Performance anxiety is something many of us experience, whether we’re about to give a big presentation, take an exam, or step onto a stage. The fear of failure, the pressure to succeed, or the worry about being judged can trigger intense nerves that leave us feeling frozen and overwhelmed. But what if you could use visualisation for performance anxiety to train your mind to feel calmer and more confident in those high-pressure moments?
Taking a step back, if we’ve developed a fixed mindset in this area, we can feel like that’s who we are, and nothing can be done about that. We could also think that we should be able to come up onto the stage, step in front of everyone and just speak with no further preparation.
This belief, however, can hold you back and sabotage your growth. The truth is that practising your emotional state for a high-pressure environment is normal and will help you improve your outcomes.
What is visualisation
You’ve probably heard the saying ‘If you can see it, you can be it’. Motivational speakers telling you to dream big, visualise your goals, run your positive affirmations on repeat. Even entire businesses were built around vision boards. Visualisation can help you in different areas of life. It is used by athletes, musicians and businesspeople, it can help you learn and develop a skill as well as manage your emotions and reach set goals. So why not try a visualisation for performance anxiety to reach yours?
Essentially, it’s a technique that allows you to mentally rehearse something before it takes place. We all do it all the time, whether intentionally or unintentionally. When we visualise a scenario, our brain doesn’t know the difference between reality and imagination. If you haven’t heard of the lemon imagery exercise, you can try it for yourself. It helps us get familiar with the emotions around specific event and practise our performance in a calm and controlled way.
How can visualisation help with performance anxiety?
Performance anxiety, often referred to as “stage fright,” is the fear of doing something in front of others and being evaluated. It can happen to anyone—musicians, athletes, public speakers, students, or even professionals presenting in meetings. It can happen before your driving test or an interview. Symptoms of performance anxiety include rapid heart rate, sweaty palms, shortness of breath, and racing thoughts, all of which make it harder to perform at your best.
Mental visualisation is an additional opportunity to practise our performance and boost confidence. The more we practise, the more self-assured we feel under pressure. By visualising yourself successfully completing the task at hand, you can train your brain to respond to stressful situations with confidence rather than fear.
Here’s how it works:
Mental rehearsal: When you visualise yourself performing well, your brain creates neural pathways similar to those formed when you physically practice the task. This strengthens your ability to perform with confidence when it’s time for the real thing.
Reduced stress response: Visualisation helps you experience similar emotions to those on stage or before the exam. It gives you the opportunity to learn how to manage these in a safe environment. By repeatedly practising the performance, successful scenarios and calm response in your mind, your body learns to associate the performance with calmness rather than stress.
Improved focus: Visualisation helps you focus on the positive aspects and the outcome of your performance rather than potential mistakes, which reduces self-doubt and builds confidence.
Visualisation technique you can use today
As visualisation is widely used in the field of high-performance sports, most studies are carried in this area. According to those studies ‘PETTLEP’ is the most effective technique in improving one’s performance. Some studies even suggest that focusing on two goals, in this case mastering a skill and outperforming everyone else, is better than having one goal. Presumably it increases the level of motivation to carry out the visualisation and consequently improves our achievement. Let’s try this technique in a specific guided visualisation designed to reduce performance anxiety and boost your confidence.
Success visualisation
What it is: This technique involves vividly imagining yourself succeeding at your upcoming performance, whether it’s giving a speech, playing an instrument, going to an interview or competing in a sport. The key is to create a mental picture of yourself performing confidently and calmly, achieving the outcome you desire.
How to do it:
- Find a quiet space and sit comfortably. Close your eyes and take a few deep breaths to calm your body.
- Picture yourself in the moment of your upcoming performance. Imagine the environment, the people around you, and the situation in detail.
- Visualise yourself performing with confidence and ease. Imagine every step of the process going smoothly—your speech flows effortlessly, your movements are sharp and precise, or your music is perfectly played.
- Focus on the feeling of success as you visualise it. Imagine the positive reactions from your audience and let the feeling of pride and accomplishment fill you.
- Now when you have the basic scenario down, do it again and focus on the details below.
Focus on the detail
Physical – What clothes are you wearing, what is your body posture like, what are you doing with your hands, where are you looking, how is your breathing, what are your precise movements and what is their speed (where relevant).
Environment – Where are you, are you standing up or sitting down, do you have an audience – is it small or large, is there a stage light obstructing your view, are you in a field or on a track.
Task – What is the task at hand, break it down and visualise in detail how you will perform.
Timing – Do you need to consider any time restrictions? Will you be limited or pressured by time in any way?
Learning – Be realistic about your current skill level, practise in your mind as if you’d practise your performance in real life. If you see any space for improvement, how can you achieve it?
Emotional – Experience your emotions before you step into the room, on the stage or field. Feel the emotions in your body as you start speaking – playing – performing. Notice if there are any changes in your emotions throughout your performance, do they change at all? Feel your emotions right at the end of your performance, your confidence and accomplishment.
Perspective – Consider visualising your role during the event from your internal perspective as a performer, what are your thoughts and feelings. Then try to do the same from an external perspective and what do you and your performance look like from the outside.
Tips for effective visualisation
Be consistent: The more you practice guided visualisation, the more effective it becomes. Set aside a few minutes each day leading up to your performance to mentally rehearse.
Use all your senses: To make your visualisations more powerful, engage all of your senses. Think about what you’ll see, hear, and feel during your performance.
Combine with relaxation techniques: Pair visualisation with deep breathing and mindfulness to help calm your body while you focus your mind.
Start small: If you’re new to visualisation, start with short sessions—just 5–10 minutes at a time—and gradually build up as you become more comfortable with the process.
Final thoughts
Performance anxiety can be daunting, but it doesn’t have to control you. By practising mental visualisation for performance anxiety, you can reduce your nerves, build confidence, and mentally prepare for success. Whether you’re gearing up for a public speaking event, a sports competition, or a musical performance, these techniques can help you face your fears and perform at your best. Start incorporating guided visualisation into your daily routine, and you’ll soon discover how much calmer and more confident you feel when it’s time to take the stage.
1Additional Reading
- Blankert, T. and Hamstra, M. R W (2016) ‘Imagining Success: Multiple Achievement Goals and the Effectiveness of Imagery’, Basic Appl Soc Psych., 7;39 (1), pp. 60-67. Available online: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5351796/#CIT0005
Accessed: 19 October 2024
Wakefield, C. and Smith, D. (2012) ‘Perfecting practice: Applying the PETTLEP model of motor imagery’, Journal of Sport Psychology in Action, 3 (1), pp. 1-11. Available online: https://www.researchgate.net/figure/The-seven-components-of-the-PETTLEP-model_fig1_241734567 Accessed: 19 October 2024
Predoiu, R., Predoiu, A., Mitrache, G., Firanescu, M., Cosma, G., Dinuta, G., Bucuroiu, R. (2020) ‘Visualisation Techniques in Sport – the Mental Road Map for Success’, Physical Education, Sport and Kinetotherapy Journal, 59 (3), pp. 245-256 . Available online: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/344587632_Visualisation_techniques_in_sport_-_the_mental_road_map_for_success Accessed: 19 October 2024
↩︎
Leave a Reply