The Psychology of Performance by Lauren Bonvini

Every great performance begins in the mind.

Before the spotlight hits your face or the microphone is in your hand, your body is already responding to the moment. You feel it in your stomach, in your heart, in your breath. That surge of adrenaline—often mislabeled as panic—is actually a sign that your mind and body are preparing for something important. This is performance psychology in motion.

Understanding the psychology of performance is a powerful step in transforming stage fright from a barrier into a gateway. Fear, after all, isn’t the enemy. It’s information. It’s a signal. And when you learn to work with it instead of against it, everything changes.

As performance coach Lauren Bonvini puts it, “Fear isn’t the problem—it’s how we relate to it. When you understand what’s really happening, you can meet the moment with clarity instead of chaos.”

Let’s explore the internal mechanics of stage fright and how understanding your own mind can unlock freedom onstage, in the boardroom, or anywhere you’re called to be seen and heard.

What Is Stage Fright, Really?

Stage fright is often framed as a personal flaw or lack of confidence. But at its core, it’s a biological response rooted in survival.

When you prepare to perform or speak publicly, your brain perceives it as a high-stakes situation. In evolutionary terms, standing alone and being watched by a group can feel like exposure—social risk, vulnerability, or even rejection. Your brain reacts by activating the amygdala, the part responsible for threat detection.

This sets off the fight-or-flight response. Heart rate increases. Muscles tighten. Breath becomes shallow. Blood is redirected away from digestion and toward muscles. And—most notably—your brain’s access to logic, memory, and verbal fluency is reduced.

Sound familiar?

But this response doesn’t mean you’re weak. It means your brain is doing its job—just a little too well.

Reframing the Threat

One of the most effective psychological tools for managing stage fright is reframing—changing the story you tell yourself about what’s happening.

When your body feels anxious, your brain wants to attach meaning. If you interpret your symptoms as danger, you’ll spiral. But if you interpret them as excitement, readiness, or intensity, your brain begins to calm.

Lauren Bonvini teaches her clients to label sensations differently. “Don’t call it panic—call it power. Don’t call it nerves—call it energy,” she says. “You’re not broken. You’re alive.”

This simple language shift helps performers and speakers take back control. Instead of being swept up in fear, they begin to ride it like a wave.

Cognitive Distortions and Self-Talk

Another piece of performance psychology involves recognizing cognitive distortions—unhelpful thought patterns that fuel fear.

Common distortions include:

• Catastrophizing: “If I mess up, it’ll be a disaster.”

• Mind-reading: “They think I’m not good enough.”

• All-or-nothing thinking: “If it’s not perfect, it’s a failure.”

These thoughts are automatic—but not accurate. The key is to notice them, challenge them, and replace them with more balanced beliefs.

Bonvini helps clients identify their personal “fear scripts” and rewrite them into empowering statements. “It’s not about pretending you don’t have doubts,” she explains. “It’s about not letting those doubts run the show.”

When you catch yourself spiraling into fear-based thoughts, pause. Ask: Is this true? Is this helpful? What would I tell a friend in this moment?

Visualization and Mental Rehearsal

Your brain can’t distinguish between vividly imagined experiences and real ones. That’s why visualization is such a powerful performance tool.

Spend time mentally rehearsing not just your material, but the full experience of performing. Imagine walking on stage, breathing deeply, speaking with ease, and feeling connected to the audience. See yourself calm, confident, and in control.

This kind of mental training helps rewire your response to high-stress environments. You’re teaching your brain that this experience is safe, familiar, and survivable.

Lauren Bonvini incorporates guided visualization into her coaching sessions. “It’s like rehearsing victory,” she says. “When your brain has already succeeded in your mind, it’s much easier to succeed in your body.”

The Identity Shift

Perhaps the most transformative part of performance psychology is identity.

Often, stage fright is rooted in identity misalignment. You might still see yourself as someone who “hates public speaking” or “isn’t a real performer.” These identities shape how you interpret experiences—and they limit what you believe is possible.

Building confidence means updating your self-image. Instead of trying to fake it, become the kind of person who speaks with presence. The kind who knows nerves are normal. The kind who shows up even when it’s scary.

Lauren Bonvini encourages her clients to create new identity statements. Say them daily. Live into them. “You’re not trying to become someone else,” she says. “You’re trying to uncover the version of you that’s already brave.”

This internal shift is what turns temporary strategies into lasting change.

Regulate Before You Perform

You don’t have to wait until fear hits you on stage to start calming down. One of the best practices from performance psychology is pre-event regulation.

This includes:

• Movement (to release excess energy)

• Breath work (to slow the nervous system)

• Mindful routines (to anchor the body and mind)

Bonvini teaches what she calls “pre-performance priming”—a 10-minute ritual to get into the optimal emotional state. “If you wait until you’re onstage to regulate, you’re reacting. But if you prepare your system in advance, you’re responding.”

It’s the difference between being swept up in adrenaline—or surfing it.

Final Thoughts

Stage fright isn’t just about fear of failure. It’s often fear of being seen, of being vulnerable, of letting others witness the full scope of who you are. But when you understand the psychology behind that fear, you can start to move through it with compassion and skill.

You learn that your mind isn’t working against you—it’s trying to protect you. And with the right tools, you can teach it that this moment—this stage, this audience, this spotlight—is safe. Even more than that, it’s a place where you belong.

Lauren Bonvini puts it beautifully:

“When you know what your fear is trying to do, you stop fighting it. You start listening. And when you listen, you get to lead.”

So the next time your heart starts to race before you step onstage, remember: it’s not a signal to run. It’s a signal that you’re alive, you're ready, and you’re about to do something that matters.