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Drop the Stress Not the Ball

Dr. Fish joined Shaun Enright on his podcast, Drop the Stress Not the Ball to unpack why you can’t keep performance anxiety out — and why you shouldn’t try. Shaun’s show digs into the mental side of staying calm under pressure without sacrificing performance, which made it the perfect place to go deep about performance anxiety and mindfulness. They cover …

What Shohei Ohtani’s Stage Fright Can Teach Performers About Handling Pressure

Even elite performers experience stage fright—just ask Shohei Ohtani. Before stepping up to bat at Tokyo Dome, he admitted feeling nervous under the intense, silent focus of 42,000 fans. This pressure isn’t unique to athletes—musicians, actors, and dancers face the same overwhelming scrutiny on stage. Even jazz musicians at Tokyo’s Blue Note have been spooked by Japan’s ultra-focused, silent audiences. So how do top performers handle it? Learn proven techniques to manage nerves, shift focus, and turn pressure into peak performance—just like Ohtani. 🎭🎶⚾ #StageFright #PerformanceAnxiety #ThrivingUnderPressure

Lamaze for stage fright. Wait, what?

If you’re an American parent, there’s a good chance you and/or your spouse relied on the Lamaze technique during childbirth. A medical intervention developed by French obstetrician Dr. Fernand Lamaze in the 1940s, it helps a mother cope with the physical pain of bringing a baby into the world. It may also be effective in managing the anxiety of performing …

Stage Fright & ‘American Idol’ Sonika Vaid

One of the standout performers in the final season of “American Idol,” Sonika Vaid, is no stranger to stage fright. Now that she’s made it into the final stages of the competition, the Martha’s Vineyard native is starting to receive quite a bit of media attention. It includes a profile interview found on the NBC news website. In the piece, …

Stage Fright & Speech Fright: Infographic of Surprising Facts

When it comes to speech fright and stage fright, there’s likely quite a bit you don’t know. I certainly didn’t until I started studying it extensively to create Goodbye Butterflies. Learning more about the anxiety of speaking, performing, and competing in public can serve as an important first step in finding your way beyond this needless menace. To that end, I’ve …

The Yips & Ernie Els

The yips finds Ernie Els. Millions have watched The epic meltdown in the day since it has happened. Four-time major champion Ernies Els wound up six putting from under three feet for a nine on the opening par four at the Masters. How could this possibly happen to such a successful veteran golfer? In an interview after his round for …

Speech Fright: Reporter Reinforces Common Misconception

Donna Vickroy writes about her battle with speech fright in a recent online article for the Chicago Tribune. The piece underscores just how intrusive performance anxiety can be when Vickroy is confronted with giving a eulogy at her aunt’s funeral. It also reinforces a common misconception about nervousness being the source of excitement. Back in the B.C. days The most …