do any of you guys suffer this? i gave a presentation 1 hour ago, and im still not recovered! the worse thing is, i was presenting Jari and the music of Ensiferum and Wintersun. for some reason when i show people music i love, i go nuts. that is bad on its own, then when a part that i love comes up, it gets worse. my hands were shaking the whole time, and when the solo came on my head started to shake a little. it was only a little because i was trying, for the life of me, not to shake. you dont even want to know how i feel when I play guitar/keyboard in front of people... ive nearly collapsed before.

do you guys know anything that really works for this. people say it takes time, but uh, im 20, and it wouldnt get better if i died because of it. discuss anything about anxiety, or similar, here. and believe me, alcohol or weed does NOT help ME with this. do you guys know anything that really does help, and not just that old "picture them naked" bullshit, because that doesnt work either, and i dont see how it could. in fact, HAHA, that would go terrible. if i pictured the attractive girls in my class naked, there is no way i could focus.

Well, for marching band, I've gotten more nervous as the year gone by for each show. I guess because I've grown to realize how serious these shows were and how I had to work hard to pull off a good show.

This may sound corny, but all you have to do is breathe. Take a deep breath in for a couple seconds, slowly. Then let it out slowly. do that until you feel a little relieved. If you feel lightheaded, don't do it.

Second; ignore the audience. On some level, you're gonna have to get it in your skull that you aren't there to prove anything to anyone. Fuck everyone. You're there to play because you enjoy playing, and you enjoy playing as well as you possibly can. If you mess up, recover, and keep playing. Don't stop.

If you do those things and get in that state of mind, you should do fine.

Or the alternative is you have an anxiety disorder possibly, so you'll have to go to the doctor and find out what's wrong, get some medicine. But that's unlikely.

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thanks for the words. i really hate paying doctors for shit like this, and i dont think its a huge disorder either. but why would i still feel it after the presentation is over. or maybe its normal for it to take a while to wear off.

everything was good except for this.

bad advice. EYE CONTACT MAKES OR BREAKS YOUR PRESENTATION.


i took speech a few semseters ago and absolutely bosshogged it. breathing correctly is imperative, like compelled mentioned. also, i found practicing in the mirror to be really helpful. the more times you practice your speech, the more natural it comes.

lastly, have fun with it. instead of ignoring the audience pretend like they are your friends and you are telling a funny ass story at a party or something. people will be more interested in your speech if you yourself seem like you find it interesting. don't read right off of note cards either.

if all else fails, smoke some pot (bet you didnt see that coming)

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If you only suffer from anxiety when you're presenting something infront of a group of people, chances are you don't have an anxiety disorder. Some people just get more nervous than others. You feel all worked up afterwards because you've got a whole mess of hormones running around your system and, like any other drug, doesn't just stop; it comes down.

I'm not an anxious or nervous person. I naturally get nervous when I'm the center of attention and am performing/presenting something, but its nothing really terrible (and at shows it ends up helping).

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Been their man. My first presentation i did i turned red, studdard, and shook. However, after awhile i just got use to it and stopped being nervous. Walking around a little while doing my presentation helped me a lot instead of just standing in one place.

But when i sing in front of people till this day i feel like I'm shacking to pieces. But i don't do it a lot so i cant get use to it.

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thats a great approach, and i wanted to, but i just wasnt able to this time. i didnt read from the notes/screen. at least i got that much rig
yeah, thats why im not freaked about it. just wanted to discuss it.

exactly. i mean, any progress i could make would probably wear away over time because its to infrequent. im sure if i presented every day for a week, and then didnt for a year, i would lose the progress.

I'm not saying don't look at the audience. Just don't focus on their eyes. Stare off into space when you look at them. I get a little nervous talking to someone I don't know if I look into their eyes.

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i hate presenting shit, more than anything else you can do for school.

my advice is this. be able to recite what you have to say forwards and backwards. know it completely by heart. too often i see people make grammatically bad notes and abbreivations and that kind of thing which is fine if youre great at public speaking, but obviously that isnt the case here. if you feel the need to use notecards sometime, write out complete sentences. when people get up and start presenting off of very brief notes its easy to tell because they try to wing the grammar and get tripped up

knowing the stuff will give you more confidence, which is exactly what you need in the first place.

on a side note i know what you mean about getting excited showing somebody music. i get the same exact way, i enjoy the music so much and i want someone else to feel the same way about it

when it comes to public performance i get a tiny bit anxious before playing but that immediately dissolves when im on stage, and it is the greatest feeling ever. if you dont experience that playing your music for other people i feel sorry for you, because while i get nervous making shitty presentations, playing guitar for people is what i enjoy most

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I'm usually pretty good at Presentations, I get nervous before it starts, but while it goes on I am very calm and confident.

