{"id":18443,"date":"2017-08-04T10:00:46","date_gmt":"2017-08-04T15:00:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.gigsalad.com\/blog\/?p=18443"},"modified":"2025-03-10T09:43:51","modified_gmt":"2025-03-10T14:43:51","slug":"deal-nerves","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.gigsalad.com\/blog\/deal-nerves\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Deal with Nerves"},"content":{"rendered":"

Last updated on March 10, 2025<\/p>

Dealing with nerves is a normal\u00a0part of being an entertainer. Stage anxiety affects performers of all experience levels, genres, and ages. In fact, having anxious feelings before a gig can actually enhance<\/em> your stage presence and performance! However, allowing stage fright to take over can greatly hinder your abilities. It’s important to learn how to control its effects. Here are a few ways to better handle nerves and stage anxiety.<\/p>\n

Prepare yourself mentally.<\/h2>\n

Visualization\u00a0is a mental exercise used by the best of athletes<\/a>\u00a0and can be applied to any performance-based activity. The exercise involves creating a detailed mental image of what you hope to happen. Using your imagination, envision yourself in a performance situation where everything goes perfectly. By doing so, a great performance is actually more likely to happen.<\/p>\n

Prior to your performance, take 5-10 minutes and really visualize every aspect of the gig in detail. If you’re a guitarist, imagine the guitar around your shoulder. If you’re a magician, imagine the cards in your hands. The more detail, the better. Visualize giving the best performance of your career, the audience enjoying each moment, and the feeling of accomplishment after it’s over. You may be surprised at the immediate confidence boost you’ll get after some positive visualization.<\/p>\n

Take away the power of fear through practice.<\/h2>\n

Performance anxiety is partly rooted in the fear of making mistakes. But if you’ve put in the practice, you’ll have more confidence in your abilities and be less likely to blunder.<\/p>\n

When practicing, prepare yourself for a variety of conditions. In a controlled environment, replicate situations where you’d face big distractions. If you have trouble concentrating with a lot of noise, practice more often with sounds in the background to actively work on your focus. If your stage anxiety causes you to be short of breath on stage, exercise for a few minutes prior to practice.<\/p>\n

Mistakes are inevitable. Learn how to recover quickly when you’re practicing so that when mistakes do occur, it’s not the end of the world. Take time to set up “home performances,” and don’t give yourself an option to restart. Do this for all your material so you’re prepared to handle the situation in a live performance.<\/p>\n

A healthy body means a healthy mind.<\/h2>\n

Anxiety is a mental state with physical reactions. When overcome with anxiety, you may have sweaty palms, an increased heart rate, and even shortness of breath. Exercise and diet can help decrease these physical reactions and can also help you have fewer anxious thoughts.<\/p>\n

Exercising regularly can, overall, help you feel better and more confident. Being comfortable with yourself can make a huge difference when standing in front of an audience. Some psychologists<\/a> believe that a 10-minute walk can provide the same mental benefits of a 45-minute workout and last hours afterward. On the day of your next performance, try walking, stretching, or jogging as a part of your routine.<\/p>\n

Sugar and caffeine are both stimulants that can greatly increase or even trigger anxiety in some. You may be tempted to amp up your performance with some coffee, but if you’re prone to stage anxiety, stick to your normal routine or even cut back on performance day. Nerves alone should be enough to keep you alert.<\/p>\n

Plan ahead to avoid unnecessary stress.<\/h2>\n

Be prepared so you don’t cause yourself additional stress. Worrying about being late, forgetting some of your gear, or not knowing how to get to the venue are all preventable issues. Here are a few ways you can make the gig day easier.<\/p>\n