Overcoming stage fright [from home]
Self-compassion and other secrets from professional musicians
As we know, fear and anxiety can impede us from performing at our best. Every musician has once experienced the familiar symptoms driven by heightened adrenaline, which we call “nervousness.” These nerves are primal mammalian brain reactions that kick in whenever survival itself is at stake. But nobody would claim that our physical survival is actually at stake if all we do is stand in front of an audience to play our instrument, right?
Some significant fear must be sending signals that appear to the brain as survival itself. These reflexes might be triggered by the underlying fear of losing control in front of others and facing the possibility of embarrassment and humiliation. What could be considered a threat to our ego [1]
How do we react to nerves?
Becoming aware of our fears might surprise us but accepting and learning how to react to them is essential. Unconsciously, we tend to beat ourselves up for lacking confidence or caring for other´s opinions. Is there a better way?
Much of the knowledge related to improving performance comes from the field of sport psychology [2] and from the beginning of this century, musicians have begun applying these strategies and theories to their practice [3].
For the past decades, mindfulness has shown to be a holistic approach towards improving performance and becoming more resilient to stressful situations. Today we explore the use of mindfulness as a formal (meditation) and informal practice (mindfulness concepts applied to other activities) and more specifically the idea of self-compassion as a tool to become more resilient on stage.
Self-compassion as a tool to become more resilient
At this point, you must be wondering how is it possible to improve your resilience or the way you feel when performing in front of an audience while you can not actually perform in from of one. I will show you that you can actually do a lot from home. Thanks to COVID-19 and all the free time we have in our hands, this is the perfect time to explore and set ourselves the intention of practicing in a different and more meaningful way. Self-compassion, you will discover, can be an incredible tool.
When we listen to the critical voices with curiosity and compassion rather than telling them to go away, we begin to accept them- and in being accepted, they can be released. The truth is that any previous negative experiences become legitimate parts of who we are and require awareness, compassion and love before we can begin to restore balance and flow [4].
Research findings show that psychological skills and mindfulness training can improve our psychological well-being, support positive health in high performing activity settings [5] [6]. There is also evidence that cultivating positive emotions — gratitude, kindness, joy, delight — will shift the functioning of the brain from negative to more positive. This will help us arrive in a better mental state to a performance situation and respond at the moment skillfully.
In conclusion, the result of self-compassion practice is resilience, so we train it, not just to feel better, but to function better.
Now, what do we do in order to become more self-compassionate?
Four daily exercises
1. Give yourself some cheerful compassionate words before the start of your practice.
2. Practice performing as much as possible. Do it infront of family, friends or even an imaginary audience. While doing so, observe and train your reactions towards more positive and self-compassionate ones. This will make it easier for when the real performance arrives.
3. Use this guided meditation during your practice breaks at least 3 times a week or whenever you feel the need for it.
4. At the end of your day acknowledge your hard work, remind yourself of all you have achieved.
Here are some extra valuable self-compassion exercises that will help you develop resilience and allow you to respond freely and with flexibility when you are on the stage.
What do experts have to say?
We have heard what mindfulness and science have to say. But it’s time to hear how do THEY, experienced and successful performers, confront nerves and prepare for big performances!
Check out Mindful practicing for more practical, psychological and spiritual approaches to productive practicing and performing
[1] Westney, W. (2006). The perfect wrong note: Learning to trust your musical self. Milwaukee, WI: Amadeus.
[2] Hays, K. F. (2017). Performance psychology with performing artists. In Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Psychology.
[3] Emmons, S., & Thomas, A. (1998). Power performance for singers: Transcending the barriers. New York: Oxford University Press.
[4] Samuel, S. (2018). Mindful crafting: the makers creative journey. London: Leaping Hare Press.
[5] Edwards, D. J., & Steyn, B. J. M. (2008). Sport psychological skills training and psychological well-being. South African Journal of Research in Sport, Physical Education and Recreation, 30(1), 15–28.
[6] Gardner, F. L., & Moore, Z. E. (2004). A mindfulness-acceptance-commitment (MAC) based approach to performance enhancement: Theoretical considerations. Behavior Therapy, 35, 707–723.