I still get pain attacks time to time, a few years ago, I used to get them TERRIBLY bad. I went to my doctor about it, and he prescribed me heart burn medication.......

Even though I told him they were definitely panic attacks. Ever since then I've been skeptical of going to him for health advice.

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i used to be terrible at this, in my earlier teen years. when i was little i did a speech about my dog and won some 4-H thing and was on the telly and everything. and now i'm okay with it again. but in middle school and around there, it was awful, i always worried about it for days in advance, my hands would turn cold and clammy, i'd breathe too fast, turn red, stutter, ..man, all sorts of things. then i somehow got over it, and realized that, at least for class presentations, no one cares. they're drawing a picture on their notes or worrying about their own presentation instead of listening to you, anyway. it's easier still for group presentations, because you can think maybe they're looking at someone else in the group....otherwise, sure they're tough. most people worry about it. other than that, i d'no how to help you. mtfbwy.

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last time i gave a speech in front of a class i did a report on UFO abduction literature.

i had to explain to people that the main focus of the literature i chose was about how aliens impregnate women across the world and steal the unborn half-breed children to be used used as slave labor.

i drew up on the big board what these aliens looked like, i mean, a whole power point presentation about the sexual undertones of UFO literature. the whole deal on that shit is aliens and humans romancing, exploring thier bodies, intergalactic sexual relations, fucking......thats it.

it just seemed like a killer idea.............then i had actually go up in front and do a speech on it.......man that was tough.

the only thing i can think of is obvious......rehearse the speech,rehearse whatever your gonna do like a band would do music......the whole fucking speech or whatever too. i didnt do this and i got a shit grade anyway....i think the teacher didnt respect the topic<the fucker gave me my choice on a topic, of course im gonna pick something wierd>.

anxiety is unavoidable, i still get it and ive been playing live shows for around 10 years, you gotta bring your A game and wear your game face and say fuck it, burn that fucking barn down.

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If you know your shit backwards and forwards, and have a general idea of the order in which you're going to present specific points, just let loose. I have terrible stage fright, but that's because I'm not confident in my musical ability. If I know what I'm talking about well (and if not, I wing it) I feel proud of myself and think "yeh I'm top shit, I know this better than all of these losers combined" and do the rest fueled solely by the self-induced ego trip.

Just remember:

You're top shit.

People suck and don't deserve your presence.

People don't really care.

Embarassment evolved as an emotion at the time when humans lived in small groups and people cared about what others in the group did. Now the herd has grown, and people don't give a shit.

Dude seriously the more experience you get in these kind of environments the better. Thats sometimes the only real solution and cure.

I still get anxious and somewhat nervous playing music in front of people. not liek close friends but say.. friends that haven't heard me play before and htey come over.

But i mean also its kind of my job in the marine corps is to give presentations and present material. Just doing it again and again and slowing down to focus is what its all about. Its hard... very fucking hard, but eventually it gets easier.. and easier.... and easier, to the point where its just natural.

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You should take a speech class. I know some people that have who were horrified of giving speeches and it helped them. Something like that should stick with you at least at a moderate level.

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Some good points...when it comes down to it, it is mainly about being competent in what you are doing and having confidence within yourself.

Who's going to give a shit in 100 years?

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Last performance I did I was really fucking anxious beforehand. As soon as I started playing, I was fine. Guess you're not as lucky.


Hmm, maybe you could just picture the hot chicks naked, picture yourself fucking them (you're gonna have to extend the strap to cover the stag), and then imagine the feeling afterwoods, and you should be calm .

WHEN PERFORMING, THE AUDIENCE IS YOURS, DO WITH THEM WHAT YOU WILL. ANYTHING YOU LIKE, YOU OWN THEM. WHENEVER I PRESENT I ACT LIKE A TOTAL ARSECLOWN AND MAKE EVERYONE LAUGH AND BE THE BIGGEST WANKER I CAN BECAUSE ITS SO FUNNY, AND PEOPLE THINK ITS FUNNY. NO THEY AREN'T LAUGHING AT ME THEY ARE LAUGHING WITH ME.

I learned how to deal with audiences in Speech class. There are several important keys I picked up that are very useful-

1. Always start out with a joke or something the audience can relate with. This is not only a great way to start out for the crowd, but it helps you relax, as well.

2. Talk as deliberately as possible. This isn't to say slowly, just deliberately. When you speed up, you will frequently make use of the sound "uh", which is a big speech no-no. Even worse, you could talk your way into derailing your own train of thought.

3. Spread your attention as equally as possible among the audience members. Don't focus on a couple people for too long, and definitely don't avoid looking at people.

