Behind the Nerves: The Science Behind Stage Fright

Freeze! After rehearsing for hours, practicing many lines, and perfecting your dance moves, you finally step onto the stage. The spotlight is shining on you, and your mind suddenly goes blank. Despite all of your preparation, stage fright has taken over. It’s a phenomenon that so many face, yet few can actually explain how it happens.

Stage fright, or performance anxiety, is the fear of public speaking where an audience disturbs self-esteem and confidence. When speaking or performing in front of a large crowd, this type of anxiety can take over. Multiple studies demonstrate that around 75 percent of people have experienced some level of stage fright when speaking. In fact, the National Institute of Mental Health reports that 40 percent of the population has felt the fear of public speaking, making it more common than other fears such as death, spiders, and heights. 

Stage fright symptoms can present at different levels of severity and with different physiological, cognitive, and behavioral effects, depending on the person; for instance, someone may experience sweating, chills, and nausea. These symptoms can become more extreme—like altered heart rate, tremors, and throat tightness—which can ultimately make it seem as though your body is shutting down in the moment. On the other hand, cognitive effects such as mental confusion and racing thoughts can cause people to forget their lines and what they had prepared for. This often manifests as anxiety and self-doubt, further intensifying nervousness on stage. Lastly, behavioral effects are also commonplace, since stage fright materializes as stuttering or freezing, overall limiting the ability to naturally communicate. Compared to the involuntary physical effects of stage fright, behavioral effects stem from these physical symptoms and impact how a person acts or performs in a situation. While stage fright is usually short-term, it can become a chronic issue by creating negative experiences that perpetuate cycles of anxiety whenever someone is faced with future performances. 

When experiencing stage fright, different parts of the brain work to process fear. The amygdala—which is the part of the brain that is responsible for processing emotions and recalling stimuli—makes your brain think you are in a life-threatening situation, initiating a fight-or-flight response. For a performer, this can cause a cascade of physical symptoms, such as sweating, shortness of breath, and increased heart rate. In addition, when the fight-or-flight response is activated within the body, hormones like epinephrine or adrenaline, cortisol, and norepinephrine are released into the bloodstream, which can cause pupils to dilate. However, the prefrontal cortex, which controls rationality and decision making, begins calming this response, taking into account the actual environment and the reality of the situation. On the other hand, the limbic system, which is also responsible for emotions, can further heighten self-consciousness and fear of judgment. This can create a feeling where the more a performer focuses on their anxiety, the more intense it becomes, making it even harder for a performer to do their best.

Ultimately, the brain’s response to stage fright is a combination of emotional and physical reactions designed to protect against danger, but in situations such as public speaking or performing, fear can often feel misplaced. However, different techniques can be utilized to help calm nerves and improve overall performance. For instance, several studies involving karaoke singing, public speaking, and math performance show that reforming anxiety as excitement through pep talks can decrease fear overall. Practicing both visualizing the audience and imagining the energy you want to convey have also been proven to increase confidence while speaking. Thus, whether you perform in SING! or present in front of your classmates, keep these techniques in mind; they can help turn public speaking from a fear into an opportunity for success.