Speak Through the Fear: Making Anxiety Your Ally
- Olha Kryvosheieva
- 12 hours ago
- 6 min read
I’m an actress, so trust me—I know what it means to feel fear and nervous excitement every time you step onto a stage. I consider myself lucky. Why? Because I’ve had the privilege of facing that stage, again and again, feeling those butterflies—and learning how to turn them into fuel.
For performers, practice makes perfect. Stage time is our training ground. But what if you’re not an actor? What if you don’t have the luxury of constant rehearsals and live audiences? That’s where many people struggle.
That’s exactly why I’ve put together the best insights from neuroscience and physiology—so you can understand what happens in your body when anxiety hits, and actually put that knowledge to work for you. I’ll show you how fear works, why it appears, and how you can transform it from an enemy into your secret ally.
Ready to begin? Let’s start with the real story: What happens inside us when we face the spotlight, and how you can use it to your advantage.
Before stepping onto the stage for a public presentation, most people experience what we commonly label as “fear”—sometimes accompanied by nervousness and anxiety. This reaction isn’t just emotional; it’s a direct result of our autonomic nervous system kicking in.
What’s fascinating about the autonomic nervous system is that it operates automatically, whether you want it to or not. Imagine a light bulb inside you that suddenly flicks on as soon as you feel intense fear or anticipation—that’s your body’s built-in warning system.
One key part of your brain, the amygdala, acts as the emotional alarm bell. When you sense a threat—like speaking in front of an audience—the amygdala lights up, sending signals throughout your nervous system. This triggers a cascade of physical changes: your heart beats faster, breathing may quicken, palms get sweaty, and muscles tense.
All these changes happen outside of your conscious control, priming your body to handle stress. It’s your biology, working to protect you—and understanding this process is the first step in learning how to harness your fear and use it to your advantage.
Imagine this: that little light bulb inside your brain—your amygdala—lights up without you even realizing it. It switches on automatically whenever your brain detects a potential threat, like the moment before you step onto a stage.
When this light bulb flickers on, a cascade of chemical reactions begins in your body. Your adrenal glands release adrenaline, your heart starts beating faster, and your brain floods with endorphins. These physiological changes are your body’s natural “fight or flight” response, preparing you to face the challenge ahead.
What’s important to know is that this process happens involuntarily, controlled by your autonomic nervous system. You don’t decide to feel this way—it just happens.
But here’s the empowering part: learning to recognize and manage these signals gives you the tools to dim that light bulb—or even switch it off entirely. Today, we’ll explore the levers you can use to calm your amygdala’s alarm, reduce anxiety, and transform fear into your greatest ally.
By understanding the science behind your body’s response, you won’t just survive public speaking—you’ll enjoy it.
Understanding Emotions as a Spectrum
It's important to realize that our emotions are not isolated or discrete points. Instead, human feelings usually exist as complex, overlapping experiences that form a continuous spectrum rather than distinct categories. Imagine emotions as colors on a rainbow that blend into one another, creating a rich palette of feelings varying in intensity and shade.
When it comes to fear, this emotion is rarely experienced purely or singularly. Instead, fear often coexists with excitement, anticipation, curiosity, and other emotions. This complex blend makes fear a dynamic state rather than a fixed one.
What we commonly label as "fear" is frequently accompanied by heightened physiological arousal — what can also be described as excitement or activation. This arousal is a key lever that you can learn to control. By reframing fear internally as excitement before stepping onto a stage, you shift your mindset and harness this energy positively.
“There is no difference between the physiological reaction to what excites you and to what you fear or anxiously anticipate,” says Andrew Huberman, Associate Professor of Neurobiology and Ophthalmology at Stanford University.
In this podcast episode, Huberman discusses with host and instructor Matt Abrahams his research on the autonomic continuum — the spectrum of states from high alertness or fear to deep sleep — and shares how this system can be used to your advantage.
“If people understand that the anxiety or stress response is identical to the excitement response, they will feel differently,” says Huberman.
Emotions carry energy within them—the very word "emotion" comes from the Latin emovere, meaning "to move, to stir motion." Intense feelings release a significant amount of energy that the body can direct toward action.
