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15 Signs You Have Performance Anxiety And Don’t Realize It

Performance anxiety aka stage fright is something I know very well. For many years my stomach would clench whenever the spotlight turned to me. After getting a handle on my own fear, I now help clients learn to communicate effectively when all eyes are on them.

Facing fear is tough and you can tell yourself that it’s not worth going through the hassle and potential embarrassment to get past it. Especially if you’ve tried and failed. The problem with that approach is that you end up hiding and spending time managing the fear instead of jumping into your career and life.

Stage fright is sneaky

I knew I had a tough time presenting but it took awhile to realize that performance anxiety was affecting me in other areas of my work and life.

The following list shines a light on where you may be holding back but not realize it.

Some points are obvious but others are not.

1. You know the answers to questions posed in meetings, yet you don’t share them out of fear of being wrong.
2. You’re always seeking approval from co-workers, managers, friends and family.
3. You’re annoyed people don’t appreciate all the work you do.
4. When you go to speak, you get overwhelmed, shaky, turn red, sweat and/or lose your train of thought.
5. You tell yourself it’s too embarrassing and just not worth the pain to speak up.
6. You don’t want to share the knowledge you have for fear someone will take your job.
7. Creating a presentation or elevator pitch is a challenge because you don’t know where to begin.
8. You can’t believe it when you see co-workers blurt out answers that are obviously wrong but yet, you don’t speak up.
9. You’ve allowed others to take credit for your work.
10. Being around too many people or crowds can overwhelm you.
11. You shut down in an argument and have trouble defending yourself.
12. When you’re angry you just blurt out whatever comes to mind or you seethe internally while putting on a happy face.
13. You tend to know more than your peers but only speak up when you’re absolutely sure of the answer.
14. You may not approach people and co-workers you know casually because you don’t want to “bother” them. You wait for them to approach you first.
15. Others are always talking for you.

Awareness is the first step towards making progress.

Once you become aware of where you’re holding back, you can start taking steps to reach out and share more.

You can do that by starting small. Speaking more in meetings without being prompted, sharing ideas with co-workers, volunteering to facilitate small team meetings. Once you gain confidence, keep going!

The more you practice in small ways, the easier it will be to articulate your thoughts in all areas. These small practices will have a big impact on your ability to communicate when the spotlight shines on you.

Eva

This quick webinar replay will give you more ideas for how to practice. You can listen to it by clicking HERE (there’s no opt-in).

Eva Lewandowski MBA, is public speaking coach, that specializes in helping clients overcome stage fright. She is a certified Life Coach, certified EFT Practitioner, seminar leader, speaker and co-host of a weekly internet radio show “Corporate Talk with Charlie and Eva”. She is also a 30 year veteran of Corporate America as an IT consultant. Using the skills she learned in acting classes, life coaching and EFT certification training as well as her own struggle with debilitating stage fright, she created, Stand Up and Be Heard! Public Speaking for Private Professionals, an online, interactive course that teaches professionals how to overcome their fear of the spotlight. She is also the author of “Put on Your Phone Face: Tips and Techniques for teleconferences and conference calls”.

To learn more about Eva and her services click here.

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