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Performance Anxiety
• The definitive book on overcoming performance anxiety
• Helpful for performers of all
salespeople, executives, teachers—
anyone who must speak in public
• Practical, step-by-step guidance plus spaces for journaling and interactive exercises
• Replaces ISBN 0-8230-8834-0,
Fearless Presenting
Actors aren’t the only ones who get stage fright. Salespeople, teachers, executives—anyone who ever has to speak to a group of any size needs Performance Anxiety . This book shows how to approach public presentations calmly and comfortably, without sweaty palms and a pounding heart. Effective anxiety-management techniques and practical, step-by-step workbook exercises—plus thoughtful guidance from the author, a licensed psychotherapist—make this book uniquely enlightening and empowering for anyone in the spotlight.
• Helpful for performers of all
salespeople, executives, teachers—
anyone who must speak in public
• Practical, step-by-step guidance plus spaces for journaling and interactive exercises
• Replaces ISBN 0-8230-8834-0,
Fearless Presenting
Actors aren’t the only ones who get stage fright. Salespeople, teachers, executives—anyone who ever has to speak to a group of any size needs Performance Anxiety . This book shows how to approach public presentations calmly and comfortably, without sweaty palms and a pounding heart. Effective anxiety-management techniques and practical, step-by-step workbook exercises—plus thoughtful guidance from the author, a licensed psychotherapist—make this book uniquely enlightening and empowering for anyone in the spotlight.
256 pages, Paperback
First published October 1, 2005
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29 people want to read
About the author
Eric Maisel
138 books165 followersEric Maisel, Ph.D., is the author of more than 40 books in the areas of creativity, coaching, mental health, and cultural trends. He is a psychotherapist and creativity coach, and writes for Psychology Today and Professional Artist Magazine and presents workshops internationally.
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
November 12, 2018
Wow. This book was HIGHLY repetitive, especially Part I where he defines anxiety. This part also seemed stuffed (or fluffed) with anecdote after anecdote from professionals. If you know absolutely nothing about anxiety, then these chapters could be useful.
Apart from the writing style, I found the concepts either contradictory, confusing, or incomplete. One of the techniques he offers for dealing with anxiety is to embrace it by trying to make yourself even more anxious, suggesting that anxiety sort of hits a wall and has to back down. In a later chapter, he offers the example of a comedian who did something like this and made his anxiety worse.
In an early chapter, he asks why musicians have trouble talking themselves out of anxiety before a performance, but he never distinguishes how the way they are “talking themselves out of it” is different from the positive self-talk and detachment he encourages.
The reason why I really did not find it useful is because he exclusively addresses pre-performance anxiety, assuming that after performance has begun, especially if you have begun it fairly calmly, that it just kind of disappears. He does not address those whose anxiety habits occur in the middle of a performance.
The basic premise of the book is that if you prepare sufficiently and holistically, breathe, and talk positively to yourself then your anxiety will be reduced. If you are already aware of these things and practicing them, then I say skip this book.
Apart from the writing style, I found the concepts either contradictory, confusing, or incomplete. One of the techniques he offers for dealing with anxiety is to embrace it by trying to make yourself even more anxious, suggesting that anxiety sort of hits a wall and has to back down. In a later chapter, he offers the example of a comedian who did something like this and made his anxiety worse.
In an early chapter, he asks why musicians have trouble talking themselves out of anxiety before a performance, but he never distinguishes how the way they are “talking themselves out of it” is different from the positive self-talk and detachment he encourages.
The reason why I really did not find it useful is because he exclusively addresses pre-performance anxiety, assuming that after performance has begun, especially if you have begun it fairly calmly, that it just kind of disappears. He does not address those whose anxiety habits occur in the middle of a performance.
The basic premise of the book is that if you prepare sufficiently and holistically, breathe, and talk positively to yourself then your anxiety will be reduced. If you are already aware of these things and practicing them, then I say skip this book.
June 15, 2014
Performance anxiety, a subject which I have researched far and wide, took on a whole new meaning for me after completing this book. Yes I knew the theories, and had heard of some of the practices suggested for slaying the ever-rising daemon. However, once again Dr Maisel managed to provide a unique insight in a concise and meaningful manner and I now feel more confident in tackling the practical aspects of reducing the levels of my personal terror of public speaking!
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews