All tagged anxiety

My hand clasps the end of the table as if the stiff plastic would keep me safe. The laughter dies off but gets replaced with banter from other sections of the party. Red Jacket finishes the turn before getting up to grab his second beer from the kitchen.

The merciless hands spin away – fast-forwarding every minute, leaping onwards in great spurts. My awareness hangs on every second that I hear rushing past. My eyes are drawn back to the black and white pane no matter where I turn...

Personally, I struggle with performance anxiety a lot, whether I'm presenting an essay to under a dozen of my coursemates or singing and playing music in front of a larger audience. Stage fright may be difficult to overcome completely but, like most successful performers, I believe that we all can learn to cope with it. I wanted to share a couple of tips which have helped me overcome (at least some of) the annoying, distracting nerves and give better performances.