Nervous About Your TV Reality Show Audition?

You are about to do one of the most exciting things you've ever done. Millions of people would love to trade places with you. They all envy you. So why are you so nervous?

Yes, you are about to audition and compete for a spot on a reality TV show, but you have severe doubts, concerns and downright nerves about performing. You may even wonder how something so good can create so much nervous energy. You may be thinking, "What am I doing? This is crazy. Why do I put myself through this? I wonder if I can get out of this? But you also know, from previous performances, that often, once you are in the performance, and you begin to flow, you think, "I wish this would never end!" That's what I want to help you with. You CAN banish the nerves and get the zone to show up more often. You just need a system for preparing for the TV reality show audition.

I am able to help actors do well under pressure partly because of my background and training as a mental game coach. But I also have felt the pressure of being on camera myself, and of having to come through in front of a TV Director, full crew and other observers. I created and sold three reality TV show pilots to Hollywood, and produced, wrote and hosted these pilots. So I know what you are going through.

Learn more about my TV reality show pilots at MentalGameTVShow.com

Here are my five quick tips for handling actor's anxiety.

1. Reframe The Nerves You Feel: The tingling and higher energy you interpret as nerves creates the "rush" you can get during a great performance. Rename this physical, mental and emotional vortex into a useable energy, called "adrenalin", "passion", "excitement" or "activation to perform". Then go use that positive energy.
   
   
2. Have A Mental Readiness Routine: To give a great performance you need to move from your "normal school-home-work world" to your special "performer's world". To do that, you need a transition system to get into the right frame of mind. Try using music, meditation, relaxation, a long walk, or anything that helps you focus down to what you will do in your performance.
   
   
3. Make Breathing Your Best Friend: You cannot be a consistent performer unless you understand and utilize your breath properly and regularly. Learn how to focus on your breath to bring you into the now, how to use your breath to calm down, and how to use it to amp up when you feel flat energy.
   
   
4. Center Yourself In The Moment: Nervousness comes from negative anticipation of a future disastrous event. You imagine yourself messing up, and embarrassing yourself. Instead, ground yourself in the moment by relaxing, breathing, sensing your muscles and being in the now.
   
   
5. Get The Bigger Picture: Realize you are not alone with actor's nerves. Many, many famous celebrities are well known for having stage fright, yet moving past it every time they perform. Look at these names and realize that stage fright is not a career-ending malady. Johnny Depp, John Lennon, Kim Bassinger, Hugh Grant, Tom Hanks, Brad Pitt, Carrie Underwood, Courteney Cox-Arquette, David Letterman, Harrison Ford, Julia Roberts, Kevin Costner, Michelle Pfeiffer, Nicole Kidman, Rene Russo, Richard Gere, Robert De Niro, Tom Cruise, and Britney Spears have all been known to suffer from extreme shyness and/or stage fright.

Now you have a bigger picture about stage fright, and I hope you feel better about it. Now you know that there are ways to prepare for TV reality show auditions so you can control stage fright and give very good performances. Good luck in your next audition! I want to see you on TV very soon.

Bill Cole, MS, MA, a leading authority on peak performance, mental toughness and coaching, is founder and CEO of William B. Cole Consultants, a consulting firm that helps organizations and professionals achieve more success in business, life and sports. He is also the Founder and President of the International Mental Game Coaching Association (www.mentalgamecoaching.com), an organization dedicated to advancing the research, development, professionalism and growth of mental game coaching worldwide. He is a multiple Hall-Of-Fame honoree as an athlete, coach and school alumnus, an award-winning scholar-athlete, published book author and articles author, and has coached at the highest levels of major-league pro sports, big-time college athletics and corporate America. For a free, extensive article archive, or for questions and comments visit him at www.MentalGameCoach.com.