#performance-anxiety

#performance-anxiety

Imagine, if you will, taking a seat at the piano before a full house of 2,000 music lovers ready to hear Mozart's Piano Concerto No. 20 in D minor - and, more importantly, on stage with an orchestra and conductor more than ready to play it. That would be difficult enough, but now imagine that you thought you were supposed to play the Piano Concerto No.23 in A major, another piece of music entirely. This is the stuff of nightmares, and indeed, the very situation in which pianist Maria João Pires found herself in 2013, after she'd been recruited to fill in for another player at an open rehearsal held at Amsterdam's Concertgebouw.

What do you like to eat and/or drink right before bed? Well, I am on a Broadway schedule because I'm currently in Oh, Mary!, but maybe that doesn't even affect it. I usually have a glass of wine, and perhaps I'll sneak in a Wine Gum or a Percy Pig or a gummy kind of candy along with it. Right until I knock out on that pillow!

You know that small, quiet panic that shivers through you when it feels like someone is watching you? Butterflies in your stomach, goosebumps, perhaps a sheen of sweat? Like you're onstage, even if that "stage" is just a public sidewalk? I used to get that feeling in yoga class. For nearly a decade, I approached each practice as a place of success and failure, all while believing that everyone present was bearing witness to, and judging, my every pose.

"Trying to get back up to speed too quick," began Choban, "and on top of that the lack of body awareness, and the lack of having any idea where the ball was going, played into the frustrations and heartache of going through the whole process (solving the yips). "I got through that initial stage of the confusion of not really having a clue what was going on," Choban shared. "It turned into-okay-talk to the sports psychologist (the author of this piece). We figured out why it could be happening and ways to work through it."

"Learning to backtrack and refocus on having fun, while checking in with your partner, can alleviate performance pressure during intimate moments, enhancing connection."

"Each time," Sanjay said mournfully, "I failed." This repeated experience led to significant distress, culminating in a disconnection from his personal interests and social life.

Beta blockers can alleviate the physical symptoms of anxiety, making them a viable short-term option for those experiencing performance-related fears, but they should only be used under medical supervision.