4 Effective Relaxation Tips From Actors

by Lewis Robinson

Whether you're an aspiring actor or just someone hoping to overcome their nerves, learning relaxation techniques from actors themselves isn't a bad idea. Their profession involves a lot of nerve-wracking situations, and many actors still struggle with stage fright years into their careers. If you're trying to get some tools under your belt for your next big presentation, here are a few relaxation techniques commonly used by actors. 

1. Proper Breathwork

If you're someone who is prone to nervousness or anxiety, you've probably been told to "just breathe" on more than one occasion. This advice can be so irritating because you're probably already breathing at the moment and can't see how doing more of that could possibly help. But it's actually an established fact that proper breathwork can do a lot to bring down an elevated heart rate and calm your nerves.

Doing real breathwork involves something called "diaphragmatic breathing". Your diaphragm is a muscle that rests under your ribcage. When you breathe normally, your chest rises and falls. But breathing properly for breathwork involves filling your diaphragm with air. You can tell this is happening if your stomach rises and falls with each breath. Many who practice breathwork meditation will close their eyes to focus completely on their breathing and to intentionally relax any tensed muscles one each exhale.

Try practicing this the next time you're nervous and watch the tension melt away.

2. Shake It Out

One of the worst things an actor can do is allow their nervousness to become physical tension. Being tense will limit your performance and make you stiff, so it's vital to ensure that you're staying loose, even if you're just presenting at an office meeting. A lot of actors can be seen "shaking it out" before going on stage, literally shaking their hands, feet, and limbs to dispel any tension.

This technique is often called the Lee Strasburg technique, named after its inventor. You go limb by limb through your body ensuring that no tension remains and getting into a state of full relaxation. Many famous actors swear by this technique and use it every time they're about to go on stage or film a difficult scene. 

3. Get Physical

If you like stretching or doing yoga, a short routine can do wonders for relaxing your body. Even dancing around to a song can be effective. Getting your body moving is a great way to get out of your mind and stay loose. You might feel a little odd doing physical activity in a public space, but it's good preparation for performing in front of strangers.

Plus, getting a little exercise when you're feeling nervous can generate endorphins, which essentially means your nervous system is sending happiness signals to the brain. If done frequently enough, your brain could begin associating nervousness with those happy hormones and your stage fright could become a thing of the past. 

4. Mindfulness Meditation

Most of these tips involve some form of mindfulness, so it's probably not surprising that many actors will use meditation to prepare for nerve-wracking situations. The great thing about meditation is that anyone can learn to use it, and it can be done absolutely nowhere. Essentially, you'll be releasing your focus on any one thing and simply noting your thoughts and feelings as they come and go.

Once you're used to this exercise, you'll realize that nervousness comes with physical and mental "symptoms", such as an elevated heart rate or a jittery feeling in the extremities. You might be thinking "I'm going to fail" or worrying about specific aspects of the performance. Meditation will allow you to notice these thoughts and feelings, then allow them to pass. You might still be nervous, but you'll know that nervousness can't really do anything to you. 

Hopefully one of these techniques can become your new way of defeating stage fright and becoming a more confident and effective performer, no matter the context.