Largely because of our fears and self-handicapping mindset, many of us shy away from performing on stage. There are two approaches in psychology that can be used to increase performance; using these techniques will undoubtedly help you perform better.

1, Auto suggestions

Autosuggestion is a positive and affirmative statement made in the present tense, about the type of person you wish to become. It is a psychological technique for programming the subconscious mind. When you make positive auto suggestions to yourself, your subconscious mind believes them and begins to reflect them in your behavior.

E.g. I am a good speaker, I am special, I am confident, I am strong

Repeat these statements several times throughout the day; say them in a loud voice with genuine emotion. Make a habit of this exercise until the end of your life. The effects will be incredible.

2, Goal directed visualization

Goal-directed visualization is an effective psychological technique for improving performance through mental rehearsal. Mental rehearsal entails visualizing the entire work as clearly as if you were watching yourself on film.

If you see the picture, hear the sound, and feel the movements of your body and feel your performance in your mind before you do the activity, the effect is really powerful. Visualization is a simulation technique to create real time experience before the real action.

So always, watch the scene before you make the scene! Visualize the desired results in large images, three dimensions, and colour.

For this, you can download a photo of an influential crowd and alter it using any software to show you speaking to the group. Look at this image every day by printing it out and pasting it in your room. The outcomes can pleasantly surprise you.

Remember that the only thing that keeps you in the game is ‘EVERY DAY IS A NEW DAY’

Ajeesh Nair

PhD scholar, ICWA Final, MBA, MA Psychology & M.COM. Auditor, Psychologist, Toastmaster