Picture this...it is the bottom of the ninth inning, two outs and your team is losing by one run. The bases are loaded. You walk to the plate aware that hundreds of fans are staring at you and yelling at the top of their lungs. Your mouth is dry. Your legs feel like rubber. The bat feels like it weighs a ton. You want to run and hide. (background music from the Psycho shower scene) There are two strikes. The pitcher winds up and throws, the ball crosses the plate, and there you stand, stuck in FREEZE Mode....
If you have ever choked up or had performance anxiety or if you know someone who has, then this article is for you.
But before the featured presentation begins, would you kindly first push your mental pause button. Take a moment to just be aware of your surroundings.
Are you sitting in a comfortable position? Have you turned off your cell phone? I want you to perform a quick inventory of the things in your life that could come up as distractions, such as a problem at work or an argument with a friend.
Acknowledge these thoughts and emotions, whatever they are, and resolve to bar them or set them aside if they arise.
Now review your posture and scan your body for any tension; then let it go. Take slow deep breaths in and then release your breathe from the bottom of your abdomen; do this a few times to get the maximum benefits of release and relaxation. Your breathing should be slow and rhythmical.
Have you established an intention to focus on what you are about to read, to approach this article like a fine five-course meal to be savored one bite at a time, not a fast food meal to be gobbled in a few bites? Remember there’s no need to rush. Having a clear sense of purpose will increase your motivation and help you deal with any feelings of restlessness or resistance as you read on.
Imagine how good it will feel and how more confident and enlightened you will be when you have finished this task. Just keep breathing deeply and keep your face in a comfortable smile. Inhale the present and let go of the past and the future. Also, let go of negativity, self-doubt, and any anxiety you might have. Breathe in calmness, confidence, focus and hope. Release negative energy, thoughts and ideas; embrace inspirational and positive feelings and memories.
There you have it. You have just warmed up for the main event. Ready for the gist of this article? Here it is in a nut shell: DON’T SKIP WARM-UP!
You see, it doesn’t matter how skilled you are in any activity, whether it be sports, speaking, writing, swimming, acting, or singing, for example. It doesn’t matter how many hours you have practiced and practiced your talent until you can perform habitually and effortlessly. If you skip the few moments of warm up before your actual performance, you do so at great peril.
I admit that it has taken me decades to learn this lesson, and I am still trying to fully absorb it. I am indebted to the amazing sports psychologist and hypnotherapist Dr. Jay Granat who has helped me immensely by his wise writings and counsel. I’ve incorporated many of Dr. Granat’s ideas from his gem of a book entitled Get into the Zone in Just One Minute; therein, Dr. Granat gives many simple techniques for helping people train their minds to help their bodies to perform at their fullest potential.
I’m not ashamed to admit that I have struggled with performance anxiety issues for many years. Perhaps it is an inherited trait or even transmittable; close members of my family, who happen to have been distinguished college professors, have also told me that they, too, have suffered from anxious and panicky feelings. In my own case, I never had any trepidation about expressing myself in writing; preparing reports and periodic newsletters came rather easy to me, and I had fun doing them. I didn’t mind spending hours and hours working on an essay or book project because my mind and body might be working hard but I always felt totally entranced. In those instances, I was in that wonderful state, as described by Dr. Granat, of being “in the zone” where ideas and words come effortlessly and almost magically. To be sure, I was never someone writing for commercial success and therefore subject to professional literary critics. But I did get my share of bad reviews on articles or editorials I have written. Although some of the criticism that I’ve received over the years did sting, I never felt like a failure or lost confidence in my ability to bounce back and tackle the next writing project.
But I never had the same self-assurance or sangfroid when it came to public speaking. From an early age, I think I felt tongue-tied about speaking in a group situation. I lived in a household where my parents were always busy working hard to make a living to support me and my brother as well as taking care of elderly grandparents and boarders. There was not a lot of small talk or verbal sparring to help me acquire better oral communication skills.
I had some success in speaking – I spoke, and quite well, at that, at my high school graduation, for example – but more often than not I had colossal failures. In my first full-time job, I remember choking up at an administrative meeting when I was suddenly called upon to describe what my unit did. Of course, I knew the answer; but I rushed to blurt something out…and I felt verklempt, tongue-tied, choked up to the point that I started coughing and complained of congestion. Someone else spoke up with the answer, and the meeting continued without any repercussions. No big deal, in the scheme of things, but thereafter I was haunted by my failure to speak up.
I can explain what happened to me at that moment and what happens to other performers who choke up under pressure. Our bodies are equipped with an autonomic nervous system which operates automatically and without conscious effort to regulate involuntary body functions. One branch of this nervous system is the sympathetic division which basically pumps us up, particularly when we have to expend energy or effort such as speaking in public. There is also the parasympathetic division which acts to slow down heart rate and to rest and relax our physical resources. These two divisions usually function seamlessly and outside conscious awareness to keep the body balanced and operating effectively. But when I was called upon suddenly in the meeting and didn’t give myself a second to warm-up properly, I became caught up in a hyper-focused, self-aware state which disrupted the automatic functioning of my nervous system. This led to the sympathetic division sensing real danger and increasing the flow of adrenaline in my body. Instead of being able to concentrate on the simple topic, I was caught up in a panicky fight or flight state, unable to access the calming effects of my parasympathetic division. I was literally stewing in my own juices, wanting to dash from the room or punch the person who called on me. But there I was, immobilized, caught up in the phenomenon of “paralysis by analysis.”