I also learned a lot about anxiety between Abnormal Psychology and having an anxiety disorder for the past 9 years or so. The important keys are this-

1. Feel like a normal human being. Don't feel like everyone is looking up to you and don't feel like everyone is looking down on you because, either way, you'll be on your way to a massive anxiety attack. Consider what you are doing to be completely normal.

2. Make sure you bring a bottle of water or three. During the course of an anxiety attack, the body feels a major struggle for air. Since water helps the body carry molecules of oxygen to the brain, hydration is EXTREMELY important in warding off anxiety attacks before they even happen.

3. Flex muscles. It helps you to relax. No, I don't mean to strike a Hulk Hogan pose on the stage, I just mean that, while behind the podium, to flex muscle groups that most people in the audience wouldn't notice. Most people flex their forearms, I find this to be more noticeable and therefore, more embarassing. I prefer to flex my pecs, quads, biceps, and glutes because those are groups you can flex and release rapidly and repeatedly, depending, of course, on how well developed those muscle groups are to you. If your forearms aren't very large to begin with, then it's perfectly fine to go that route (especially wearing long sleeves).

4. If you need to take a deep breath, don't be afraid to do it. I personally don't use this, but I know it comes in handy for others dealing with anxiety.

I hope this helps some.

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yes, good points. im no stranger to flexing the muscles to relax them, i learned that on winter nights, when i shake. the water, however, i hadnt thought of, which also sounds like a good "breather" moment. i dont talk fast, so its pretty much naturally paced, and i never say "uh". though, i find it very annoying when people do, and after about 5 in one minute, i begin to count how often they say it. on a similar note, people say "actually" waaaaaay too much too .

Nick, haha, just up in the thread i mentioned i hate paying doctors for shit like this, and youve got a prime example there.

HAHA. When I gave my speech last fucking night in my speech class, this is what I did: Do Not allow your legs to hop up and down while sitting down like I see everyone do, and breathe deeply for a while. When you get tired, yawn it off, then you are just feeling....cool.

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on the other hand, a good burst of desk blastbeating is always good


fucking GR1M

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Only if you want people like me to stare you down until you stop.

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I've had a couple panic attacks and I've learned to know what to expect and how to ride them out so they stop. I'd get rapid heartbeat, flushing skin, clamminess, hard to breathe, and sometimes my guts would feel like they were going to melt from my body. I could just be sitting somewhere and it would build up. It only happens once in a very great while. I think it's been 2 years since my last one. I had one at work where I felt so light headed I went into the laundry room after I told someone how I felt, and sat on the floor incase I'd fall.

Anxiety from speaking I've learned from other that do regular speaking to take baby steps in speaking in front of others. I read at church the other day, from my seat, but with a mic, and I made it through okay. It's funny because I used to sing in front of people with my friends,even soloed with them as background, and that didn't really bug me, but the thought of doing it alone scares me. Even though I'd love to do it.

Sometimes knowing your material and forgetting what fear is all about helps a lot. Some people never lose a certain element of anxiety before a "performance, " but they've learned to adapt.

Slow and steady she goes.

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Anxiety is a neurotic fear of anticipated trouble, it's called worry when it's mild and prolonged and panic when it's short and intense. A lot of anxiety is un-founded and based upon the fear of 'what if's', ritulistic behaviour can stem from this and esculate to OCD.
Anxiety is the body's natural way of preparing you for stressors or stressful events, known as Fight or Flight. It harks back to the days when man was the hunter gatherer and had to kill big hairy beasts with sharp teeth. Adrenaline is released which heightens the major senses you will need for fighting or running away and it shuts down any non-escential body functions. Butter flies in the stomach is a sign and is caused by the blood supply to the stumach being restricted as the blood is needed elsewhere. I mean, digesting that last happy meal isn't very important if you're going to get blown away by a 12 bore! Sphyncter muscles also relax hense people deficate and soil themselves in times of shock.

I doubt very much that you have an anxiety disorder as it doesn't affect your day to day living or lifestyle but only when you have to make a public announcement or play infront of a crowd. Stage fright is very common amongst performers, you'd be very suprised at how many veterans of the music/acting world still up-chuck dinner before a major performance.
Another common problem is performers 'choking'. This is when the idividual loses his cool midway through a piece and goes blank. Despite playing a tune or saying a line 100 times before suddenly they can't remember and have the look of a rabbit in car headlights.

There's been some pretty solid advice so far. I'd say go read up on the subject or see if there are some self help books in your local library. These might give you some exercises to do to help with breathing and relaxing. Try taking yourself somewhere quiet prior to your performance, listen to a calming tune and empty your mind. Often thinking about something over and over makes the issue far worse and blows it way up out of proportion!

Just remember it's perfectly normal to be nervous prior to a performance! I used to be really nervous playing live with some of my old bands....but if you'd heard the songs you'd have been bloody nervous too

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