I remember my very first moment of performance anxiety. I was about six, on my first school camp. Everything felt unfamiliar - my body tense, my mind full and busy. I just wanted to go home. Of course, I couldn’t articulate it back then, but looking back, that was the shadow of anxiety. And it’s one I carried for decades, especially in moments where I felt I had to perform, impress, or prove myself.

What I didn’t realise was that the more I tried to eliminate performance anxiety, the more dominant it became. Because anxiety is anticipatory stress, often our instinct is to do one of two things: either avoid situations where anxiety might show up, or try to control them so tightly to elimiate the chance of it showing up. But avoidance and hyper-control only reinforce the fear. It took years, but now I work with performance anxiety, not against it. And that shift has changed everything.

A Brain-Based Perspective

Let’s ground this in neuroscience. Performance anxiety activates the amygdala, the brain’s emotional alarm system. When it senses a threat (even a social one like public speaking or being evaluated), it triggers the HPA axis, releasing cortisol and adrenaline.

This response is useful in true danger, but when the “threat” is social fear (like being judged or failing), it overwhelms the prefrontal cortex, the part of the brain responsible for clear thinking, regulation, and decision-making. If you’ve experienced this, it's not a particularly nice feeling!

Avoidance or hyper-control often confirms the danger, proving to your brain that the anxiety was valid.

Working with performance anxiety means engaging brain systems that calm the response, not escalate it. In doing so, you’re teaching your brain that the threat is tolerable, even manageable.

1. Laughter: A Neurochemical Shift

Laughter sounds too simple - until you consider what it does to the brain.

It interrupts the stress response, soothes tension, and promotes relaxation (Mayo Clinic, 2025). It triggers endorphine release, the brain’s natural mood booster, and dampens cortisol levels, giving your nervous system a chance to reset.

The DOSE Effect (2025) explains how dopamine, oxytocin, serotonin, and endorphins shape your internal chemistry. Laughter lights up this system (especially endorphins) making it a reliable tool for reducing emotional intensity.

As Viktor Frankl, psychiatrist and Holocaust survivor, said:

“Humour… affords an aloofness and an ability to rise above any situation.”

So yes, laugh. At yourself, the moment, or the awkward tension. Find humour in the pressure, or even think about or watch something humorous, which is detached from the activity itself. It signals to your brain: This isn’t danger.

2. The Giver’s Mindset: Shift Attention Outward

Performance anxiety thrives on inward focus.
What if I mess up? What will they think?

But when you shift attention outward to others, you are more likely to disarm the anxiety. The self-conscious loop weakens when your focus is no longer on you.

Next time you feel the build-up in a meeting or on a stage, ask:

Who else is here that I care about?
What might they be going through?
How can I support them or celebrate their success?

Even something as small as encouragement can shift your mindset and reduce performance pressure.

Small shift, big outcome: attention outward = anxiety inwardly disarmed.

3. Gradual Exposure: Rewire the Fear Circuit

Avoiding high-stakes situations brings short-term relief but long-term reinforcement of fear. The brain learns: this is dangerous.

Gradual exposure teaches the opposite. When you take small, manageable steps into those spaces, you send a powerful message to your nervous system: I can do this.

Start small:

Speak up in a low-pressure setting
Share your work with someone safe
Attend, then participate, then lead

Each step is a micro-win, rewiring your brain’s fear response over time.

Final Reflection

If you’ve been spending energy trying to banish performance anxiety, ask yourself: Is it working?

Is your current strategy helping you grow, lead meaningfully, and perform with clarity? Or is it reinforcing pressure and avoidance?

Maybe it’s time to shift your approach.
Laugh. Give. Gently expose yourself to stretch moments. Let anxiety be there, but don’t let it take the driver’s seat.

“You don’t need to be fearless to perform well. You just need to stop making fear the enemy.”
Dr Julie Smith

References

Davidson, R. J., & Begley, S. (2012). The Emotional Life of Your Brain. Penguin.
LeDoux, J. E. (2000). Emotion circuits in the brain. Annual Review of Neuroscience, 23, 155–184.
Frankl, V. E. (2006). Man’s Search for Meaning. Beacon Press.
Mayo Clinic (2025). Laughter is the best medicine. https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/stress-management/in-depth/stress-relief/art-20044456
Reiss, S., et al. (2001). Anxiety sensitivity, exposure, and fear extinction. Journal of Anxiety Disorders, 15(3), 211–225.
McLachlan, D. (2025). The DOSE Effect: Hack Your Brain Chemistry and Get Out of Your Own Way. DOSE Press.

How to Reduce Performance Anxiety.