😰 Nervous on Camera? Start Here. If you’re an introvert or just feel awkward on camera, I’ll walk you through the mindset shifts and simple on-camera tricks that help build confidence.
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A few years ago, I had a client who was a brilliant professional (a personal stylist), but absolutely terrified of being on camera.
I remember the first time she tried to film a short video. She used scarves to cover half her face, held bags in front of her chest… anything to distract from actually being seen. The fear was so real, you could feel it through the screen.
Guess how many follower she has.
I’ll give you a couple of seconds to think. Ready?
She’s got 23,000 followers, a fully booked calendar, and a community that comments hyped on every video.
And she didn’t fake confidence, she just got comfortable video, after video, after video.
Was it awkward? Of course, in the beginning, but me and my partner guided her and she became incredible at it. And I’m not saying this because I want the merit, SHE did all the work, we just nudged her.
“Ok Chiara but what can we learn from this?”
Give me a handful of minutes and I’ll tell you:
PART 1: MINDSET REFRAME
First of all, you need to understand that the real reason why you (or we) are afraid of cameras lies not on the camera, not in the people watching, but inside of you.
We all have insecurities and beliefs, and that’s what is stopping us. Check if any of this resonates:
You don’t give yourself permission to be imperfect
Maybe you’re a perfectionist, maybe you’re just scared of failure…
In any case, let’s be real: your first videos will be awkward. And that’s normal. We all have an ‘awkward phase.’
And I mean ALL.
Even the best creator (I’m talking people that do this for a living) that have billions of views felt awkward at one point, so why would you not have that?
If you reverse the thought and think about it, it’s almost presumptuous, right?
Service over performance
What if I told you that how you look or sound doesn’t matter half as much as the message you’re trying to deliver? Again, you’re not trying to be a performer or a content creator, your job isn’t to perform but it’s to help.
Reframe the thought and think that you are just trying to help someone and if they need your advice, believe me, they’ll take it no matter what.
Fear = you care
My favorite: if you feel nervous, it means you actually give a damn.
Do you think I don’t cringe while press “publish”? I’m not afraid to say it, I’m scared at every post on every platform, but when I think that this video might help you, my fear becomes little compared to thinking of you actually publishing because of this video.
That’s not weakness. That’s power.
The trick is to focus on the why, rather than any other bad feeling you anxiety is creating.
F*ck up now with no views, be great once you have more
By definition, if you’re starting out or you have very little views and followers, it is the best time to feel cringe. Very little people are watching!
And if the thought of having too many eyes on you makes you shiver, guess what: you don’t even need all those eyes, you as a small business owner only need the right number of eyes to meet your monthly goals.
As long as they are the right eyes, but that comes from creating the right type of content, not the best performance.
PART 2: 5 PRACTICAL TRICKS
Here’s some tricks that I gathered from other shy business owners or even created for myself, so you might find something that works for you too:
- The 2-Minute Warm-Up
Shake out your hands and body if you feel stiff. Say a few tongue twisters. Breathe deeply. It sounds silly, but it signals to your body that you’re safe. - Talk to One Person
Imagine your favorite client is on the other side of the lens, not a thousand strangers. Record for one, not for everyone. Right now in my head I’m talking to just one specific person in a chilled call, like I do in coaching, not hundred of people. - Start with 30-Second Videos
Forget the ambitious goal for a second and just focus on consistency.30 seconds a day builds the muscle faster than one perfect video a month. Make it SUPER easy for you: just phone, no aesthetic backgrounds, just a clear idea on what to say and try. Try this for 30 days, then watch your first video on day 31 and check results. - Stand When You Record
If you can’t find your right energy while sitting, try standing. You speak with more intention, more movement, more breath. It’s a little shift, but very easy to do and that can make a big impact. - The Mess-Up Method
Ok I will probably sound crazy now… This is a tough one to tell you. but I have a funny, personal story for it.Besides what I do here, I also love to sing and used to do shows, but of course crowds are terrifying.So what happened to me almost always, was that I would shake like crazy right before going up. And literally, like a some sort of unconscious ritual, I would mess up the first note… ALWAYS!But then I knew that that was already the worst I could do, and that I could only do better after. Somehow this worked magic in my head! From there, I was always able to perform after.Call me crazy (I won’t blame you) but I still do it when I film alone. If I can’t say a word or a sentence, I would just emphasize it or do bad voices or faces until I feel relaxed again and can keep filming. It’s a bit annoying in editing (sorry, I have plenty of cuts of stupid sounds too) but it works.
If you’ve been waiting for confidence to magically show up… don’t.
Build it.
And I’m going full-coach here and give you an exercise for your next video:
Try recording a 30-second video today.
Don’t need to post it, just film it.Use some of the tips I gave you if something resonated, or just freestyle it if you feel like it.
Then watch it again tomorrow and try to spot what you think is wrong or don’t like. Record it with the corrections and try to do it again the next day, but this time notice also what you improved.
And if you feel even just half happy with it maybe post it and start again with another one.
Then watch your skills grow.
If you want some extra help on this topic, feel free to leave a comment or book a free clarity call and I’ll be happy to help you.
I hope this helped and I wish you a great week,
Chiara
