Anxiety on Stage: Varieties, Activators, and Strategies for Control
Feeling nervous before stepping up to the plate? Learn how to tackle performance anxiety with practical tips and regain confidence in high-pressure situations. Cope with stage fright, sexual anxiety, or test jitters, and conquer your fear in public speaking, sports, and intimate encounters.
Performance anxiety refers to the sudden, intense fear that strikes when you feel you need to perform. Whether it's giving a speech or finally making love to your crush, the "plate" can be various tasks shrouded in pressure. Stage fright and sexual performance anxiety (SPA) are common forms, but performance anxiety extends beyond these. Interviews, sports events, and exams are among the many possible triggers.
Eager to dive deeper into this sweat-inducing phenomenon? Read on for a comprehensive guide on performance anxiety and its solutions.
What is Performace Anxiety?
Performance anxiety is a type of sudden, intense panic that kicks in when you feel the need to perform. Any situation enveloped by pressure to achieve can ignite performance anxiety. Maybe it's the crowd eagerly waiting for a winning touchdown pass, or maybe it's your partner's anticipation of an orgasm. Regardless of the specifics, the pressure demands a response.
Here's a breakdown of common performance anxiety types.
Stage fright
Battered by stage fright before you have to speak, sing, or dance in front of people? You've got stage fright.
Of course, public speaking isn't always performed on a stage. Unscripted presentations, board meetings, and wedding toasts can all trigger stage fright.
Heads up: Glossophobia, a social phobia related to public speaking, is worth considering as a factor for social anxiety disorder.
Sexual Performance Anxiety
Sexual performance anxiety (SPA) sets in when sexual encounters fill you with anxiety. This is most commonly linked to erectile dysfunction and premature ejaculation for people with a penis, and decreased libido for people with a vulva.
People with SPA may experience it for a variety of reasons, including an overactive imagination or insecurities about their body.
Athletic Performance Anxiety
Athletic performance anxiety (APA), aka sports anxiety, will sound familiar to anyone following Simone Biles' withdrawal from gymnastics events at the 2020 Olympics. High stakes performances can be daunting.
The downside to APA is that mental state can directly affect athletic performance, often for the worse.
Test Anxiety
Feeling anxious before a crucial exam is normal. However, severe test anxiety feels more akin to a panic attack than just a few jitters.
Chronic test anxiety can cause significant setbacks, such as not taking a driver's test or failing to earn a citizenship certificate.
But don't fret too much – research suggests that studying can significantly reduce test anxiety.
Interview Anxiety
We've all felt pre-interview jitters. Problematic interview anxiety occurs when symptoms become overwhelming or debilitating.
It's not just job interviews: Some people experience interview anxiety before a date or a family lunch.
Symptoms of Performance Anxiety
Distinguish performance anxiety from other anxieties by recognizing its context. With performance anxiety, there's real or imagined pressure to perform.
Here are some physical, emotional, and mental symptoms to watch for:
Physical
- Chills
- Tremors
- Dizziness
- Headache
- Dry mouth
- Chest pains
- Shallow breathing
- High blood pressure
- Accelerated heart rate
- Nausea or stomach cramps
- Tunnel vision or blurred vision
- Involuntary bladder control
- Clamminess or excessive sweating
Emotional
- Irritability
- Hypervigilance
- Task avoidance
- Trouble focusing
For SPA, you might experience erectile dysfunction, premature ejaculation, vaginal dryness, or decreased libido.
Overcoming Performance Anxiety
Fret no more; performance anxiety doesn't have to be a permanent issue. Here are some methods to conquer it.
Identify Triggers
Pinpointing what triggers your anxiety is vital to eradicating it.
Is it that kiss that makes your heart race faster, or having to face your boss when things don't go according to plan? Once you know what induces your anxiety, you can develop strategies to combat it.
Make a Plan
Equipped with your trigger awareness, make a plan of action.
For example, if you know an awkward romantic moment will instigate your anxiety, rehearse how to handle it beforehand. If a nerve-wracking interview causes adrenaline rushes, arrive early and give yourself time to settle in.
Seek Help
When your anxiety starts disrupting your life, seek professional help.
While specific therapies for performance anxiety remain under-researched, cognitive behavioral therapy, mindfulness meditation, and talk therapy may help. When it comes to SPA, researchers suggest that cognitive behavioral therapy may provide relief.
- Performance anxiety can manifest during intimate encounters, such as when making love to your crush, causing anxiety that is specific to sexual performance (SPA).
- To effectively manage performance anxiety, one can consider seeking professional help, with cognitive behavioral therapy, mindfulness meditation, and talk therapy being potential options, as research suggests they may provide relief for SPA.
- In some cases, the use of medication may help alleviate symptoms of performance anxiety, like the drug sildenafil, which is commonly known for treating erectile dysfunction but can potentially assist in managing anxiety and performance in certain contexts.
