would be in the podium and you would be in the audience.

Get Emotional: If you stuff doesn't move you it won't move anyone else either. This is an
immutable rule of presentation. If you are singing your interpretation of Twinkle Twinkle
Little Star pour yourself into it. If you are speaking about the nocturnal habits of fire ants do
it with gesticulations, reverberations and tremors. Ridiculous you say, think again. One of
the greatest influences in my days of performing music was a man I had never met and I
never heard even one note of his music. His influence came from the remarks I heard
others make about him. They all agreed that his shows were amazing because he was so
overwhelmingly emotional and caught up in what he was doing. I soon discovered that
when I got all wrapped up and emoted in my music that even when I thought my
performance was poor the audience did not. Try it you'll like it.
Use Humor: Not everyone is good at telling jokes and humorous stories but almost
everyone knows at least one or two good ones. Nothing breaks the ice quicker than humor.
If you get them laughing early you have already invoked at least one basic human
emotional response, provoking others will be a great deal easier from then on. Don't comb
the joke books looking for the best jokes. Think of the jokes you have heard others say
recently. The key is twofold. Pick a joke or humorous story that is somewhat related to what
you are presenting. And do not pick jokes that you alone think are funny. Use jokes that
you have seen bringing others to a belly laugh. Use humor that has worked in the public
domain. Don't overdue the humor angle because people can recognize filler material very
easily. The other side of the coin is not to ignore this useful tool of the trade. Laughter is a
great equalizer for both audience and speaker.

Get Personal: This is far more than good advice, it is a rule that if ignored will become the
difference between success and failure. I have watched skilled musicians who never once
addressed their audiences. Their performance may have been impeccable but in the end
met with little acclaim. I've heard speakers who know their subject forward and backward
but left people yawning and fidgeting. What was missing was often if not always the
personal touch. You must get a rapport going with any audience on the personal level or will
get nothing else going at all. How can you do that? Take a cue from the stand up comedian
or the storyteller. They ask mundane questions and they wait for someone to answer or
acknowledge it with a gesture or murmur. Where are you from, any one here from New
York? Hey, does it ever stop raining here in Washington. Let me see how many of you are
here tonight; if you're here raise your hand. For those of you that didn't raise your hand I
have a question, where the heck are you? I often started off by saying, thank you for having
me here tonight and it is good to see you all here to hear my music, now get out of here
every one of you. Some were shocked, some giggled some roared but all came to attention.
Sound silly, it is but make no mistake, it works.

See The Crowd As Only One Person: No science is available to prove how or why this little
tool works, but be assured it will never fail. Always speak to the audience as if you were
talking to only one single person. It makes them feel that you are being very personal with
each individual, they can feel the difference. It shrinks the crowd on a perceptional level for
you. Remember that perception is often the better part of reality. It moves the entire
matter to a, one on one. Who wouldn't admit that they are more comfortable talking to their
neighbor or some stranger but not a whole crowd? Approach your performance or address
as if you were doing just that and you will succeed.