There is an interesting and useful article by Eva Bojner Horwitz and Paulina Valtasaari at Frontiers in Psychology on June 24, 2025 titled Acceptance and management of stage fright among musicians: a manual of practical strategies. Most of their 18 strategies also apply to speech fright (fear of public speaking). The article has a series of eighteen useful stick figures that are shown in Figure 1. And Table 1 presents themes for them describing how you should feel and act, and the result. (The seven-page .pdf file has a much clearer version of Table 1 than the text does).
Table 2 presents their 18 strategies grouped into five categories related to stage fright. For brevity, I have just listed each theme and how to feel. They are as follows:
Awareness and Attention
Conscious Awareness: Locate emotions in your body and observe thoughts.
Listen! Hear and feel the sound resonate in your body.
Feel Your Body: Scan body sensations neutrally.
Breath: Sense breathing patterns and muscle tension.
Concentration: Notice sensations and interactions with your instrument.
Focus on Your Mind: Observe thoughts and their effects on the body.
Stress and Relaxation
Unwind: Recognize arousal and post-stress recovery needs.
Relax: Recognize when relaxation is possible or obstructed.
Heat Control: Adapt to warmth or cols.
When Alarm Goes Off: Recognize early signs of stress.
Self-Reflection
Self-Reflection: Process successes and failures constructively.
Suggestion: Notice self-critical thoughts’ physical effects.
Visualisation and Goal Setting
Set a Goal: Balance excitement and self-efficacy.
Visualize: Imagine playing vividly, noting sensations and movements.
Inner Vision: Focus on specific parts or tasks in your body.
Recalling Positive Experiences
Memorize Good Memories: Relive successes and supportive interactions.
Happy and Pleased: Sense happiness in your body.
Satisfied: Identify physical sensations of satisfaction.
The pianist image was cropped from one at Wikimedia Commons.
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