Performance Anxiety Explained: Body-Based Solutions That Work

Performance has nothing to do with your character. It's is your nervous system trying very hard to keep you alive in a situation it thinks is dangerous. Your body can't tell the difference between a tiger chasing you down for dinner and singing happy birthday to your sister. And just telling your body that you're not in danger isn't usually enough to convince it. Luckily, there are some concrete and learnable things you can do to reassure your nervous system and get back to singing boldly. Here's some nerdy stuff about performance anxiety and somatic stuff you can do to help!

Why Performance Feels So Scary

• Public speaking and performing light up the same survival wiring that once kept humans safe from being rejected by the tribe, when social exclusion could literally mean death.

• Inside, there is often a tug-of-war between the need to belong (attachment) and the need to be authentic (to actually be yourself in front of others).

• Early experiences of criticism, shaming, or “choking” can leave physical memories in the body that whisper “I’m not okay” every time you step into the spotlight.

Why Trying Harder Makes It Worse

• When anxiety spikes, most people instinctively “try harder”: gripping more, pushing the voice, forcing the smile, over-controlling every detail.

• That effort usually shows up as constriction in the body, which blocks the natural flow of breath, sound, and creativity.

• In any given moment, you can only perform as well as your system is capable of performing. Extra tension can make it harder to reach what you already can do.

Getting To Know Your Activation Pattern

Think of your nervous system as having a “window of tolerance,” a sweet spot where you feel energized but not overwhelmed.

• Below the window, you feel flat, checked out, under-energized. Above it, you tip from excitement into panic.

• You might recognize the shift through physical signals: racing heart, butterflies in your stomach, dry mouth, shaky hands, or the telltale held breath right before you go on.

• Learning to notice where you are in that window is the first step to working with your system instead of fighting it.

Somatic Tools You Can Use Today

These practices are deceptively simple, but they speak directly to the body and nervous system:

• Focus on one sensation When anxiety hits, choose one physical sensation to track: the contact of your feet on the floor, the feeling of the mic in your hand, the air on your face. As you stay with that single sensation, your nervous system often finds its own way to discharge stress through yawns, deeper breaths, or tiny trembles.

• Silent “la la la” breathing Inhale gently, then on the exhale move your tongue as if you are saying “la la la” without making sound. This lengthens the exhale and stimulates the vagus nerve, which helps bring your system back toward calm and grounded presence.

• Ground through contact If you are standing, really feel the weight of your feet on the ground. If you are sitting, sense your hips supported by the chair. Grounding through physical support keeps you from floating up into your thoughts and helps you stay in the here-and-now of your body.

• Challenge the scary story Notice what you are telling yourself: “Everyone thinks I’m terrible,” “They’re bored,” “I’m ruining this.” Gently question those stories. Often the harsh audience in your mind is just a projection of old fear, not what the people in front of you are actually experiencing.

• Breathe Before performing, spend 2–3 minutes with intentional breathing instead of scrolling your phone or spiraling in worry. Holding the breath freezes internal movement and cuts you off from authentic impulses. Moving breath invites your natural expressiveness back online.

Reframing What Performance Means

Performance anxiety is often tangled up with unresolved experiences from the past where you felt exposed, shamed, or unsupported. Working through those layers, especially with somatic support, can radically change how safe your body feels in front of others.

• Zoom out: this is one moment in a much larger life, not some final exam on your worth as a human.

• Ask yourself, “What role do I want to play right now?” Do you want to be the person who shows up as fully as they can, with the voice they have today?

• Connect with your heart’s desire: why does what you are sharing matter, to you and to the people listening?

• Every time you have a safer, more regulated experience of performing, you are building new memories in your nervous system—teaching your body that visibility can be safe, even nourishing.

This blog will keep circling back to the same core truth: you are not broken for feeling terrified on stage or at the mic. Your system is exquisitely designed to protect you, and with the right tools, support, and practice, that same system can learn that being seen, heard, and fully expressed is not a threat, but a homecoming.

Your Next Step Forward

If your body’s been treating every mic stand like a saber-toothed tiger, your free Vocal Discovery Session is your roadmap to figuring out what it actually needs, both in voice and in body, to finally feel safe showing up. We’ll map your unique tension patterns, spot where your authentic sound gets stuck, and sketch a clear path forward . If you're ready to trade survival mode for a voice that actually feels like yours, Book a session and let’s discover your roadmap.