Those who suffer performance anxiety know the physical symptoms well – the racing heartbeat, sweaty palms, shaking body, shortness of breath, and even nausea sometimes. Some performers can use their anxiety and adrenaline to enhance their performances. Many others only tolerate and manage to deal with the anxiety, but it can take a tremendous amount of energy in the process. At the more extreme end, careers of promising artists have been cut short because of the agony of performance anxiety and its horror of loss of control. 

Alexander Technique can help with performance anxiety because it promotes the opposite physiological response that fear induces. Instead of a fight, flight or freeze response, Alexander Technique has a calming, centering effect, lowering blood pressure and pulse rate. Unnecessary muscular tension is diminished and breathing tends to deepen and slow down naturally when individuals engage with the Technique. 

With the power of awareness that the Technique develops, performers can closely trace how they respond to the strong stimulus of a live audience. This knowledge is the first step to learning how to control their response. 

Learned awareness of the spiral of negative thinking and use of the Alexander Technique principle of inhibition can lead to anxiety reduction. Using Alexander Technique on the day of a performance may diminish the number of anxious thoughts and lessen the physical manifestations of anxiety. When the body and mind are working well together, the artist can decrease the degree of tension and stress.

Alexander Technique is like an anchor that performers can hold onto, keeping them grounded. When performers see that they can gain greater control of their performances, they gain confidence which, in turn, can further diminish their anxiety.

“The Alexander Technique has helped me to undo knots, unblock energy and deal with almost paralyzing stage fright.”

 – William Hurt, Actor

“Even when one can achieve a state of physical freedom, the mind can interfere with all sorts of negative self-talk when we find ourselves in high-stakes performance situations. Alexander Technique offers us constructive tools to deal with all that.”

 – Lorna McGhee, Principal Flute, Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra