Performance anxiety is not stage fright in the ordinary sense. It shows up when the thing you care about most is also the thing you are being watched doing: a recital, a trial, an operating room, a board presentation, a season on the line. The stakes are not abstract, and the fear is proportionate to them.
The resources below come from outside this practice: performance specialists, musicians' organizations, and established health publishers. They cover what happens under pressure and what actually helps. We keep the list short and current.
Practical, evidence-informed guidance for musicians on stage fright, preparation, and building genuine stage presence rather than suppressing nerves.
Guides and support for musicians, covering what performance anxiety does to the body and what helps before, during, and after a performance.
Self-help strategies for arousal and worry that apply well beyond the stage, including breathing, grounding, and changing how you respond to the sensations of fear.
What happens in the body under acute stress and pressure, and how to interrupt the cycle instead of fighting it.
These organizations are independent of Ballast Behavioral Health Group. We include them because they are reliable and genuinely useful, not as a substitute for care.
Our psychologists work with performers, athletes, and professionals whose work depends on performing under pressure, using Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and exposure-based methods. Care is available in person in the Memphis area and by telehealth across Tennessee. See how therapy works here or get in touch.
If you are in crisis
Ballast Behavioral Health Group is not a crisis service. If you are in immediate danger, call 911 or go to your nearest emergency department.
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