Overcoming stage fright

Storytelling coach Hari Patience-Davies introduces the Overcoming stage fright class by sharing the story of her worst ever experience of stage fright

To defeat the monster you need to know its name. We discuss what stage fright is and how it manifests for different people in different ways

While almost everyone experiences stage fright, we don’t all experience it in the same way…

Did you know that people are more scared of public speaking than they are of death?

The Yerkes-Dodson law and the fact that a little bit of nervousness is good for us

Research shows that adopting high power body language can lower feelings of anxiety and nervousness

We’re going to introduce you to two simple breathing techniques to calm your anxiety - first let’s learn five by five breathing

A technique favoured by US Navy SEALS, box breathing is a great alternative to five by five breathing

Compliment and reassure yourself using second-person phrasing to have the most impact

Organise and tidy your surroundings to reduce anxiety when presenting virtually

Create a preparation routine to help your calm your nerves to use every time you need to give a speech

Overcoming stage fright is also about projecting confidence - here are a few ways to do that with your voice

Confident presentation is also about body language, posture and the ever present question - just what should I do with my hands?

Eye contact is key for selling confidence - but even if you don’t feel comfortable with making eye contact, you can still fake it

When presenting on stage or in a meeting room, should you move or stand still?

But what if the worst happens? What if I forget what i’m saying? What if I freeze?

Hari reflects on what she did to overcome the worst stage fright she ever experienced and how despite all the challenges, it turned out for the best

A list of books, studies and further reading for this course