Ways Magicians Can Stop Pre-Show Nerves

I feel my legs giving way. I try to hear the music of my act, but I can't catch any of the notes. I raise my gaze and don't see a single face in the audience, just pitch darkness. The one thing I see is the signs of emergency exits. They’re so high above my head that they seem about to collapse on me. Applause.

You’ve just read what I experienced during a performance a few years ago.

Do you do close-up? Stage magic? Parlour? Or are you a street magician? In any case, I believe that at least once in your life, you've felt anxious or nervous before a performance. As you have read a few lines above, it happened to me too.

First of all: it's normal.

We are human beings; we are not automatons. Just as we want to convey emotions with our magic, it's completely acceptable that we magicians also feel them. Therefore, feelings of fear and anxiety are completely understandable. However, how can we mitigate them to perform at our best?

The study of emotions and how to attenuate their intensity is a subject I am well-versed in and continue to delve deeper into each day. On one hand, I explore it through my master's degree in clinical psychology, on the other hand through magic, performing on stages all around the world.

Let me tell you fifteen techniques that come from the world of psychology, from my personal experience, and from observing other artists I've worked with over time: you can choose to use them all, one or none. We'll cover techniques for at-home, the day of the performance, thirty minutes before, one minute before and during your magic show.

Let's begin.

At Home

The first thing that can help you overcome pre-show nerves is to be prepared. Here are some ways to do it:

1. Immerse yourself in the venue. You can print a photo of the venue where you'll perform: whether it's a square, a theatre, or a restaurant, it's very helpful to visualize the performance space from the rehearsals. Practice your act in front of that photo, and gradually immerse yourself in that space: use your senses. Try to imagine the sounds you'll hear, the smells, the weight of the air on your skin. During the actual performance, you'll feel like you're in a familiar place.

2. Get information. If you know that a friend of yours has already performed in that venue, contact them. Ask what to expect in terms of working conditions. It's better to ask questions now to have the time to prepare at the best.

3. Automaticity is the key. Maybe it has already happened to you, during a performance, to completely forget what you have to do: this happens when you haven't yet automated what you practiced at home. Being in an anxiety-inducing situation means that the brain is too busy dealing with stress and can't retrieve the memory traces of what you should do. Start ahead: practice a lot. Ideally, you should be able to perform without thinking about what to say during your performance or what your hands are doing.

4. Just to be double sure. When you know you've rehearsed enough, there's another thing that can help you. Play your favourite music from your phone and start a movie on TV that you know almost by heart. Now, practice your act. These two elements, music and television, are distractions that challenge your brain to process too much information at once. When you can perform despite the music and television while staying clear-headed, it will help you maintain concentration during the actual performance despite stress.

5. Just to be double double sure. Rehearse blindfolded. It may sound funny, but I assure you it works. Not having one of the five senses will make you hyper-focused on the others: you'll perceive the space around you differently, and your hearing will sharpen. And I'm not just talking about closing your eyes. I mean you have to actually take a blindfold and cover your gaze: you need an actual physical impediment. I assure you that, despite the initial effort and bumping into furniture (yes, it happened to me), the more you practice, the better you'll get. Once you remove the blindfold, you'll find that you're much more aware of your movements in space and much more focused on what you have to do.

6. Put yourself in stressful situations. Do you have that friend in front of whom you feel particularly judged or anxious? Use this. Try to perform only after your act is ready, in front of them and try to control your stress levels. After doing this, when you have the actual show, it will be a breeze.

Day of Performance

1. Do physical activity. Physical activity relieves tension and stimulates the production of endorphins. On the day of the performance, exercise for about thirty minutes. I know it's the last thing you'd want to do, but I assure you that even just a half-hour walk with your favourite podcast can prepare your body and mind to be active.

2. Arrive early. You'll have time to see your working conditions, explore the venue, meet the people you'll be working with, ask questions that come to your mind, and prepare your props. Doing all these things beforehand can calm you down.

3. Breathing exercises. If meditation is already part of your routine, go ahead! Otherwise, a simple breathing exercise can help reduce tension. Sit comfortably, inhale for three seconds through your nose, hold your breath for a second, and exhale forcefully for six seconds through your mouth. We often think that deep inhalation relieves tension, but actually, the inhalation phase increases heart rate, while it's the exhalation that slows it down (and this facilitates a state of relaxation). You can proceed for 30 seconds or an hour; the important thing is that it's time dedicated to yourself.

4. Don't think. Not having time to think helps me a lot. If, for example, I know I have a spare hour before I have to do my makeup and prepare the last things before going on stage, I don't give negative thoughts time to enter my mind. I read a book, plan the next week, respond to messages or emails, and think about the next magical things to do.

5. Sing. Listen to music you really like or that gives you energy, sing if you want to. Singing regulates breathing and relieves stress:give it a go!

6. Food and drinks. Avoid caffeine: it may seem like you're more awake, but after a while, you could feel nervous or stressed. If you don’t want salivation issues, don’t have salty foods, coffee, milk, and sweet drinks. Instead, it's always useful to drink still room temperature water.

7. They are human beings. If you know that there's an important person or people in theaudience, from the show buyer to journalists to your mother... think about bringing your magic to them. You know your worth, you've trained a lot, you're ready to share your world with the entire audience, and with them too. They are human beings, not aliens, and as human beings, they can be moved just like everyone else.

8. No more shaking hands. I’m not aware of quick and medically advised tips for stopping shaking hands. I feel the solution is pretty personal, so I’ll share what works best for me. When I shake, I keep my hands on a flat surface or gently press them against my belly or my legs and exhale vigorously until I feel the tension release. If that is not enough, I do some abs: they eliminate nervous tension and stop my hands from shaking. 

9. A moment dedicated to you. One thing that works very well for me is that an hour before the show, I lie down on the stage and breathe, trying to feel at one with the place. When there's no stage, I sit on a chair in the dressing room or in a place away from everyone else. It's a little moment dedicated to me.

Thirty Mins Before

It can be helpful to do full-body stretching (don’t forget your hands!) to be ready for the performance. Breathing exercises (like the ones I’ve described earlier) help you relax and focus on what you're about to do; a bit of music can distract and lighten your mind.

1 minute before

Sometimes I've stayed calm until a minute before going on stage and, just before my performance, felt anxiety rise. In these cases, I do a few hops in place, exhale decisively, and whisper or think: "I'm doing something beautiful." And then - physically - I smile. It has been proven that smiling (and by that, I mean a big smile that involves your entire face) brings great psychological benefits: it reduces stress, increases positivity, and boosts your mood.

During the show

Immerse yourself in the relationship with the audience and let their energy charge you. The most important thing is one only: HAVE FUN. Enjoy your performance, make every moment memorable, feel the magic.

YOU ARE IMPORTANT 

These have been many examples of what you can actually do to stop pre-show nerves. Try to understand which of these is more useful or, experimenting, find others that work for you.

Whether it's a grand show broadcast worldwide or a performance for your neighbours, what you do is important. You are important. You can bring joy, warmth, fun, positive emotions to people, but, above all, you can be yourself and do what you love most in the world: magic.