Anxiety stopping me from becoming an instructor

jzs20

I tanked my "audition" Yesterday ... it was more like a train wreck than an audition. Anxiety kicked in,my confidence tanked,speech got muffled and then the audition was cut short ...

Any suggestions on how to naturally overcome anxiety ? I've been battling this for years and am sick and tired of having it limit my life.

My Goal is to become an indoor cycling instructor.

pscarolina

I think it's naturally easy for some people. I love getting on stage to teach & seeing all those smiling faces. It energizes me. I love walking in somewhere I've never been before & teaching to classes I've never seen before almost as much (sometimes more) than my regular students. That doesn't mean I don't get nervous at times or feel butterflies if I have someone important in my class or go through my annual evaluation.

You may never overcome anxiety, but I don't think it has to hold you back from becoming an instructor. You are going to have to force yourself to do this, even if you have to take a deep breath & put on a persona that might not be you in real life. Once you get some classes behind you, I feel sure you will feel confident enough to be yourself. Have you tried teaching to friends or people you know will not judge you harshly? I don't think they expect you to be perfect in your audition. Every instructor I've seen go through (Jazzercise) has lots of things still to work on after they pass audition.

Why do you want to be an instructor? What about it appeals to you? This may be more work for you than others, but if you really want it I think you can do it.

212019156

If you are afraid of talking in front of groups I think the only way to get over this is to just do it. In your case you may want to take a public speaking course at a local college. The other factor that will help is to know your subject in and out.

neandermagnon

if it's that bad that it's stopping you achieving what you want to achieve in life, then maybe counselling/therapy can help you overcome it... they do therapy for phobias and this probably isn't all that different to a phobia. Assertiveness training may help too.

rainbowbow

As someone with an anxiety disorder I know the feels. My best advice would be exposure response therapy of sorts.

Ask friends, family, anyone if they want free training. Start off small like one on one in a private setting for a short period. It'll be uncomfortable and you'll *kitten* up and that's okay. Eventually it'll be second nature and you won't even think about it at all.

You've got to do it enough to where you prove that the anxiety is unfounded and nothing "bad" happens. Someday it'll be as rudimentary as brushing your teeth or answering a phone call.

lorib642

I have a book called "The Anxiety and Phobia Workbook" I like.

It helps me to approach things in little steps or visualize them beforehand. I used to have trouble making conversations and now I sometimes volunteer to give presentations. I am not a great speaker, but I can do it.

You will be cycling with the class? I bet as you burn off some energy you will relax more. And, there is a type of therapy called Cognitive behavioral therapy (cbt). There are workbooks you can do at home. It helps you to have more balanced thinking.

Good luck.

Were you nervous about any of the questions? Do you think you need to rehearse or was it all anxiety?

dbmata

jzs20 wrote: »

I tanked my "audition" Yesterday ... it was more like a train wreck than an audition. Anxiety kicked in,my confidence tanked,speech got muffled and then the audition was cut short ...

Sounds like it just isn't time yet.

Practice talking to large groups of diverse people you've never met before.

When I got out of high school I had a hard time holding a conversation with someone I had just met... so I became a dj, first on the radio then in clubs. Got over that quickly by playing a role, and faking it til I made it.

Now, I own rooms.

tl;dr: when you're ready you'll be able to fake it til you make it.

dbmata

This guy. lol. Don't mind him, he's hopped up on flour water.

Ailorn

You could try contacting a local counselor who specializes in anxiety disorders. They could help coach you through it with coping skills and exposure therapy so it's gradual and doable.