Many people experience performance anxiety and severe anticipatory anxiety, from feelings of anxiety and panic just prior to the event, to full anxiety throughout the speaking experience. These people will want to call Dr. Luann, who used to have the fear of public speaking and is now a past president of the National Speakers Association of Northern California.

Performance Anxiety has a restrictive, debilitating effect on your freedom to function, and certainly on your ability to enjoy life fully. Major complaints include: loss of jobs, too nervous to do as well as they could, embarrassment, and continually dodging career advancement and performance opportunities due to their inability to control their anxiety.

But, since most Performance Anxiety is programmed in by experience, imagination, or instruction, they can be deprogrammed.

What is Performance Anxiety?

Our society places a huge emphasis on success and individual achievement. Often, people may begin to believe that in order to be truly happy and loved and respected by others, they have to be outstanding in all that they do. This pressure to attain is called Performance Anxiety. Performance anxiety can take many forms. It may occur when you’re studying or taking a test (test anxiety), when you have to have to write a paper or a report (writer’s block), when you have to act in a play or give an oral presentation (Burns, 1999, The Feeling Good Handbook). It may also arise due to anticipation of any of these events.

Symptoms of Performance Anxiety

• sweating, clammy hands
• feeling faint or dizzy
• increased blood pressure
• mouth gets dry
• pounding or increased heartbeat
• shortness of breath
• shaking, trembling
• stutter or start speaking rapidly
• nausea, loss of appetite
• increased muscle tension
• fidgeting, pacing, chewing finger nails
• insomnia
• decreased concentration
• increased distractibility
• mind goes blank, blocks, freezes and/or memory lapses
• confusion
• difficulties making decisions
• interfering negative thoughts
• anticipatory anxiety

(http://www.testsymptomsathome.com)

Causes of Performance Anxiety

In a study by Dr. Barrell (1985), there were five causes of performance anxiety:

1. the perceived presence of significant others
2. consideration of the possibility of visible failure
3. the felt need to avoid failure
4. the uncertainty of the outcome
5. the focus on self

(The Causes and Treatment of Performance Anxiety: An Experiential Approach)

Here’s the Good News!!!

Performance Anxiety can be overcome through a process called the DELETE Techniques. These techniques are a simple system by which individuals easily and quickly learn to selectively DELETE (eliminate) their unpleasant or unwanted thoughts and feelings.

The DELETE Techniques are widely known for achieving rapid positive response, and they work for almost everyone.

ACT NOW! Suffering is optional…

If you (or someone you know) suffers from Performance Anxiety, you should consider trying the DELETE Techniques as soon as possible. There’s no reason to suffer needlessly when something can be done to resolve your problem.

We invite you to call us for a FREE initial telephone consultation to determine whether the DELETE Techniques will help you. We offer both group and private sessions. We accept many insurance coverages and credit cards. This makes our services available and affordable to virtually everyone.