How to Reduce Your Stage Fright by Talking to Yourself. Properly.

Do you feel nervous before going on stage? What do you do in moments like this? Do you somehow try to calm yourself down and if so, how? Maybe you have heard of the technique of self-talk and the power it has but how do you effectively talk to yourself then?

The secret of staying calm and the effective self-talk, turns out, to be in the pronouns you use. It’s all about the way you talk when you’re referring to yourself. Do you say: “I’m going to do this!” or “You will succeed!”? Or maybe even addressing yourself by your name: “Your name, it’s time to put up a show for those people!”

It may come to you as a surprise, but recent research shows that people who tend to refer to themselves in second or third person or even use their own name while preparing to hit the stage are more calm and confident and even perform better.

So the next time you feel nervous or uneasy before going on stage to deliver a presentation, try replacing “I” with “you” or even your name and tell yourself it will all be great and the outcome may surprise you.

Originally published at 356labs.com on December 2, 2018.