How can you calm a singer's nerves before a performance?

1 Breathe deeply

One of the simplest and most effective ways to calm your nerves is to breathe deeply and slowly. Breathing deeply can lower your heart rate, relax your muscles, and oxygenate your brain. It can also help you control your voice and avoid vocal strain. To breathe deeply, inhale through your nose and fill your lungs from the bottom to the top. Then exhale through your mouth and empty your lungs from the top to the bottom. Repeat this several times before you perform and whenever you feel nervous.

3 Visualize your success

A powerful technique to calm your nerves is to visualize your success. Visualizing your success can help you focus on your goals , overcome your fears, and create positive emotions. To visualize your success, you can close your eyes and imagine yourself performing in front of your audience. See yourself singing with confidence, clarity, and expression. Hear yourself hitting every note and delivering every word. Feel yourself enjoying the experience and receiving applause and praise. Repeat this visualization before you perform and whenever you need a boost of confidence.

4 Use positive affirmations

Another helpful way to calm your nerves is to use positive affirmations. Positive affirmations are statements that you say to yourself to reinforce your self-esteem, motivation, and abilities. They can help you overcome negative thoughts, doubts, and criticisms that may affect your performance. To use positive affirmations, you can write down some sentences that reflect your strengths, values, and goals as a singer. For example, you can say "I am a talented and passionate singer", "I have prepared well for this performance", or "I can sing with ease and joy". Say these affirmations to yourself before you perform and whenever you feel nervous.

5 Have fun

The final way to calm your nerves is to have fun. Having fun can help you relax, enjoy, and express yourself as a singer. It can also help you connect with your audience, your song, and your emotions. To have fun, you can smile, laugh, dance, or gesture while you sing. You can also choose songs that you love, that suit your voice, and that convey your message. You can also interact with your audience , your fellow singers, or your band members. Remember that singing is not a test or a competition, but a creative and enjoyable activity.

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?