When you become aware of this energy and learn to focus it, you stop getting stuck in anxious or distracting thoughts and instead channel it into your thoughts, body, and speech—right where it can truly work for you.
Nuances of Fear: A Blend of Positive and Negative Emotions
Fear is a unique emotional mixture that combines negative states (anxiety, worry, tension) with positive feelings (excitement, curiosity, anticipation). Think of it as a sphere or a swirling vortex of emotions, where fear contains discomfort, yet simultaneously energizes and motivates. This dual nature makes fear a powerful and transformative experience, offering not only challenges but also opportunities for growth and performance.
Imagine the situation: you have carefully prepared and rehearsed your speech—let’s set that part aside for now. The key moment comes just before stepping on stage. Despite all your preparation, it is still completely normal to feel fear. Yes, fear is natural.
It is important to engage in an internal monologue—a technique well known in acting practice. An internal monologue is a conversation with yourself in your mind, or ideally, out loud. Ask yourself questions and speak to fear as if it were a companion. You might say, “I am noticing certain bodily signals,” while avoiding labels such as “fear,” “anxiety,” or “nervousness.” Instead, observe where in the body these sensations arise and acknowledge their presence without judgment. Tell yourself: “These sensations are energy that is moving me toward action. I am grateful for this energy within me.” Then begin a dialogue with these feelings: “Let us deliver something meaningful to the audience together—something I have prepared and that matters deeply.”
Remember your purpose: to make a positive impact, to communicate your message clearly, or to inspire your listeners. Whatever your mission may be, use this energetic activation to enhance your performance. Make it your story—a deep inner dialogue between you and your emotions. This powerful connection can transform nervous energy into creative strength.
Play with Fear. Shift Your Perspective.
Here's a technique I use before every performance, and it works because it transforms fear from an abstract threat into a concrete, tangible object that you can control.
Step 1 — Visualize Your Fear
Close your eyes and imagine it. Not as an emotion—as an image, an object, a creature.What color is it? What shape? Is it soft or spiky? What size is it?Just observe it with your inner eye. Don't analyze—simply see.
Step 2 — Rewire Your Sensory Receptors
Now break the usual logic. Ask yourself:
If fear had a smell, what would it smell like?
If it had a taste, what would it taste like?
If I could hear it, what sound would it make?
If I could touch it, what would the texture feel like?
This isn't a random question. It shifts fear from the emotional part of your brain (amygdala) to the sensory and creative centers (cortex).Your brain switches into "explorer mode" instead of "victim mode."
Step 3 — Transfer Fear Into an Object
Now comes the most powerful part:Imagine you can pull the fear out of your body and place it into an object beside you.
It could be a pillow, a chair, a cup, a stone. Physically stand up and place your fear there.Hold the object and say to it: "Here's my fear. You're holding it now."Set the object aside. Far away. Feel the difference in your body. You're no longer carrying it with you.
Step 4 — Engage Your Body. Release the Adrenaline Through Movement
Fear is excess physical energy with nowhere to go. Now act:
— Jump. 20-30 jumps break the chain of stillness. Your brain receives the signal: we're moving, we're handling this.
— Do deep squats. Deep squats activate your large leg and back muscles—the energy flows there instead of staying trapped in your chest and throat.
— Dance. Yes, actually dance. Put on music that energizes you and dance before your presentation. It's one of the most effective ways to transform adrenaline into creative energy.
When you move, your brain receives a new signal: your body isn't in stress—it's taking action. This switches you from "fight/flight/freeze" mode into "I'm handling this and I'm here" mode.
Your play is a creative intervention. You break the habitual perception pattern and activate imagination and body awareness simultaneously. When you ask what taste fear has, you're no longer its victim. You're its investigator. When you place fear in an object, you're no longer carrying it. You're its master. When you dance before your presentation, you're no longer trembling. You're free.
This isn't just a relaxation technique. It's a shift from suffering into creativity. You activate that actor, director, and author within you—the one who can command the stage, even if that stage is your own body and nervous system.
Fear doesn't disappear. But it stops being the lead character.
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