Topics we cover include:
- Ingela’s journey and why she decided to add mental health therapist to her career as a renown classical vocalist.
- How Ingela uses Maslow’s famous ‘hierarchy of needs’ triangle to explore biological root causes of performance anxiety (fascinating!)
- Ingela takes us on a deep dive into the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous system responses that act as gas and brake pedals for our brains.
- Tools and daily rituals we can use to successfully cope with anxiety.
- When and from whom should a performer seek professional help?
- We talk about the ‘acting technique’ strategy of laser focusing on the one heart to focus sensory feelers into a singular purpose.
- We discuss a famous TED talk by Amy Cuddy on body language and how the phenomenon ‘act as if and ye shall be’ is really a thing.
- Ingela demonstrates a breathing exercise she uses to quell anxiety before performance. We talk about how singing the first song replicates this kind of breathing, and can relax a case of nerves for the rest of the performance set list.
- Why it’s toxic to us when someone asks if we’re nervous before we go on stage!
- Ingela talks about how the brain is hard-wired for negativity, and how we can counter that with realistic positivity that our brains can actually believe.
- She explains the R.A.I.N. strategy for dealing with anxiety.
- She tells us where we can find her and her services… www.courageousartistry.com.
About Ingela Onstad:
Denise Wakeman says
This sounds like a fabulous interview. Putting it on my "to listen" list right now. Thanks, Judy!
Unknown says
just listened to this — so interesting and helpful. Thank you both so much.
Judy Rodman says
So happy you enjoyed it!