That flutter in your chest. The lump in your throat. The rush of adrenaline that makes your hands shake or your voice waver. Performance anxiety isn’t a flaw, it’s a signal. A sign that your body is responding to visibility, vulnerability, and a desire to get it “right.” At TNTW, we believe you were never meant to perform your life. You were meant to embody it.

What Is Performance Anxiety?

Performance anxiety is a physiological and emotional response that arises when we’re about to be seen, evaluated, or heard. It can show up in moments like:

• Speaking in meetings or interviews

• Public presentations or performances

• Teaching or coaching

• Sharing your story online

• Setting boundaries or addressing conflict

You might experience:

• Sweaty palms

• Rapid heartbeat

• Brain fog

• Muscle tension

• Racing thoughts

These are not signs of failure—they’re signs your nervous system is trying to protect you. Your work is not to silence the fear, but to learn how to meet it with presence.

The TNTW Approach to Managing Performance Anxiety

1. Name It with Compassion

“This is performance anxiety. My body is responding to perceived risk.”

Naming it allows you to reclaim authority from the spiral.

2. Regulate the Nervous System

Use calming tools to anchor yourself:

• 4-7-8 Breathwork 
• Grounding Mantra: “I am safe. I am here.”
• Vagus Nerve Support: Hum, sing, or sigh it out

3. Reframe the Sensation

That rush of energy? It’s not always fear—it’s momentum. Let it fuel you.

Try: gentle shaking, dancing, or stretching before you speak or present.

4. Rewrite the Narrative

Try shifting internal dialogue like:

“ I might mess up” → “I can show up imperfectly and still be powerful”

• “They won’t like me” → “I belong in this moment just as I am”

• “I’m scared” → “I’m rising”

Affirmation:

• "I can be nervous and still show up" 
• "My voice is allowed in the room" 
• "My worth isn’t on trial "

5. Check Your Energy Centers

• Solar Plexus: Is your power center activated or collapsed?

• Throat Chakra: Are you holding back your voice or truth?

• Heart Space: Are you leading with fear or love?

Tend to these centers with breath, energy work, or ritual.

6. Deconstruct the Fear

Ask yourself:

• “What story am I telling about this moment?”
• “What would it mean if I made a mistake?”
• “Whose voice am I internalizing?”

Awareness reveals the old wounds beneath the present fear.

7. Build Confidence Through Exposure

You don’t need to dive into the deep end. Practice slowly:

• Record yourself speaking
• Practice with a friend
• Celebrate each brave step

Reflection Prompt

Think of a time you held back because of fear.

• What did your body need in that moment?

• How can you offer that to yourself now?

 TNTW Affirmation

"I don’t need to perform. I just need to be present. I can be seen, heard, and valued exactly as I am."

Final Reflection

Performance anxiety is not something to eliminate—it’s something to understand. When you shift your relationship to it, you reclaim your power. You stop performing and start embodying. You don’t shrink, you show up. This is how you own the moment. One breath. One word. One empowered presence at a time.