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Learn practical strategies to manage performance anxiety, from breathing techniques and positive self-talk to preparation and mindset shifts, so you can build confidence, reduce stress and perform at your best in any situation.
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Approved and verified accurate by the Dean of the College of Arts and Media on Oct. 9, 2025.
The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author’s and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Grand Canyon University. Any sources cited were accurate as of the publish date.
Are you a dance student who usually has the choreography down perfectly, but when it comes time to step on stage, you forget all of it? Or perhaps you’re earning a piano degree, but have trouble with the performance aspect. Do frantic thoughts run through your head and cause you to freeze up during a performance? Do you get physically sick at the thought of performing in front of a lot of people?
Performance anxiety can happen to anyone who is earning a performing arts degree and pursuing a related career. To continue in your chosen career path, it can be helpful to know how to help performance anxiety with effective techniques.
Performance anxiety is a type of anxiety that involves feelings of dread and nervousness concerning the completion of certain tasks. While it’s not a specific type of anxiety disorder, it can share symptoms with diagnosable disorders like social anxiety disorder and generalized anxiety disorder.1
This type of anxiety can potentially affect anyone — from dancers, pianists and stand-up comedians to Little Leaguers, public speakers and people giving presentations at work. Students may experience it when taking a test and new drivers might suffer it while attempting to parallel park. Essentially, performance anxiety occurs whenever a person is trying to perform a task well but feels pressured or scrutinized by others.
Stage fright can cause a wide range of symptoms, including physical, cognitive and emotional symptoms. Some of the emotional symptoms can include fear, worry, self-doubt and embarrassment. Cognitive symptoms may include difficulty concentrating, an intense focus on the possibility of failure and significant self-criticism.
The physical symptoms can include:1,2
This type of anxiety can even cause behavioral symptoms, such as avoiding social interactions or activities.2
While stage fright may prove to be persistent for some, there are effective ways to manage it.
Try the following:
Some people have certain routines and traditions they do before each performance. Having a set schedule can help calm your mind and keep the anxiety at bay. The act of going through the same motions can help remind you that you have experience with the performance or task and you’ve done it successfully in the past.
Caffeine and sugar may add to your anxiety.2 It is best to limit your intake of these before a performance. Try to focus on drinking more water. You can add fruit, cucumber and mint to water to flavor it. You might also consider drinking chamomile tea. This will help keep you on your A-game and make sure you are at your peak health-wise before you perform.
Our thoughts have power over us, and it’s important to be able to control our thoughts and keep the negative ones at bay. Display positive quotes on your mirror and phone lock screen and say five good things about yourself before you perform. Practice using positive self-talk consistently, not just before a performance.
Another fun thing to do is make a mood board to look at before each performance. Cut out favorite quotes, outfits, calming colors and other things that calm you down. Then glue them on a board and bring it with you to each performance, or if it’s too big, take a photo and look at it whenever you feel uneasy.
If your heart feels like it is pounding out of your chest and you can’t control it, try deep breathing techniques. It will help control your breathing, lower your heart rate and clear your mind.
A common breathing practice is to breathe for six seconds, hold for five and then breathe out for six seconds. Repeat this until your heart rate goes down and you feel rooted back on the ground.
Food does more than just fuel us. It can also affect mental health by influencing the levels of serotonin, a neurotransmitter, in the brain. Serotonin helps regulate mood.3
Scientific studies have found that people who tend to eat a traditional diet, rather than a typical Western diet, tend to have a lower risk of depression. A traditional diet emphasizes vegetables, fruits, unprocessed grains and small amounts of lean meats and dairy.3
Another way to help suppress performance anxiety is to make sure you get the proper amount of sleep the night before. Sleep deprivation has a negative effect on your brain’s prefrontal cortex, which is responsible for emotional self-regulation. Sleep deprivation also increases brain activity in the amygdala, which leads to increased stress and fear.4
Some people enjoy the use of aromatherapy with essential oils for relaxing and staying calm. (Keep in mind that some people may suffer an allergic reaction to certain essential oils; do not use ones that may not be safe for you.) Lavender oil is believed to reduce stress and anxiety, while supporting healthy sleep. Similarly, lemon oil may help elevate mood for some people.5
Find a scent that takes you to a happy memory and can calm you down. When you feel the performance anxiety coming on, smell the oil and remember your happy memory.
Learning effective coping strategies can help you reduce feelings of anxiety, but it’s also ideal to work toward breaking the cycle entirely. Consider learning about mindfulness strategies and incorporating them into your daily routine, as these may help you stay in the moment and avoid overthinking an event. It’s also a good idea to make sure you’re adequately prepared for each performance, as this may help you feel more confident heading into it.
Ultimately, however, if you suffer from persistent and severe stage fright, you might decide that you could benefit from talking to someone about it. You might want to see a mental health counselor on or off campus. You could alternatively book a counseling session with a telehealth provider.
The College of Arts and Media at Grand Canyon University strives to nurture our students’ passion for their chosen art form and prepare them to approach each performance with confidence. GCU offers a number of performing arts degrees, such as the Bachelor of Arts in Music with an Emphasis in Piano Performance degree, which is devoted to teaching advanced skills to pianists.
Another option is the Bachelor of Arts in Theatre and Drama, during which students explore every aspect of putting on a play — from lighting to acting. This degree offers a hands-on experience that encourages students to get involved in campus productions. Or, consider earning a Bachelor of Arts in Dance, which examines a range of dance forms from ballet to jazz to hip hop and beyond.
Embrace your creative side at GCU. Fill out the form on this page to speak with a university counselor about the artistic options that await you.
Overcome Performance Anxiety With Confidence
Learn to beat stage fright with effective techniques and thorough academic instruction. Earn your performing arts degree at GCU.
