Hello, I’m Sally Kanemitsu, a specialist in overcoming stage fright using brain-based methods. This time, I will talk about what stage fright is, its causes, and its mechanisms. Understanding these properly is crucial to avoid relying on ineffective methods.
What is stage fright?
Let’s begin by explaining what stage fright is. Stage fright refers to a state that causes the following symptoms when speaking in front of people, playing sports, or performing music. The types of symptoms and their severity vary from person to person.
Typical Symptoms:
- Heart pounding or chest palpitations
- Trembling voice, stammering, or difficulty speaking
- Shaking in the body, hands, feet, or neck
- Blushing or facial twitching
- A blank mind or headache
- Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing etc.
Some people wonder if there’s a difference between “stage fright” and “nervousness.” The term “stage fright” often carries a more serious connotation than “nervousness.” However, because people use these terms freely and without precise definitions, the actual severity varies from person to person.
Regardless of what it’s called—stage fright, nervousness, performance anxiety, social anxiety, or something else —if the symptoms disrupt your normal performance, it’s a problem.
Causes of stage fright
Next, I will explain the causes of stage fright. People with stage fright always have negative experiences, such as “making a big mistake” or “feeling humiliated” in front of people.
In my case, the deciding factor was a huge failure in a music competition.
Common examples:
- Making a mistake when reading aloud in class
- Failing during a performance and being laughed at
- Not being able to answer a question well during a meeting
When such experiences are intense or repeated frequently, your brain associates being in front of people with danger. As a result, you develop stage fright. It’s not just personal experiences; witnessing someone else being harshly reprimanded in front of others can also cause a fear of being in the spotlight.
Some people might say, “You have stage fright because you are overly proud, self-conscious, or a perfectionist.” While these factors can have a negative impact, they are not the root cause. The fundamental cause of stage fright is that your brain has perceived being in front of people as dangerous.
Thus, to overcome stage fright, it’s necessary to reprogram your brain’s memory that “being in front of people is not dangerous” through successful experiences or mental training. This process is akin to moving on from heartbreak by forming new, positive relationships.
As a countermeasure for stage fright, voice training, breathing, and acupressure points are often recommended, but these methods can’t reprogram your memories, as you might have guessed. I’ll dive deeper into these topics in another airticle.
Mechanism of stage fright
Lastly, let’s explain the mechanism of stage fright. When the brain holds on to the perception that being in front of people is dangerous, standing in front of others triggers the sympathetic nervous system, leading to tension—this is the mechanism of stage fright.
The effect of the activation of the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous system upon certain areas of the body is set out in the table. Whether you feel nervous or relaxed depends on which system is dominant.
Autonomic Nervous System
| Functions | Sympathetic | Parasympathetic |
|---|---|---|
| Heart Rate | Increases | Slows |
| Blood Pressure | Increases | Lowers |
| Breathing | Rapid | Smooth |
| Muscles | Tense | Relaxes |
This tension response is often called the “fight-or-flight response.” It originally helped humans survive in the wild by rapidly increasing energy—like faster breathing and higher blood pressure—when facing predators.
Although this response evolved to protect us from physical threats, the brain cannot distinguish between physical and mental fear. Thus, when we perceive public speaking as dangerous, the brain activates the same response. It may seem unnecessary, but the brain thinks it’s doing the right thing to protect us.
Summary
- Stage fright is a state where your body or voice shakes during public speaking.
- The root cause of stage fright is that the brain associates being in front of people with danger due to past negative experiences.
- When the brain holds on to the perception, standing in front of people triggers the sympathetic nervous system, leading to tension—this is the mechanism of stage fright.
- To overcome stage fright, it is necessary to reprogram the brain’s memory that “being in front of people is not dangerous” through successful experiences or mental training.
For a detailed guide to overcoming stage fright, please click the button below to access my book, How to Love Speaking in Public through Neuroscience. Thank you for reading, and I’ll see you in the next airticle! This is Sally Kanemitsu.
