by Sara J. Petersen

Created on: November 11, 2009

Almost everyone has heard the old 'picture the audience in their underwear' routine. If that doesn't work for you, here are some ways to kick stage fright off the stage before it kicks you.

To start off with, love, love, love your audience. This can not be stressed enough. When you truly love your audience, you will believe that they truly love you. These are your best friends in the whole world when you stand in front of them. They all want you to succeed, or they probably wouldn't be there.

Remember that you are sharing a talent as a gift. You have something to offer your audience. It is a gift of the heart. They have the opportunity to accept or reject it, but most people accept gifts quite graciously.

Don't let a mistake look like a mistake. If you are going to mess up in front of people make it the biggest best mess up you've ever made. When giving a speech, if you get tongue tied, turn it into a joke. Just smile and keep going. Chances are the audience will smile and/or laugh with you. When you forget your lines in a song or play, just keep going and adlib it. If you make it look like it was on purpose, you have nothing to fear.

Deep breathing. When all else fails, take some deep breaths. Breath in through your nose, and out through your mouth. Make sure you exhale completely. Deep breathing resets your body's stress levels, and makes it easier to find that happy place that keeps you from worrying.

Don't be nervous, be excited. This is right up there with loving your audience. Fear and excitement are the same thing to your body, but you have somewhat of a say on which one you feel. If you are feeling tense and nervous, just say 'out loud' "I'm so excited." Its kind of one of those glass half full things. Saying it out loud makes your body believe it better.

Finally, focus on the fun of it all, and not the worry. When you talk to others in your situation, don't ask them if they're nervous, ask them if they're excited, and tell them how excited you are. Believe that you are going to enjoy being in front of people, and believe that you have something worth sharing. You can beat stage fright, and its a good thing because the audience is waiting and searching for what you have to give them.

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