Performance arousal: What is it?

Most performers, when they feel pre-performance nerves or tension, describe the sensation as performance anxiety. We all know that performance anxiety is a sensation that can have negative effects on your ability to perform.

But sometimes you might hear “a little bit of nervousness can actually help a performance”.

Is this true? Is there more to “performance anxiety” than meets the eye?

Let’s find out!

I prefer to describe the feelings we as performers can experience before and/or during a performance as “performance arousal”. And no, performance arousal is NOT something which should only be talked about after dark!

When talking about performance arousal, we can think of it, and indeed experience it in two ways:

1) negatively, as performance anxiety, or
2) positively, as excitement

It is most often the negative version of performance arousal that most teachers, performers, and coaches talk about. But the problem here is this:

By focussing on performance anxiety, you are concentrating on the very thing you are trying to avoid!

Try this old favourite:
Don’t think about the colour RED, don’t think about the colour RED, don’t think RED!

What’s the 1st thing you think about?

Blue, yellow, pickle juice? (I’m guessing, pickle juice is probably pretty low down on your list!

So, lets convert it to performing now:

By concentrating on performance anxiety, and phrases like “don’t get nervous”, or “embrace your nervousness”, “accept your anxiety” etc, your subconscious mind hears:

“Get nervous”, “Become nervous”, “Be anxious”. Not exactly helpful for performing in The Zone, is it?

So, what can you do then, as a performer, to experience the POSITIVE version of performance arousal? 

You must FOCUS on what it is you are trying to achieve, rather than what you are trying to avoid!

More about excitement:

So ok, to give a successful, inspired, effortless performance, we need excitment. But how much? Excitement can be very mild to extreme. Now, if you’re a snooker player, an archer, a classical musician, or an opera singer, being totally HYPED UP and bouncing off the walls with excitement isn’t going to be so useful. In fact, with so much excitement, you’d probably CRASH AND BURN.

And as a power lifter, sprinter, or dancer giving a street-dance demonstration, a calm, gentle, mild, ‘zen-like’ level of ‘excitement’ isn’t going to help you when you’re under the spotlight.

So what have we figured out so far?

• Performance arousal = your state of mind before and/or during a performance
• Anxiety = negative performance arousal = BAD!
• Excitement = positive performance arousal

If your level of excitement you experience when performing does NOT match the level required for your performance situation, you can CRASH AND BURN!

BUT! If the level of excitement you experience DOES match the level you need for your performance situation, you can PERFORM IN THE ZONE!

Great! So what can you do about all this?

That’s where “Performing in The Zone” comes in. There are more than 20 exercises, tools, and techniques in the book that you can apply in your performing life straight away. There’s also a full 12 week programme that you can follow to help you get control over your performance arousal level, so that you can become a master of yourself, and your performance environment.

Blog entries about how to become a better performer coming soon!