There are big moments in life that can cause anxiety – like performing music live, first dates, job interviews, or public speaking. But a Murray State University professor says there are ways to manage stress and get through performance anxiety without losing control.
As part of Murray State’s Humanities+ series, professor of horn Ashley Cumming earlier this month presented “Stage Ready: A Guide to Mastering Presence in Interviews, Presentations, and High-Stakes Moments." Drawing from her own experience as a musician and stage performer, she offered advice on how to prepare for potential anxiety-inducing moments and put your best foot forward.
Cumming said presenting your best self is about being authentic and true to yourself, especially in high-stakes situations like salary negotiations or a performance in front of an audience. She said those activities can be scary for many people.
“I think [why people get anxious about these situations comes from] a combination of things. It's trusting yourself, and trusting your instincts. It's the lack of practice or familiarity with that skill, right? First dates are hard because they're the first one. You don't know them yet,” she said. “So that lack of familiarity or lack of repetitions causes a lot of stress. There's a lot of barriers that we put up ourselves, whether it's fear or judgment or perception or imagining what we might do isn't enough, or the stakes that we might put on ourselves.”
Cumming said thinking of the worst possible outcomes can raise the stakes, but suggests that an interview is more than just a tense sit down with a potential employer.
“It’s not necessarily what you do in that job interview that's important. It's what you've done your whole life leading up to that job interview that's important. And we forget to lean into those moments,” Cumming said. “If we can trust all of those experiences up to that job interview, then we have a better chance of success. It's not those five minutes right there.”
She said she tries to give practical tips to overcome performance anxiety. One of the most important ones is the ability to tell your own story.
“In any situation, whether it's performing a piece of music, or you know, giving a job interview or a presentation – what is the story that you're trying to tell? What is the key takeaway that you're trying to give? I listen to a lot of podcasts and the best ones aren't just a true crime story, but they're telling a greater story about the criminal justice system, or issues with policing,” Cumming said. “It's a greater narrative that we can provide that's going to give people something to walk away with.”
Cumming suggests thinking about what you want people to know about yourself, and highlighting personality traits and experiences you are confident in.
“I studied with a guru on performance anxiety, Jeff Nelson. He played with the Canadian Brass, which was a really big brass ensemble that tours worldwide. And one of the things that he always forced me to do, as with all his students, was whenever we finished playing, he said, 'Tell me something you did well, and it has to be declarative, first person, and 100% true,’” she said. “And I tell you, it was one of the hardest things I had to do. To be able to own something authentically and say I absolutely performed this thing 100% well, or this element was 100% solid is really hard to do.”
Cumming also suggests simple tricks for anxiety-driven symptoms like dry mouth and nerves.
“Lemon helps you salivate. So if you get a dry mouth, put some lemons in your water, or chew a slice of lemon before you go on stage,” she said. “If you know that you get nerves or butterflies, try running up and down the stairs five or six times, and then giving your presentation and practice delivering your presentation with that out of breath butterfly feeling, so that you know that you can make it through the moment or whatever it might be for you.”
She said physically practicing the interview itself is helpful, but not something many people do. Cumming said it might surprise people how simple logistical decisions can change the flow of a moment.
“Like if you're going in for a job interview and you have to bring a portfolio with you and things. Is it in your bag? Are you carrying it? Can you open the door while you're doing those things? Have you ever worn those heels before? Like all of these little things can be really distracting to you,” Cumming said. “ If you imagine in your head, what it feels like to get dressed, to walk into the restaurant… Can you imagine taking a sip of your water and then having that conversation of what you would ask that person? If you can go through a really authentic, full visualization, then it's actually your second date by the time you get there.”
