Breathing, adrenaline, grounding, caffeine, rehearsal, visualization

How to overcome stage fright

Overcoming stage fright depends on timing: what works days ahead (spoken rehearsal, small rooms first) differs from the minute before (a long exhale, shaking out, saying "I am excited"). Start from the moment yours peaks.

When does yours peak?

  1. Days beforeEvery time I picture the night
  2. In the wingsThe last few minutes before I go on
  3. Mid-showOne slip, and it snowballs from there

Not sure? Pick up Confidently in the App Store or Google Play for one timed 30-second rep, with your ums and uhs tallied.

Turn nerves into excitement: calm your body, steady your mind, face the audience and give the performance you rehearsed, whether you speak, sing or act.

  • Regulate your breathing
  • Burn off excess adrenaline
  • Rehearse thoroughly
  • Accept the nerves

Last reviewed . Eight moves, tuned to your stage: a speech, a concert or a play.

Eight moves, tuned to your stage

What are you performing?

Physical Techniques

  1. Regulate your breathing

    in 4
    out 8

    A long exhale tells the alarm to stand down.

    For a speech
    In for four, out for eight, twice.
    For music
    One slow exhale through the count in.
    For a play
    One long exhale in the wings.

  2. Burn off excess adrenaline

    Adrenaline wants movement; spend some.

    For a speech
    Walk the hallway briskly.
    For music
    Shake out hands, wrists, shoulders.
    For a play
    Move big in the cast warmup.

  3. Stay grounded

    Your senses break the worry loop.

    For a speech
    Plant both feet; feel the floor.
    For music
    Press both feet into the floor and feel the weight of the instrument before the first note.
    For a play
    Touch a prop; name three things you see.

  4. Avoid stimulants

    Caffeine adds jitters to yours.

    For a speech
    Trade the coffee for water.
    For music
    No energy drinks on gig day.
    For a play
    Coffee only in the morning.

Mental Preparation

  1. Rehearse thoroughly

    Spoken lines hold up under pressure.

    For a speech
    Say it aloud three times, once to a friend.
    For music
    Hardest passage slow, then at tempo.
    For a play
    Run lines with the blocking.

  2. Visualize success

    A picture of it going well gives your brain a script.

    For a speech
    See your first line land.
    For music
    Hear the opening bars at tempo.
    For a play
    Walk your entrance in your mind.

  3. Shift your focus to the audience

    Less room for watching yourself.

    For a speech
    Pick one listener and answer them as if they had just asked.
    For music
    Think of the mood you want the room to feel.
    For a play
    Play to your scene partner.

  4. Accept the nerves

    Naming the feeling lets it pass.

    For a speech
    Whisper "I am excited" first.
    For music
    Let a shaky bar happen; keep playing.
    For a play
    Pour the buzz into your first line.

Do one rep before the real one: take the free 30-second testFree on iPhone and Android

Evidence behind the body moves

Overcoming stage fright means lowering the body's alarm and changing what the mind does with it.

Body moves and the evidence
MoveWhat was testedWhat happened
Regulate your breathingDaily five minute breathwork (Cell Reports Medicine, 2023)Cyclic sighing, a long exhale, beat mindfulness meditation for mood and breathing rate
Burn off excess adrenaline36 trials of one exercise bout (Depression and Anxiety, 2015)A small but real drop in state anxiety
Avoid stimulantsFDA consumer guidance on caffeineToo much brings jitters; 400 mg a day (two to three 12-ounce cups) is not generally tied to harm in most adults

Evidence behind the mind moves

Accept the nerves
In a 2014 study in the Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, saying "I am excited" aloud beat trying to settle down: people reported more excitement and gave stronger performances.
Visualize success and Rehearse thoroughly
AmberWillo's eight ways to overcome stage fright pairs both with successive approximation: an empty room, then small meetings, then larger presentations.

Practise the moves before the night

Rehearse the moves where it is safe

Move nine, if you like: talk out loud for one short timed round, have face and voice rated, then step on stage with one rep already done today. Confidently, on iPhone or Android, throws two unplanned words your way, times you for thirty seconds and tallies the ums and uhs.

Take the free 30-second testFree on iPhone and Android

For the moves that need real faces, AmberWillo runs small live video groups where you take a turn speaking, hear notes afterward and go again, free to begin. Its five ways to overcome stage fright advise deep breathing at least twice a day at first, learned while calm before you lean on it under stress.

How do you practise this with nobody around? A timed solo round on your phone covers moves 1, 5 and 8.

Once the nerves stop running the show, the next step is learning how to improve public speaking itself. For speeches in particular, a set of public speaking tips about pace, pauses and eye contact picks up the rest.

When the moves are not enough

Exposure therapy is a treatment that faces a feared situation in planned steps, sometimes alongside relaxation exercises. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) teaches new ways of thinking about and reacting to that situation. NIMH calls CBT a common choice, and says doing it in a group brings its own benefits. A therapist or a physician can judge if it fits your case.

When speaking is the one stage that scares you, the clinical name is glossophobia, and its treatment options are set out in full.

Reader questions

How to cure stage fright fast?

You turn it down rather than cure it. In the last minute: two long exhales, shake out, feet pressed down, then "I am excited".

What are 8 ways to overcome stage fright?

The eight moves above, from breathing to accepting the nerves. Rehearsal is the easiest to start: one scored round on your phone already counts.

What is the 3-3-3 rule for anxiety?

AmberWillo's guide to overcoming stage fright in public speaking calls it a simple grounding trick for overwhelmed moments, made for kids' short spells of anxiety, and no substitute for professional treatment.

What drink calms anxiety?

Plain water. Skip coffee, energy drinks and alcohol before the show; FDA links too much caffeine to jitters, and AmberWillo advises limiting caffeine, sugar and alcohol.

How is glossophobia treated?

NIMH lists CBT, exposure therapy and, for some, medicine from a doctor.

How do I stop being scared of stage fright?

Climb in small steps: an empty room, then three or four people, then more. Online, AmberWillo starts people with speaking turns of about ten seconds.

Sources

  1. Balban et al. (2023), Cell Reports Medicine, PMID 36630953
  2. Ensari et al. (2015), Depression and Anxiety, PMID 25899389
  3. FDA: Spilling the Beans, caffeine limits
  4. Brooks (2014), Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, PMID 24364682
  5. NIMH: Social Anxiety Disorder, More Than Just Shyness
  6. AmberWillo: 8 ways to overcome stage fright
  7. AmberWillo: 5 ways to overcome stage fright
  8. AmberWillo: Overcome stage fright in public speaking

This page shares general information and is no substitute for medical care. If nerves keep you off the stage, talk with a therapist or your doctor.

Last reviewed .