Many people are familiar with it: they turn red in the face and start stuttering when they just have to make a toast at a wedding. There are extreme physical and psychological symptoms that can accompany this form of performance anxiety.

Typical symptoms of performance anxiety, which is also casually referred to as stage fright, include dizziness, trembling, weeks of anxiety before the event and even serious panic attacks. People who suffer from performance anxiety mistakenly believe that they are in a rare minority in society. In fact, stage fright is one of society's biggest fears and 40% of all adults suffer from it.

The pressure to perform is intensified by the apparent sovereignty of our fellow human beings. Insecurity is interpreted as weakness, which is why we are all the more afraid of appearing insecure. For all people who want to do something about performance anxiety, here are some tips based on cognitive behavioural therapy that significantly alleviate the symptoms. In order to control stage fright, you need to learn to understand the physical symptoms.

10 tips against stage fright

1. normalisation of nervousness. Many people assume that everyone else who appears in public has it easier than they do. In reality, almost everyone feels a certain amount of nervousness every time they perform. If you consciously pay attention to this, you will realise how many hands tremble during public appearances. It is important to see your own nervousness as normal and human. Once you have made a start, the symptoms will disappear relatively quickly.

2. minimising the feeling of anticipation. The worst moment in performance anxiety is waiting for the moment, i.e. anticipatory anxiety. Anticipatory anxiety can be minimised by avoiding nervousness about your own nervousness. Once the symptoms start, they are more difficult to control. In the time leading up to the performance, you should distract yourself. Immediately before the event, you can reduce the adrenaline rush by breathing deeply and evenly. Meditation also works well.

3. productive preparation. Distraction is good against anticipatory anxiety, but it is just as important to practise and prepare. It's best to practise in front of the mirror. The beginning should be so good that you can memorise it in your sleep. After the beginning, everything becomes easier. Good preparation at the beginning reduces the risk of prolonged anxiety during the performance.

4. knowledge of the surroundings. It is best to familiarise yourself with the venue so that you already feel at home there. You have to try to find a balance between the controllable and the uncontrollable without letting your nerves get in the way.

5 In principle, you should only continue during a performance when it is quiet, when the applause from the audience has died down. This is a simple way of taking control. You decide for yourself when to continue. You can use the moments of waiting for silence to smile, take a deep breath and look around the room.

6. the introduction. You are often the next person to be introduced by someone. This introduction should be taken into account during preparation so that it does not throw you off course. After the presentation, start with a brief acknowledgement of the introductory words and the audience present, such as "thank you for the kind introduction" or "I am pleased to be here today". This gives you extra time to calm down.

7 Break the ice. If possible, you should start the presentation with an icebreaker, i.e. a short joke or a personal anecdote. You can even make a joke out of your trembling hands. An icebreaker like this will endear you to the audience and quickly dispel any fear or stage fright.

8. take command. The famous tip: "imagine the audience in their pants" often works wonders. This portrays the audience as human and vulnerable and makes them appear less frightening. Their own fear and vulnerability results from the fear of humiliation and loss of control. Neither the one nor the other is particularly likely. Control comes from the right inner attitude and good preparation. The audience wants to hear what you have to say and are not potential critics. For many audience members, the thought of swapping roles with the performer would be a horrifying thought.

9. eye contact with the audience. It is good if you can find likeable people, perhaps even friends and acquaintances among the audience, with whom you can maintain eye contact in between. However, if you prefer to keep the audience anonymous, you should feel free to do so. You have to decide for yourself what makes you more relaxed.

10. cheat sheet. You can write down the most important points on a sheet of paper in case you lose the thread in between. As in school, the mere presence of a cheat sheet often helps to make you feel more confident.