Performance anxiety is a type of anxiety that arises in situations where someone feels they are being judged or evaluated in some way —such as public speaking, exams, or sexual activity. It involves intense worry about doing well, often leading to physical symptoms and avoidance behaviours.
“Even if I knew my material inside out, my heart would race and my voice would shake uncontrollably. I dreaded being in front of others.”
Performance anxiety affects people in different ways, often going unnoticed until the impact on work, relationships, or confidence becomes unmanageable. It’s commonly linked with public speaking (glossophobia), test anxiety, “stage fright”, or sexual performance anxiety. If you have performance anxiety you might experience overwhelming self-doubt, fear of embarrassment, or a belief that any mistake will be catastrophic. This can lead to avoidance of situations that involve scrutiny—refusing promotions, cancelling presentations, or avoiding intimacy—despite capability or desire.
Some individuals experience situational anxiety tied to specific tasks, while others may notice it generalises to broader social or occupational settings. This latter, more generalised form of performance anxiety might become so problematic for an individual that they might meet the diagnostic criteria for Social Anxiety Disorder. Left untreated, it can impact career progression, self-esteem, and wellbeing. Many people mask symptoms through perfectionism or overpreparation.
“Helping patients face these fears is incredibly rewarding. With the right approach, people can rediscover confidence in areas of life they thought they’d lost.”
At Bloomfield Health, we offer comprehensive assessments led by experienced clinicians to understand the specific nature of your performance anxiety. Treatment is likely to include cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), which may include exposure-based approaches, or tailored psychological strategies like imagery rescripting or mindfulness. For some, short-term medication may also be appropriate. We focus on restoring confidence by helping you confront and master performance challenges in a structured, compassionate, and evidence-based way.
Not quite. Performance anxiety is more focused on specific tasks, while social anxiety tends to be broader and more generalised and tends to include everyday social interactions.
Many people experience significant improvement with the right treatment. It’s a very treatable problem.
Not necessarily. Psychological therapy is usually our first-line treatment for performance anxiety. Medication can be considered if symptoms are very severe or persistent.
CBT, particularly exposure-based approaches, has very good success rates in improving anxiety-based problems like performance anxiety.
Treatment usually lasts between 6–20 sessions, depending on your goals and progress.
Yes, it’s more common than many people think and this is understandable given the prolific influence of the media in promoting unrealistic and unhelpful standards of performance. We offer confidential, non-judgemental support.
Absolutely. Many people avoid promotions or public roles because of it. Early help can change that.
No. We work collaboratively with you at a pace that feels right for you, gradually building up confidence in a safe way.
We are registered by the Care Quality Commission (CQC),
the independent regulator of health and social care in England.
