Fear Health Feed

You are about to go on stage to face the audience. Palms sweaty, heart racing and fear gripping you in such a way that your feet or tongue refuse to move? Relax! You are having a short period of stage fright. The first and most comforting thing to know is that the biggest and most popular performers and speakers also go through a period of nervousness before their big show. And yet, when you see them on stage, you'll not detect a bit of it. You can be that person too.

Why do you experience stage fright?
Being the centre of attention among the audience focused only on you can trigger thoughts of a bad or unconvincing performance resulting in loss of reputation, mockery and a perception of failure. The physical response your body has to this is called "fight or flight" syndrome which is a natural process designed to protect you.

So how do you face the situation and get better of it? Here are a few steps to get you there: 

1. Self-hypnosis / Hypnotherapy for stage fright: Imagine if you believed that you are a master public speaker and can feel calm and confident during every performance! A self-hypnosis or hypnotherapy session allows you to reach out into the recesses of your subconscious mind and harness its power to handle stressful situations like a stage performance. You may have heard the common proverb - You are what you believe, and this therapy proves it. The process will help you visualize your actual performance and link it with positive, encouraging and enjoyable images which will replace your anxiety with confidence. You can either visit a consultant or buy a CD online.

2. NLP (Neuro-Linguistic Programming) for stage fright: NLP was created in the 1970s by Richard Bandler and John Grinder in California as a connection between neurological process, linguistic and behavioural patterns learnt through experience or programming. NLP claims to cure everything of phobias to depression to even the common cold. Though not scientifically proven, NLP uses a set of mental exercises to allow you to change your perception and blockages and hesitation into positive actions. Similar to hypnosis, it'll allow you to program yourself to believe and practice for a positive outcome in order to achieve it.

Add the wow factor: Anyone giving you their time deserves to leave with a 'wow'. Add facts, figures or moves that'll give them that. Add 'your' touch and style to it.

Being away or oblivious to social media is synonymous to not following the herd. Social media probably is no more the latest fad; it is the given code to take a deeper look into the present age. The rewarding fact about social networking sites is their ability to transport us to people and places millions of miles away from us. This epoch with its dictates of overproduction and maximum utilization of labour, snatches away the boon of communication. Social media gifts us with easy communication and wider access.  

1. Social media creates peer pressure- Coming in continuous contact with occurrences in other people's life can lead to a mental setback. You may feel low on comparing your achievements with that of others. Consciously or unconsciously you are struggling throughout to be at par with them who are seemingly jubilant. Virtual peer pressure is realized by many. 

2. It can bring us at close quarters with penitence- Persistent grief or regret can take a toll on your mental health. It can make you depressive. Depression is again not a healthy thing for personal growth and development. It usually results in a lack of motivation.
 
3. You tend to panic more through continued use of social media- If you have not been in touch with social media for a couple of days you are instilled with the fear of losing out on incidents. You panic regarding what has been happening all over the world that in reality will in most cases bear no effect on you.
  
4. It accustoms you to the glamorous appeal of drugs- Social media tends to showcase the ills of society as glamorous contributing factors of life. It celebrates the vices of drugs and other addictive agents as virtues. Young adults are therefore easily incited to give in to addiction.

Positive effects of social media on your mental health:-

1. Social media will let you take a break from hovering tasks and responsibilities. 
2. Helps you connect with long lost friends. Social networking sites will bring you close to new and old friends alike. 
3. Real society is overly judgmental. It prohibits you from coming across as your true self. Virtual media allows you to come out of your cocoon and helps you feel comfortable about yourself.
 

Anxiety often leads to the development of phobias. An unreasonable fear of being in social situations is known as social anxiety or social phobia. People suffering from such a phobia may be afraid of specific social settings like public speaking or generic social events such as eating with others or using public telephones. They are afraid that they will embarrass themselves or be humiliated in front of others. Being in such a situation can often build up into a panic attack. In many cases, the person himself is aware that his fear is irrational but cannot overcome it. Hence, here are a few tips to overcome social phobia.

1. Relax: The first thing you need to do is learn to relax. People with phobias often anticipate them and stress themselves out before the situation can present itself. Being anxious heightens sensitivity and worsens your response to a social situation. Hence, before stepping out or meeting someone, take a deep breath and relax. Instead of focusing on the stressful situation, think about something in the future like getting home to a nice cup of tea.
2. Test yourself: Make a list of the situations that you are afraid of and anticipate the level of anxiety you think it would cause. Then test this hypothesis by putting yourself in the situation. For example, if you fear walking into a crowded room, try doing it once. You may find that you cope with the situation better then you anticipated. Keep a record of these hypothesis and test results.
3. Practice doing what scares you: Some situations may scare you too much to dive straight into them. In such cases, practice what you would do if you were in such a situation by yourself or with someone you trust. Run the situation in your head and imagine what you would do if it were actually happening.
4. Look around: Social awkwardness is often caused by imaging that people can read your thoughts and thus focusing on them rather than the people you are talking to or the space you are in. Train your mind to notice things around you and be aware of your situation. Focusing outwards can lower your anxiety and enhance your ability to hold a conversation with people. To make this a habit, whenever you walk into a room make a mental note of three things in the room.
5. Ask questions: An easy way to shift focus from yourself to people around you is by asking questions. When you someone a question listen to their response and if you still aren't comfortable talking about your own views, ask another related question. This will not give your mind time to dwell on any negative thoughts and can even increase your social circle.