Overcoming the Jitters
It has been statistically proven that public speaking is among the top 5 fears, even surpassing death in some independent studies. In this month’s article we will be discussing the psychology of fear, specifically that dealing with public rejection and some proven techniques to overcoming the jitters.
What does fear of public rejection have to do with magic you may ask? Think about this: you may have mastered an effect in the privacy of you and your reflection, but have you ever been so nervous that the execution of that same effect fell flat? Yes this article may be assisting beginning magicians in overcoming performance jitters; however, there is a lot for the pros as well.
I have taught on a college level for four years, and one of the courses I had the opportunity to teach was communications. I have witnessed students vomiting right before a presentation; I’ve seen students turn ghost-white and pass out in class. What is it about public speaking/performance that creates so much fear?
Psychologically speaking, the fear of rejection threatens an individual at the very core of his being: the self concept. The self concept can be compared to a mirror. This mirror reflects back to us our perception of who we are. If this mirror was not nurtured properly, it can, metaphorically, crack causing an extremely distorted self concept.
The self concept is founded on both internal and external experiences. Those experiences start to paint a picture of who we are (many times who we believe we are). Though I will not cover in depth the working components of the self concept (I don’t have that much space), I want you to get the gist of how our attempt to protect ourselves from rejection creates anxiety.
Our fear, literally, derives from the perception that we are exposing our inner-self to the public’s judgment. So how can we overcome this perception, and thus develop a relaxed and confident performance mind-set? For you beginners out there, you will receive some concrete techniques that will assist you in overcoming nervousness and anxiety that is common before a big performance. For you pros out there, you will learn how to reach peak performance before a show.
The first step in this process is to realize that everyone experiences some level of anxiety before a performance. I have taught hundreds of course in my life time, and I still experience butterflies at the beginning of every semester. What you need to realize is that even the professionals have a routine to get them in the right mind-set before performing. Understanding that you are not alone can ease the performance pressure.
The second step is developing a confidence in your skills. Before a big show, make sure that you know your routine inside and out. Remember the more you perform the easier it gets.
Now we are getting to the goods. The third step is utilizing visualization. Visualizing is a power technique that is used by top performers around the world. Visualization got its start when psychologist realized that the subconscious mind cannot distinguish reality from fantasy. Meaning, as Napoleon Hill stated “what every man can believe and conceive, he can achieve.”
Many athletes from the NBA to Olympic Teams have implemented visualization to maximize their performance. So how does it work? It can be summed up in two basic steps.
- Get into a relaxed state
- Create the desired outcome in your mind’s eye
Relaxation is an important step when sending suggestive data to the subconscious mind. There are many techniques on the subject of relaxation, and I encourage you to do some research. However, I will share with you one that I have used throughout my life. It is important to inform you that if you suffer from any respiratory problems, it would be advised to consult your doctor before attempting this breathing exercise.
To get maximum results you need to create an environment conducive to meditative exercise. Find a quiet place where you will not be disturbed for the duration of the exercise. Lie on your back, and make sure that the surface is comfortable and non restrictive.
Do not cross your legs. Rest you arms next to your body. You want to breathe in until your lungs are full (you should see your abdomen expand), and hold that for 3 seconds. Then breathe out releasing all the air from your lungs. This is the pattern of breathing that should take place throughout the whole exercise.
If you start to feel light-headed, slow your breathing until you feel comfortable. As you continue to utilize this breathing technique you will strengthen your ability to breathe this way for long periods of time.
As you continue to breathe as instructed you want to get yourself in a totally relaxed state. I want you to relax each part of the anatomy one by one until your whole body is tension free. I will demonstrate the tension release technique and list the order I want you to go through your anatomy.
When releasing tension from a part of the anatomy you want to inhale until your lungs are at full capacity while tensing up that part of the body. Then hold the tension for about 3-4 seconds. When you are ready to release the tension, exhale; while simultaneously releasing the tension from the selected part of the body. The anatomy order of this tension-relaxation exercise:
- Feet
- Calves
- Thighs
- Abdomen
- Shoulders
- Arms
- Hands
- Jaw
- Forehead
After systematically relaxing each of the above body parts you should experience a deep state of relaxation. Now you are ready to send your suggestive data. I want you to picture in your mind’s eye you performing your routine flawlessly. You need to visualize every detail you can possibly imagine.
Keep in mind that the more senses you involve in this exercise the more powerful the effect to your subconscious mind. Visualize yourself calm, relaxed and executing every move perfectly. This will plant this seed of confidence and assist in eliminating self doubt and counter act any self-defeating believe systems.
Confidence is a key factor to peak performance and this exercise will assist both the beginner as well as the pro in consistently and deliberately maximizing performances. The late Bruce Lee once stated, “take what is useful, and reject what is useless”, which gives validation to experimentation.
The only way we are going to know what is useful and what is useless is to apply it directly in our lives. I challenge you not just to read these articles, but experiment with them and determine for yourself if these principles work.
Please “like” the value of this article: