Hypnotherapy and Performance Anxiety

Performance Anxiety occurs when there is a fear of being negatively judged.  It is typically seen in activities such as public speaking, driving tests, examinations and sporting performance.  A person experiencing performance anxiety will monitor their bodily symptoms such as heart racing and sweaty palms and be aware of negative self statements - I'm going to mess this up just like last time.  Having such an internal focus will provide more than enough evidence to confirm that they are indeed anxious.  A vicious circle is then started with the sufferer becoming anxious about feeling anxious.  A fight or flight response will then be triggered as the performance will be perceived as frightening and threatening.  Not an ideal state of mind for giving of your best.  And although your conscious mind can rationalise that whatever happens it's not the end of the world your unconscious mind doesn't care about that, it just wants to get you out of there asap.  And it doesn't want you to go through that again - not ever.

If there's a conflict between the conscious and the unconscious then the unconscious will usually win

Hypnotherapy uses suggestions to the patient to maintain an external focus and to give all of their attention to whatever they are saying and doing.  Coupled with cues for remaining calm and relaxed anxiety can be reduced to an appropriate level of arousal.  Visualisation techniques are employed where the performance is imagined and run like a video over and over again with a successful and positive outcome.  A kind of beneficial programming of the mind.  It is said that if you can think it then you can do it.  Think of a horribly embarrassing moment - don't you still feel uncomfortable?  Think of cutting a lemon in half and watching all that juice run out - aren't you salivating?  Whether you see something inside your head or in the outside world your mind and body tend to respond in a similar way.  So why not visualise things the way you would like them to be.

I had my results when I got home this evening and I got a distinction for the last course (Shakespeare Text and Performance).  Two distinctions over the whole course means that I will be graduating with a First next year.  Thanks for the help, I certainly went into the exam room feeling very calm and confident, the results tell their own story.  Thanks again.  (Sandra L)