This fear of fear is so debilitating that many people avoid facing it at all cost: they stop taking airplane flights, they won’t ride in elevators, they will avoid public speaking, or they won’t engage in social activities, for example. They avoid anything that might arouse performance anxiety, choking up, or embarrassing themselves in public. The more time they spend in avoidance, in treating the “false alarm” of their nervous system as a real mortal threat, the harder it becomes to engage in something that in all likelihood could give them pleasure. I, for one, was running away from an activity, namely oral communication, for which I had expertise, passion, and important and creative things to say. If I knew I had to make an oral presentation, the experience felt like I was running the gauntlet, counting down the moments until I felt safe from danger. True, I did not get physically sick and throw up as did some all-star performers such as basketball Hall of Famer Bill Russell; but it was always an ordeal and not a pleasant experience.
In the 1980’s I tried to address the issue, becoming an active member of a Toastmasters club in New Jersey. I rose in the ranks of the club eventually serving as president and becoming quite good. I had moments of glory during the years that I was a member. The butterflies in my stomach were still there although Toastmasters, as we say, taught me how to make the winged critters fly in formation.
Now I want to share the most salient knowledge I have learned from Toastmasters, from Dr. Granat and from my personal and professional experience as a psychologist and performance anxiety sufferer. Above all, a pre-performance routine or warm-up is the best strategy to regulate the arousal of the sympathetic nervous system and to get your analyzer out of the way. Let me tell you the five steps I now take to P-O-W-E-R myself (see anagram) and allow no mind-space for over-analyzing or for choking:
1. Prepare (rehearse and focus): I remind myself that I have some important ideas and thoughts that I want to communicate. I make sure that I am totally familiar with what I am supposed to read or recite; and I also prepare and rehearse what I am going to speak about if I have to talk or say a few words. I make the unknown known, giving myself time also to get acquainted with the presentation area and making sure I have any props, visual aids, or materials I might need. I once gave a Toastmasters speech wearing an donkey mask! That was a breakthrough experience: facing my worse case scenario and literally making a jackass of myself helped to alleviate the fear and stress I might have otherwise felt. In this respect, it clearly pays to have a sense of humor and to have something amusing, playful, or clever that one can say or do at a moment’s notice.
2. Oxygenate (breathe from the diaphragm): one of the surest ways to relax is to simply take a few deep breaths, gently taking air in through the nose and releasing it out of the mouth. As I breathe in, I feel my body filling with relaxation, joy, calmness, hope, and optimism. As I breathe out, I release tension, negativity, self-criticism, and self-doubt.
3. “Warriorize” (tap into sources of strength): I have identified certain acupressure points on my body; and when I touch or tap my diaphragm, my lips, or behind my ear, I feel relaxed, empowered and energized. Squeezing and then releasing the buttocks also helps me reduce tension. All of these techniques help to unlock one’s inner strength which some people refer to as “champion” and which Dr. Granat refers to as “warrior.”
4. Envision (visualize success): I imagine using my voice calmly, confidently, even playfully. I remember a time when my voice intoned with joy, and once again I see myself executing my skills seamlessly Top performers, among many others, have mastered the technique of positive visualization and openly credit it as a success tactic. Michael Jordan always took the last shot in his mind before he ever took one in real life.
5. Relax (settle and smile): when it is time to perform, I stand, settle myself in place for a few seconds, and smile (which releases endorphins responsible for making us feel happy). I pick a focal point below eye level to minimize distraction. I silently say “the Karan Clan Can” as my personal mantra. I thrust my shoulders back, as if spreading my wings for take-off. Then I am ready to proceed, keeping my voice at a calm, steady, leisurely pace.
There you have it. Performing at one’s best means proper warming-up, and now you have ideas on how to create and abide by a strong and consistent warm-up routine.
But let’s not forget that there is also the need for a cooling down period. So activate your mental pause button one more time, relax, breathe deeply, and let your body s-t-r-e-t-c-h just as your mind has been stretching. This is a time to apply heat or cold depending on the circumstances. You can chill as you absorb and reflect on what you have just accomplished. Ask yourself, “Was I able to follow the beginning, middle, and end of this article? Will I remember some key ideas or images?” Or, conversely, did you come away from the reading feeling the need to apply some heat, i.e., to take immediate action to put some of the suggestions into action, to incorporate these techniques as soon as possible into your ongoing performance protocol? Either way, whatever helps us to marshal our courage to resist and master our fears is well worth it.
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