Ever been terrified to open your mouth? Not during a gunpoint type of situation like a robbery (where the response would be completely understandable). I’m talking about relatively normal experiences that are a part of our life like public speaking or group discussions.

As a teenager at school, I used to DREAD being chosen to read a paragraph during English class, or even worse – share my opinion with the room.

But if you met me on a night out, you’d hear me before you saw me. Many a time, I’ve been on stage, microphone in hand, voluntarily becoming the host that nobody asked for, belting out some ABBA and rapping a bit of Eminem. Only to wake up the next day with a blurry recollection of the event, surprising myself at my burst of confidence. Instead of embracing it, ‘the fear’ becomes a million times worse as I fixate on ‘what the hell was I saying’ instead of ‘how did I sound?’ And after being rejected from a school choir at age NINE, my hopes are never too high.

Funny enough, I have been appraised for my enthusiastic performances and told I’m a natural entertainer (9-year-old Saoirse would be thrilled).

So why do people need stimulants to break down these barriers of anxiety and build up confidence?

Some don’t, and many people might have no problem shouting their opinions to the world (often it can be ones that nobody wants to hear), but a lot of us are more reluctant, especially in Irish society where shame is rooted in our history. Whether it’s the colonization of our culture or abuse of religion, we were taught being ‘seen’ and ‘speaking up’ is not acceptable unless it’s socially acceptable i.e. what figures of authority wanted to hear.

If you are presenting a speech in front of a crowd, or if you are performing live in a band, remember nerves can be an exciting thing and there’s no real sense of ‘fight or flight’ danger (unless a lion is sitting in the audience). Nerves are a standard reaction that you have learnt, but they don’t have to be a bad thing. You can choose how to respond to them!

Learning to be comfortable with silence is crucial. Teaching teenagers has forced me to identify as a ‘bad stand-up comedian’ who might get a laugh or two on a good day, but grows accustomed to yawning and eye rolling most days. This job has done wonders for being okay with holding a microphone without needing a drink or ten people to reassure me that I’ll ‘be grand’.

If you are scared of speaking into a mic or sharing your opinions to a room of people, I suggest you practice doing it regularly to help overcome it (preferably sober). Even if it’s just for some karaoke!

-Saoirse