Why I am writing it? Over the last eight years I have experienced a dramatic change in my life and the lives of others. I have helped many musicians, performers, sportsmen/women, students taking exams deal with performance anxiety and I would like to help you by sharing what I know.
My introduction to the ‘hippy’ zone
Just before Christmas a few years ago I sat on the stairs of my house talking to my sister on the phone. I was feeling sorry for myself as I had just injured my back coaching tennis and was going to be unable to work for a week or so. She suggested I try this new tapping technique to lessen the pain. I have always been open minded to alternative ways of healing, however talking on the phone to my sister- who lives over 200 miles away-tapping various points on my head and body whist focusing on the intense pain in my back- seemed bizarre to say the least!
Three days later with my back healed I was able to coach again. Inspired, I trained as an EFT practitioner.
EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique) helps with pain management, confidence and assertiveness, phobias and performance related issues. Some people describe EFT and its subtle powers as a special gift and I would like to pass this gift onto you.
Is being nervous under pressure a sign of weakness?
Why do I ask the question? Because the more I work with musicians and performers, the more I realise how many suffer and how much of a taboo subject performance anxiety is. In a very competitive world where suffering from nerves can be seen as a weakness, where performers are fearful even of talking about it ‘in case they catch it like a virus’.
With little effective help available -until now- and a reluctance to admit their fears, the result is a number of musicians and performers use beta blockers and alcohol to help survive a performance.
Of course suffering with nerves isn’t a sign of weakness. Wanting to do well, fearful of letting yourself and others down, the pressure of a great opportunity, these emotions often trigger the body’s ‘fight, flight or freeze’ system.
This is where EFT and myself can help. When the body is stressed and the nervous system is firing off, common physical symptoms are: feeling sick, physical shaking and muddled thinking. Conventional ways of helping at this point often have little effect.
Simply tapping on certain acupressure points on your body can calm the nervous system, clear the mind allowing you to focus on playing as well as you can.
The fear of being judged
A young violin player I worked with before her recital suffered from bow shakes, she was fearful of dropping the bow or it bouncing on the strings, just the thought of standing in front of a panel playing a solo terrified her. The emotions that would trigger the shakes were: the fear of letting herself and others down and being judged.
We used tapping to neutralise the negative emotion and with her mind clear she was able to be calm, focussed and enjoy her recital.
Many musicians/performers grow up in an environment that gives them another opportunity to fail e.g. taking grades, recitals, auditions and trials etc. It’s no wonder with that build up of negative experiences over time some performers will get nervous.
Imagine there was a way to deal that negative emotion, erase it, no matter how long you have been struggling. Would you try it?
Give it a go!
If you are open minded, find that nerves often get in the way when you are under pressure, try my free video:
Are you struggling with performance anxiety? Contact me now at sean@confidenceontap.com for a FREE initial 15min consultation. If you’re happy we can then arrange a phone/skype EFT session.
I can help bring back the joy you once had performing!