Performance anxiety is the intense anxiety that arises before and during a situation in which you will be evaluated — an exam, a presentation, a stage, a match, an interview. The common element is being watched.

Coping with performance anxiety
The aim is not to eliminate the anxiety but to bring it to a level that does not disrupt performance.

Symptoms

It shows up in three domains at once

  • Physical: palpitations, sweating, trembling, dry mouth, nausea, a shaking voice
  • Cognitive: going blank, catastrophic scenarios, constant self-monitoring
  • Behavioural: procrastination, leaving preparation to the last moment, turning the opportunity down altogether

Some anxiety is good

The relationship between arousal and performance is not linear but an inverted U. At very low arousal attention wanders; at very high arousal working memory narrows and performance falls. The best performance sits somewhere in the middle.

So the goal changes: “not being nervous at all” is neither realistic nor useful. The aim is to keep the nerves within a range that does not disrupt performance.

The avoidance trap

Escaping the presentation, postponing the exam or declining the stage brings immediate relief. But every avoidance strengthens the belief “I could not have handled it” and raises the anxiety next time. That is where the vicious circle starts.

  • Postponing preparation into the final night — which genuinely justifies the anxiety
  • Over-preparation and endless rehearsal — which lowers tolerance for uncertainty
  • Turning the opportunity down altogether — the strongest reinforcer of all

What actually helps?

  • Exposure: graded rehearsal in front of small, safe audiences
  • Cognitive work: testing predictions such as “everyone will see my hands shaking”
  • Direction of attention: shifting from self-monitoring back to the task and the content — one of the single most effective interventions
  • Slow exhalation: lowers physiological arousal and can be used just before going on
  • Realistic preparation: rehearsal should aim at familiarity, not perfection

Before a presentation or an exam

  1. Protect the night’s sleepSleep loss directly amplifies the physical symptoms of anxiety.
  2. Rehearse aloud onceGoing over it in your head is not enough; rehearsing aloud is far closer to the real conditions.
  3. Stop trying to hide the anxietyTrying to conceal a tremor pulls attention onto yourself rather than the task.
  4. Memorise your first two sentencesThe opening is the hardest moment; making it automatic makes the rest easier.
Note: This article is for general information. It does not diagnose and is not a substitute for professional assessment. If your symptoms are making daily life difficult, consult a mental health professional. If you are having thoughts of harming yourself, call your local emergency number — 112 in Türkiye — or go to the nearest emergency department.

Individual Counselling

Performance anxiety is one of the areas where the goal is clear and the work is relatively short.

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References

  1. Kenny, D. T. (2011). The Psychology of Music Performance Anxiety. Oxford University Press.
  2. Craske, M. G., & Stein, M. B. (2016). Anxiety. The Lancet, 388(10063), 3048–3059.