What is Stage Fright?

• Stage fright is an umbrella term for a nervous feeling that occurs in the body before speaking in public or going on stage in front of an audience. Many actors, musicians, dancers and other entertainers experience stage fright. Stage fright also can be debilitating and often prevents performers from going on stage frequently. Stage fright is also sometimes called glossophobia, which translates more literally into "a fear of public speaking." Symptoms of stage fright include shaking, dizziness, nausea, cloudiness, frequent urination, forgetfulness and fainting.
  
  

What Causes Stage Fright?

• Stage fright is caused when the autonomic nervous system releases the fight or flight message to the rest of the body. Adrenaline takes over in the body as if you were in a life-threatening situation. This adrenaline will cause stress throughout the body, causing high blood pressure, an elevated heart rate, and shallow breathing. After several minutes with these symptoms, if the mind cannot calm the body down, more symptoms will pop up as a result of the initial body reactions. These symptoms will make it difficult to speak or act onstage without shaking, stumbling, or sometimes even fainting. Stage fright will usually only be curbed if the mind can slow down the heart rate, the heart rate is slowed through medication, or the patient leaves the stage and returns to her comfortable environment.
  
  

Solutions for Stage Fright

• Many musicians and actors who suffer from stage fright take beta blockers to keep the heart rate at a steady pace. Even if these performers do become nervous, they will not feel the effects of stage fright so severely because the heart rate has been slowed. You should not take beta blockers if you have low blood pressure, as they are primarily used to slow the heart rate to avoid cardiac arrest. Although smaller doses of beta blockers can be fine for people who suffer from stage fright on a regular basis, it should not be a crutch. Other more holistic solutions like hypnosis or homeopathic remedies can be used to soothe stage fright. Most importantly, exercising mind over matter is a large part of curbing stage fright. If you accept stage fright as a normal part of performing, you may be able to keep a clear head despite your physical symptoms.