How to control stage fear.

Let me tell you a secret.

Even after 15 years of speaking I still get butterflies in my stomach. I get cold hands. I get a wild beating heart. And yes, I do break into a cold sweat.

But the trick of the trade is to change this nervousness into visible Excitement, Enthusiasm and Energy.

10 Tricks of the Trade

1. Practice – Practice makes perfect. The more your practice the better you get at it. Keep practicing till you feel you can remember what you are supposed to do even if you were half asleep. I have known people who have practiced a speech more than 800 times simply because they wanted to achieve perfection.
2. Deep Breathing – Breath in slowly in 8 seconds till your lungs are filled up. Hold your breath for 4 seconds. And then breath out slowly in 10 seconds or more.
3. Talk to yourself – Tell yourself to Relax while S-T-R-E-T-C-H-I-N-G the word. Your mind has a magic way of listening to you.
4. Exercise – Though it may sound funny but if you are physically fit in terms of jogging and have a healthy heart, you would be able to control your nervousness easily. Just to share with you, I double my cardio to nearly 2 hours of cycling / jogging nearly for a month before any intense competition. That helps me relax
5. Coffee / Tea / Smoking – Though I am not in favor of such addictives, some people claim they feel relaxed using them.
6. Positive energy – See positive pictures and surround yourself with positive people. It helps.
7. Mock Rehearsals – Come early to the venue. Keep practicing at the venue till you get familiar with the sights, sounds and the stage. Many of my competitors have been known to practice for days on a the stage until they get familiar with their surroundings. Familiar surrounds always ease nervousness.
8. External Help – Ask your well wishers to sit where you can see them and ask them to nod their heads in an understanding manner (up and down as a ‘yes-I-understand’ nod). A familiar warm hearted smile always eases nervousness while you speak.
9. Magic Charm – Do you have anything that you consider good luck? If yes, use it. A charm can always do wonders. But keep in mind – don’t have something so big that it bulges out of your pocket or falls out. Just get it with you and know it is there to bring you good luck.
10. Sleep – A good nights sleep always works like a charm – any day!